I really like the way the Jewish Culture taught their children. They got there instruction from Genesis 18:19, which says "For I have chosen him so that he will direct his children and his household after him so he will keep the way of the Lord,"1 and taught by memorization and repetition. What's more is that they offered free elementary education to all who wanted it, in fact weather you wanted it or not you forced to go at the age of six.2 However, up until the age of six they were taught at home mostly with teaching being expressed by Deuteronomy 6:7, "Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road when you lie down and when you get up."3 Once they where six though they went to an open air school where they sat at their teachers feet and where taught to read the Torah.4 at the age of ten the learned the Mishnah and finally at the age of fifteen if they were exceptionally smart they went to Rabbinical School.5 .
I personally think the Jews had it right on. I think maybe they could have used a better way then memorization and repetition but it worked for them. I can imagine that there was hardly nowhere you could go where the Jewish children didn't know their stuff. What's even more important is that they did not see the violence that we see in our schools, and if they did it has not been public exploited. Am I saying they did not have problems at all? By all means No, but what they did have where very well versed children. So, what am I saying, that we should go back to synagogues? No, I am simply saying that maybe we could learn from the ways of the past and maybe improve upon our current system.
