Avicenna Philosophy of education

date: 980 ad – 1037 ad

in medieval islamic world, elementary school known maktab, dates @ least 10th century. madrasahs (which referred higher education), maktab attached mosque. in 11th century, ibn sina (known avicenna in west), wrote chapter dealing maktab entitled role of teacher in training , upbringing of children , guide teachers working @ maktab schools. wrote children can learn better if taught in classes instead of individual tuition private tutors, , gave number of reasons why case, citing value of competition , emulation among pupils usefulness of group discussions , debates. ibn sina described curriculum of maktab school in detail, describing curricula 2 stages of education in maktab school.

ibn sina wrote children should sent maktab school age of 6 , taught primary education until reach age of 14. during time, wrote should taught qur an, islamic metaphysics, language, literature, islamic ethics, , manual skills (which refer variety of practical skills).

ibn sina refers secondary education stage of maktab schooling period of specialization, when pupils should begin acquire manual skills, regardless of social status. writes children after age of 14 should given choice choose , specialize in subjects have interest in, whether reading, manual skills, literature, preaching, medicine, geometry, trade , commerce, craftsmanship, or other subject or profession interested in pursuing future career. wrote transitional stage , there needs flexibility regarding age in pupils graduate, student s emotional development , chosen subjects need taken account.

the empiricist theory of tabula rasa developed ibn sina. argued human intellect @ birth rather tabula rasa, pure potentiality actualized through education , comes know , knowledge attained through empirical familiarity objects in world 1 abstracts universal concepts developed through syllogistic method of reasoning; observations lead prepositional statements, when compounded lead further abstract concepts. further argued intellect possesses levels of development material intellect (al-‘aql al-hayulani), potentiality can acquire knowledge active intellect (al-‘aql al-fa‘il), state of human intellect in conjunction perfect source of knowledge.