Reclaiming Classical Education II. Warsaw
Conference panel descriptions
Panel 1: What is Classical Education? And why is it relevant in our schools?
Áron Fekete, Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Learning Institute, Project manager
Thibaud Gibelin, Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Visiting Fellow
Artur Górecki, Ordo Iuris Educational Centre, Director
Szabolcs Nagypál, Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Law School, Workshop Leader
Alka Sehgal Cuthbert, Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Learning Institute, Advisor Don’t Divide Us (DDU), Director
Classical education introduces children to what the British poet and school inspector termed ‘the best which has been thought and said in the world’. Sometimes called conservative, liberal, or knowledge-based education, classical education is a content-rich, subject-based approach to teaching that honours ancient knowledge. As such, it serves as a form of induction into civilization’s values and moral norms. Through the person of the teacher and the institution of the school, children gain knowledge that cannot be acquired through lived experiences alone. Knowledge of the past is each generation’s intellectual birthright. Its possession allows society to advance, as old knowledge is critiqued and new knowledge is accumulated. As wisdom amassed over centuries is passed from one generation to the next, children become familiar with mankind’s scientific, artistic and humanistic achievements. They come to know the abstract, the theoretical and the beautiful.
In this session, speakers will trace the origins of classical education from Ancient Greece through to the present day. They will discuss what classical education means in the context of their own countries and institutions and will draw upon examples from the past and present to illustrate what teaching that introduces children to the wisdom and values of civilization looks like in practice.
Panel 2: Against the Current: Classical Education vs. Postmodern Drift
Richard Fodor, Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Learning Institute, Head of research
Piotr Kaznowski, philosopher, teacher of rhetoric, dialectics, and philosophy
Cornelis Schilcht, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Associate professor; Lux Mundi Foundation, President
Joanna Williams, Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Visiting Fellow; CIEO, Director
Nicholas Tate, Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Learning Institute, Advisor, Former Head of the UK Curriculum Council
Alex Standish, University College London, Associate Professor
Classical education trains children in the foundations of human knowledge and understanding so that, as they grow and mature, they can develop their ability to observe, analyse and question, compare their understanding with others, and engage in dialogue and debate. The knowledge-based curriculum assumes that a child needs to know the facts about their world before they can develop their critical faculties. A grounding in the legacy of the past preserves ancient knowledge and traditions in the minds of a new generation. The intention is not to preserve the past as dogma but to demonstrate an ethical commitment to maintaining and developing our intellectual tradition as a necessity for originality, not its obstruction. Classical education is central to character formation. It helps to develop a child’s mental and moral fitness and to gain control over their emotions. Classical education, with its focus on the transmission of a cultural and intellectual inheritance, connects children to their nation.
In an age marked by fragmented identities and social atomization, classical education offers a unifying intellectual and moral framework—standing in contrast to postmodernism's emphasis on deconstruction, relativism, and the rejection of shared cultural narratives.
In this session, speakers consider the importance of classical education to children, nation and civilization. They explore how knowledge of the past can help develop the character and intellect of children in the present and create engaged future citizens respectful of tradition.
Panel 3: Revolt and New Foundations? Current challenges and solutions in schools
Dennis Hayes, University of Derby, Emeritus Professor; Academics For
Academic Freedom, Director
Paweł Chmielewski, PCH24, editor; journalist
Stuart Waiton, Abertay University, Senior Lecturer; Scottish Union for Education, Chairperson
János Setényi, Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Learning Institute, Director
Suay Acikalin, Ankara Haci Bayram Veli University, Associate professor
Liliana Smiech, Ludovika University of Public Service, International Director General; Warsaw Institute, Chairwoman
Mike Gonzales, The Heritage Foundation, Angeles T. Arredondo E Pluribus Unum Senior fellow
The decline of classical education over many decades has left little agreement about what schools should teach. Many now argue the values of Western civilisation are not worth preserving. Rather than schools introducing children to their intellectual birthright, they ‘decolonize’ the curriculum and leave children alienated from their nation’s past. Intellectual and cultural transmission is abandoned in favour of teaching children knowledge deemed ‘relevant’ to their lives today alongside the skills and aptitudes considered necessary for tomorrow’s economic and social world. Often, this means introducing children to adult concerns relating to issues such as mental health, climate change, sex and relationships. Education and politics become blurred. Teachers become pedagogues rather than subject experts and children are perceived not as resilient, capable young scholars but as emotionally fragile beings who need protection from challenging content and the stress of high expectations.
Faced with a loss of trust in state schooling, a growing number of parents are opting out entirely, seeking refuge in private initiatives and independent schools often shaped by the strong convictions and personal vision of their founders, who offer an alternative to the values and pedagogy of the mainstream system.
In this session, speakers will consider the current state of education in schools around the world. They will explore the problems with a child-centred, progressive and politicized curriculum. They will discuss the tensions between school and home that emerge when teachers intervene in children’s lives more explicitly, with a view to cultivating particular beliefs and opinions that may not be shared by family members.
Panel 4: Future for Classical Education - Local and international initiatives
Jonathan Butcher, The Heritage Foundation. Center for Education Policy, Will Skillman Senior Research Fellow
Martin Luteran, Kolégium Antona Neuwirtha, Rector
Paweł Milcarek, „Christianitas” quarterly, editor, philosopher, teacher
Paige McPherson, The Fraser Institute, Associate Director of Education Policy
Glenn Fahey, Centre for Independent Studies, Education program Director
Enikő Szakos, Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Learning Institute, Researcher; Ludovika University of Public Service, Department leader
Progressive education has hollowed out schools, robbed teachers of their true purpose and left children rootless and culturally alienated from older generations. In response, there are growing signs that parents, students and teachers want an alternative. There is an appetite for a revival of classical or knowledge-based education. This may take the form of a return to teaching Latin, the philosophy and literature of Ancient Greece and Rome, the humanities and the literary canon. We urgently need to provide children with a sense of their own history and the core Judeo-Christian principles and understandings upon which their society and its institutions are based. Children deserve so much more than the combination of political indoctrination, basic skills and therapy that now comprises education in many western countries.
To ensure the long-term success of classical education, we need a network-based approach that connects like-minded initiatives across both sides of the Atlantic. By sharing knowledge, curriculum plans, pedagogical resources, and examples of good practice, we can support schools and educators who are striving to revive content-rich education rooted in European values. MCC Learning Institute has recently launched a dedicated platform titled European Free Space of Education, which serves as a common space for sharing experiences, events, and writings. This initiative aims to foster collaboration, inspire innovation, and amplify the voices of those committed to educational renewal.
In this session, speakers consider the prospects for a revival of classical education. They will explore not just what schools could look like were teachers to commit to a knowledge-based approach to teaching in the future, but what classical education looks like today, in the communities in which it is currently practiced. Lastly, it is high time to establish the format and platforms for sharing knowledge and good practices accumulated in the institutions of classical education.