ESSENTIALISM

Educational Essentialism is a theory that states that, children should learn the traditional basic
subjects and these should be learned thoroughly and rigorously. An essentialist program normally
teaches children progressively, from less complex skills to more complex. William Bagley (1874-1946)
was The founder of the Essentialist Movement. Essentialism is a uniquely American philosophy of
education which began in the 1930s and 1940s as a reaction to what was seen as a overemphasis
on a child-centered approach to education and a concern that students were not gaining appropriate
knowledge in schools. Although essentialism, as a theory and program of education has developed
to maturity before progressivism, it is considered mainly for its current formulations. Most of the
leading exponents are still strikingly devoted disciples of the two major systems of philosophical
thoughts idealism and realism that emerged in the Renaissance and attained their matured
formulations during the early parts of the 19th century. The expression into which each system
matured is extremely diverged and not always internally consistent, with the consequence that
essentialism, which includes both idealism and realism, abounds with eclectic elements. Despite
their differences, idealistic and realistic philosophies are deeply concerned with the three chief areas
of belief: reality, knowledge and value. Essentialist believes in a critical core of information and skill
that an educated person must have.
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF ESSENTIALISM:
In the Essentialist's Platform, which Bagley published in April 1938, the essentialists offered several
basic educational principles.
First, they recognized the right of an immature student to the guidance of a well-educated, caring,
and cultured teacher.
Second, they proposed that an effective democracy demanded a democratic culture in which
teachers impart the ideals of the community to each succeeding generation of the children.
Third, they called for a specific program of studies that required thoroughness, accuracy,
persistence, and good workmanship on the part of the pupils.
Underlying Philosophical Basis:
Essentialism is grounded in a conservative philosophy that accepts the social, political, and
economic structure of American society.
It contends that schools should not try to radically reshape the society. Rather, essentialists argue,
schools should transmit the traditional moral values and intellectual knowledge that make the
students model citizens.
Essentialists believe that teachers should instill such traditional virtues such as respect for
authority, perseverance, fidelity to duty, consideration for others, and practicality.
Reflecting its conservative philosophy, essentialism tends to accept the philosophical views
associated with the traditional, conservative elements of American society.
Metaphysics
It acknowledges the primary of Essence.
It is not dependent on objective facts and measurements and not limited to empirical
understanding.
It transcends self/other dualism to define the undivided source.
Epistemology
1. Truth exists in the classics and modern science.
2. Students must learn process and content.
3. Knowledge is gained through the interaction of experiences and rational thought.
Axiology
1. Determined by the natural order of things.
2. Values exist in the best of culture.
3. Rationality is best developed through interplay of deductive and inductive thinking
CURRICULUM:
Essentialism is related to the cultural literacy movement, which advocates the teaching of a core set
of knowledge common to (and assumed to be possessed by) members of a culture or society. Strong
emphasis is on basic skills in elementary schools. Emphasis is on knowledge and scholastic
achievement in secondary schools. Reflecting the essentialist emphasis on technological literacy, A
Nation at Risk recommend that all high school students complete at least one semester of
Computer Science. Essentialism refers to the "traditional" or "Back to the Basics" approach to
education. Essentialism tries to instill all students with the most essential or basic academic
knowledge, skills and character development. It is so named because it strives to instill students
with the "essentials" of academic knowledge and character development. The foundation of
essentialist curriculum is based on traditional disciplines such as math, natural science, history,
foreign language, and literature. Essentialists frown upon vocational courses. In the essentialist
system, students are required to master a set body of information and basic techniques for their
grade level before they are promoted to the next higher grade. The content gradually moves
towards more complex skills and detailed knowledge.
METHOD OF INSTRUCTION:
Essentialist avoids methodological add-ons and soft pedagogy and concentrates on sound, proven
instructional methods. The students would learn passively by sitting on the desks and listening to the
teacher. An example of essentialism would be lecture based introduction classes taught at
universities. Students sit and take notes in a classroom which holds over one hundred students. They
take introductory level courses in order to introduce them to the content. After completing one
course, they will take the next level course and apply what they have learned previously.
Elementary students receive instruction in skills such as writing, reading, measurement, and
computers.
Subjects most often associated with the development of creativity such as Art and Music to be
provided.
The students are required to master a body of information and basic techniques, gradually moving
from less to more complex skills and detailed knowledge.
Only by mastering the required material for their grade level, the students are promoted to the
next higher grade.
Essentialism is different from what Dewey would like to see in the schools. Students in this system
would sit in rows and be taught in masses.
ESSENTIALIST CLASSROOM
Essentialists urge that the most essential or basic academic skills and knowledge be taught to all the
students. The essentialist classroom is centered on students being taught about the people, events,
ideas, and institutions that have shaped the American society. Essentialists hope that when students
leave school, they will not only possess basic knowledge and skills, but they will also have disciplined,
practical minds, capable of applying lessons learned in school in the real world. In an essentialist
classroom, students are taught to be Culturally Literate, Essentialist programs are academically
rigorous, for both slow and fast learners. Essentialists believe in strict classroom management for
two reasons.
The first being that students will team better and concentrate better if there are few distractions.
Secondly the teacher can teach better with few distractions.
If a student does something wrong then he or she needs to be punished.
ROLE OF A TEACHER :
Moreover, essentialists maintain that classrooms should be oriented around the teacher, who ideally
serves as an intellectual and moral role model for the students.
The teachers or the administrators decide what is most important for the students to learn and
place little emphasis on student interests, particularly when they divert time and attention from the
academic curriculum.
Essentialist teachers focus heavily on achievement test scores as a means of evaluating progress.
Essentialists believe that the teachers should try to embed traditional moral values and virtues such
as respect for authority, perseverance, fidelity to duty, consideration for others, and practicality and
intellectual knowledge that students need to become model citizens.
Essentialism focuses on teaching the essential elements of academic and moral knowledge.
Essentialists urge that schools get back to the basics; they believe in a strong core curriculum and
high academic standards. Perennialism focuses on the universal truths that have withstood the test
of time. Perennialists urge that students read the Great Books and develop their understanding of
the philosophical concepts that underlie human knowledge.
Essentialism and perennialism give teachers the power to choose the curriculum, organize the
school day, and construct classroom activities. The curriculum reinforces a predominantly Western
heritage while viewing the students as vessels to be filled and disciplined in the proven strategies of
the past. Essentialists focus on cultural literacy, while perennialists work from the Great Books.
Essentialism: concept of universal education; the belief that there is essential knowledge that
everyone in a given culture must have in order to be a knowledgeable and fully participating
member of that culture. It is a schools responsibility to provide that knowledge.
Essentialism promotes modication of core knowledge to reect current culture (always changing).
It also stresses realism, or using the knowledge and skills to become a functioning and productive
member of that culture, outside of academia.
Essentialists believe that there is a common core of knowledge that needs to be transmitted to
students in a systematic, disciplined way. The emphasis in this conservative perspective is on
intellectual and moral standards that schools should teach. The core of the curriculum is essential
knowledge and skills and academic rigor. Although this educational philosophy is similar in some
ways to Perennialism, Essentialists accept the idea that this core curriculum may change. Schooling
should be practical, preparing students to become valuable members of society. It should focus on
facts-the objective reality out there--and "the basics," training students to read, write, speak, and
compute clearly and logically. Schools should not try to set or influence policies. Students should be
taught hard work, respect for authority, and discipline. Teachers are to help students keep their non-
productive instincts in check, such as aggression or mindlessness.
Educational essentialism is an educational philosophy whose adherents believe that children should
learn the traditional basic subjects thoroughly and rigorously. In this philosophical school of thought,
the aim is to instill students with the "essentials" of academic knowledge, enacting a back-to-basics
approach. Essentialism ensures that the accumulated wisdom of our civilization as taught in the
traditional academic disciplines is passed on from teacher to student. Such disciplines might include
Reading, Writing, Literature, Foreign Languages, History, Mathematics, Science, Art, and Music.
Moreover, this traditional approach is meant to train the mind, promote reasoning, and ensure a
common culture.
Principles of Essentialism
Essentialism is a relatively conservative stance to education that strives to teach students the
knowledge of our society and civilization through a core curriculum. This core curriculum involves
such areas that include the study of the surrounding environment, basic natural laws, and the
disciplines that promote a happier, more educated living.[1] Other non-traditional areas are also
integrated as well in moderation to balance the education. Essentialists' goals are to instill students
with the "essentials" of academic knowledge, patriotism, and character development through
traditional (or back-to-basic) approaches. This is to promote reasoning, train the mind, and ensure a
common culture for all Americans. Essentialism is the most typically enacted philosophy in American
classrooms today. Traces of this can be found in the organized learning centered around teacher and
textbooks, in addition to the regular assignments and evaluations typical in essentialist education.
Essentialism as a Teacher-Centered Philosophy
The role of the teacher as the leader of the classroom is a very important tenet of Educational
essentialism. The teacher is the center of the classroom, so they should be rigid and disciplinary.
Establishing order in the classroom is crucial for student learning; effective teaching cannot take
place in a loud and disorganized environment. It is the teacher's responsibility to keep order in the
classroom. The teacher must interpret essentials of the learning process, take the leadership
position and set the tone of the classroom. These needs require an educator that is academically
well-qualified with an appreciation for learning and development. The teacher must control the
students with distributions of rewards and penalties.
Schools Enacting an Essentialist Curriculum
The Core Knowledge Schools were founded on the philosophy of essentialist E.D. Hirsch. Although it
is difficult to maintain a pure and strict essentialist-only curriculum, these schools have the central
aim of establishing a common knowledge base for all citizens. To do so, they follow a nation-wide,
content-specific, and teacher-centered curriculum. The Core Knowledge curriculum also allows for
local variance above and beyond the core curriculum. Central curricular aims are academic
excellence and the learning of knowledge, and teachers who are masters of their knowledge areas
serve this aim.
Criticism of Essentialism
One of the positive critiques of essentialism is the stability of the education. Because essentialism is
relatively conservative and focuses on disciplines which are relatively stable, it is a rather consistent
form of education. The same disciplines are taught consistently and in a progressive manner. It is not
persuaded by the fads of the time, but instead focuses on the basics that students need to know to
be productive members of society. However, because Essentialism is largely teacher-centered, the
role of the student is often called into question. Presumably, in an essentialist classroom, the
teacher is the one designing the curriculum for the students based upon the core disciplines.
Moreover, he or she is enacting the curriculum and setting the standards to which the students must
meet. As a result, the students begin to take on more of a passive role in their education as they are
forced to meet and learn such standards and information. Furthermore, there is also speculation
that an essentialist education helps in promoting the cultural lag. This philosophy of education is
very traditional in the mindset of passing on the knowledge of the culture via the academic
disciplines. Thus, students are forced to think in the mindset of the larger culture, and individual
creativity is often squelched.
Essentialism An educational philosophy suggesting that a critical core of knowledge and skills that
all people should possess. A back to the basics movement which means that learning should focus
on basic skills such as reading, mathematics, and to a certain extent, science and geography.
Essentialists believe that there is a common core of knowledge that needs to be transmitted to
students in a systematic, disciplined way. The emphasis in this conservative perspective is on
intellectual and moral standards that schools should teach. The core of the curriculum is essential
knowledge and skills and academic rigor. Although this educational philosophy is similar in some
ways to perennialism, essentialists accept the idea that this core curriculum may change. Schooling
should be practical, preparing students to become valuable members of society. It should focus on
facts-the objective reality out there--and "the basics," training students to read, write, speak, and
compute clearly and logically. Schools should not try to set or influence policies. Students should be
taught hard work, respect for authority, and discipline. Teachers are to help students keep their non-
productive instincts in check, such as aggression or mindlessness. This approach was in reaction to
progressivist approaches prevalent in the 1920s and 30s.
Essentialism comes from the word essential which means the main things or the basics. As an
educational philosophy, it advocates instilling in students with the "essentials" or basics of
academic knowledge and character development. The term essentialism as an educational
philosophy was originally popularised in the 1930s by William Bagley and later in the 1950s by
Arthur Bestor and Admiral Rickover. When it was first introduced as an educational philosophy in
American schools, it was criticised as being too rigid. In 1957, the Russians launched Sputnik which
caused a panic in educational circles as Americans felt they had fallen behind the Soviet Union
technologically. A rethinking of education followed that led to interest in essentialism. Essentialism
was grounded in a conservative philosophy that argues that schools should not try to radically
reshape society. Rather, they should transmit traditional moral values and intellectual knowledge
that students need to become model citizens. Essentialists believe that teachers should instill
traditional virtues such as respect for authority, fidelity to duty, consideration for others and
practicality. Essentialism placed importance on science and understanding the world through
scientific experimentation. To convey important knowledge about the world, essentialist educators
emphasised instruction in natural science rather than non-scientific disciplines such as philosophy or
comparative religion
Based on the beliefs of essentialism, the curriculum proposed has the following characteristics:
The basics of the essentialist curriculum are mathematics, natural science, history, foreign
language, and literature. Essentialists disapprove of vocational, life-adjustment, or other
courses with "watered down" academic content.
Elementary students receive instruction in skills such as writing, reading, and measurement.
Even while learning art and music (subjects most often associated with the development of
creativity) students are required to master a body of information and basic techniques,
gradually moving from less to more complex skills and detailed knowledge. Only by
mastering the required material for their grade level are students promoted to the next
higher grade.
Essentialist programs are academically rigorous, for both slow and fast learners. Common
subjects for all students regardless of abilities and interests. But, how much is to be learned
is adjusted according to student ability.
It advocates a longer school day, a longer academic year, and more challenging textbooks.
Essentialists maintain that classrooms should be oriented around the teacher, who serves as the
intellectual and moral role model for students
Teaching is teacher-centred and teachers decide what is most important for students to
learn with little emphasis on student interests because it will divert time and attention from
learning the academic subjects. Essentialist teachers focus heavily on achievement test
scores as a means of evaluating progress.
In an essentialist classroom, students are taught to be "culturally literate," that is, to possess
a working knowledge about the people, events, ideas, and institutions that have shaped
society. Essentialists hope that when students leave school, they will possess not only basic
skills and extensive knowledge, but also disciplined and practical minds, capable of applying
their knowledge in real world settings.
Discipline is necessary for systematic learning in a school situation. Students learn to respect
authority in both school and society.
Teachers need to be mature and well educated, who know their subjects well and can
transmit their knowledge to students.
Educators of essentialism focus on teaching math, natural sciences, foreign language, history, and
literature; they aim to teach the subjects which endure and do not change. These subjects aim in
helping students become ideal citizens and instill moral values into them. By following this
philosophy, schools encourage academic competition and help expand students' minds. Schools that
use the essentialism philosophy encourage academic competition. This type of educational approach
tends to create longer academic days, school years, and the need for challenging textbooks. Today
we may find this approach used in private, parochial, and some small town rural schools.
Educational Value of Essentialism
Essentialists have given three major principles to education:
1. The schools task is to teach basic knowledge. Basic subject matters should be mastered at
the elementary and secondary school levels to eliminate illiteracy at the college level.
2. Learning is hard work and requires discipline. Memorization, drill, and problem solving
methods foster learning.
3. The teacher is the focus of the classroom activity. She decides what students ought to learn
and is responsible for presenting the subject matter in a logical sequence and has the right to
discipline students to create a conducive learning environment.
Educational theory of Essentialism
The educational theory of essentialism is, like perennialism, based in the philosophical thoughts of
idealism and realism. Essentialists argue that (1) schools should be academic rather than social
agencies, (2) curricular organization should be based on carefully selected and well-defined skill and
subjects, (3) the teacher should be an authority figure, and (4) learning should be teacher directed.
Unlike perennialism, however, essentialism began as an educational rather than a
philosophical movement. Essentialism is a conservative educational theory that arose in the 1930s in
opposition to progressive education. With recurring regularity, various movements in education
have urged a return to teaching of the essential or basic skills. Although there have been advocates
for a return to "fundamental education" throughout the history of American education,
contemporary American education has witnessed, according to Gutex (1992), four important
movements: (1) the essentialism of the 1930s. (2) the academic critics of the 1950s, (3) the "Back to
Basics" of the 1970s till 1990s, and (4) the neoconservatism of the 1980s as evidenced in A Nation at
Risk where the core requirements for high-school students call for a curriculum based on intellectual
disciplines.
Basically, essentialism emphasizes the authority of the teacher and the value of the subject
matter curriculum. Ornstein (1989), notes that for the essentialists, "education involves the learning
of the basic skills, arts, and sciences that have been developed in the past. Mastering these skills and
subjects prepares the student to function as a member of a civilized society. In addition, the student
also should acquire the behavior needed for successful living. The learning of the essential
curriculum requires discipline and hard work." (Ornstein p.213)
Among the essentialist criticisms were the following: (1) The standards of achievement of
American students in fundamental skills and subjects were deficient in comparison to other
countries, (2) increasing numbers of students in junior and senior high schools were functionally
illiterate because of reading deficiencies, (3) many school systems had abandoned rigorous
standards of scholastic achievement for promotion and merely passed students on schedule to
higher grades, (4) progressive educators had weakened instruction by replacing exacting subjects
with ill-defined projects and activities, and (5) an erroneous theory of child freedom had been used
to eliminate discipline, order, and sequence from American schools." (p 107)
L. Dean Webb (1992) noted that the curriculum of the essentialist school's basic education
includes instruction in the "essentials," that include reading, writing, arithmetic, and research skills
in the elementary grades and science, mathematics, history, English, and foreign languages in the
high-schools. These are the "required tools" of a liberal education and the most reliable aids in
meeting the requirements of both personal and social life. It is the task of the school to channel the
accumulated experience of humankind into organized, coherent, and differentiated disciplines. Only
after mastering these basic disciplines can the student be expected to use them to solve personal,
social, and civic issues.
Currently, the neoessentialists severely criticize educators who reject or ignore the school's
mission in transmitting the nation's cultural heritage, especially as it is found in history and literature.
They attack educators who emphasize "process" over content. They maintain that history should be
taught as a separate subject and not submerged in the ill-defined social studies. Also, English should
be revitalized as the study of literature and not watered down in the language arts.
Some common themes to be found in all variations of the essentialist positions are:
1. Americans have largely lost sight of the true purpose of education, which is intellectual training.
With the rigor of our educational programs and teaching methods (discipline, respect for legitimate
authority), declining steadily for decades,
2. elementary school curriculums should aim to cultivate basic tool skills that contribute to literacy
and mastery of arithmetical computations; and
3. secondary curriculum should advance competencies in math, science, history, English, and foreign
languages.
4. We must teach our students that intellectual achievement requires hard work and disciplined
attention.
5. Like the perennialists, realists and essentialists believe that the best preparation for life is learning
about the cultures and traditions of the past.
Essentialism influences educational thought in the following ways:
1. Schools should be academic rather than social agencies,
2. Curricular organizations should be based on carefully selected and well-defined skill and
subjects--basic skills, arts, math, history, and science--from the past,
3. The teacher should be an authority figure,
4. Taught as separate subjects,
5. Learning should be teacher directed,
6. Use of scientific approach--inductive logic,
7. Emphasize content over process,
8. Excellence in education is based on external criteria,
9. Fact-base or objective base approach to knowledge,
10. Divorced from personal experience (emotion, passion, feelings, etc)--external sense-related
reality
11. Antiphilosophical--discourages search for wisdom.
This is a conservative educational theory that arose in the 1930s in opposition to progressive
education.