Roger Ascham
Roger Ascham: A Renaissance Educator's Lasting Legacy
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Roger Ascham was born in 1515 as Roger Ascham, with no other notable aliases recorded.
Birth and Death Dates
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Ascham was born around 1515 and passed away on December 30, 1568.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Ascham's nationality is English. He worked primarily as an educator and scholar during his lifetime.
Early Life and Background
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Roger Ascham was born in Norfolk, England to a family of minor gentry. His father served as a justice of the peace, providing Ascham with access to education from an early age. In 1532, he attended St John's College in Cambridge University on a scholarship, studying classical languages and philosophy.
Major Accomplishments
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During his time at Cambridge, Ascham caught the attention of Thomas Cranmer, the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, who recognized the young scholar's potential. This connection led to Ascham being appointed as tutor for Princess Mary (later Mary I of England), the eldest daughter of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. Under Ascham's guidance, the princess made significant progress in her studies.
Notable Works or Actions
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One of Ascham's most notable works is The Schoolmaster, a treatise on education that offers practical advice to educators. In it, he advocates for an emphasis on Latin and classical literature as essential tools for intellectual development. The book was widely read and respected in its time.
Impact and Legacy
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Ascham's impact extends far beyond his work with Princess Mary. His writings on education had a lasting influence on the development of English pedagogy. In addition, Ascham played a crucial role in shaping the educational landscape for generations to come through his advocacy for a liberal arts-based curriculum.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Roger Ascham is remembered as an educator and scholar who contributed significantly to the field of pedagogy. His commitment to providing students with a well-rounded education has made him a notable figure in the history of English education. Ascham's legacy continues to be felt through his influential writings, which remain valuable resources for educators today.
Through his dedication to teaching and learning, Ascham exemplifies the principles that have guided educational thought for centuries: the importance of classical knowledge, the value of individualized instruction, and the need for a well-rounded education. His impact on the development of English pedagogy has left an enduring legacy that continues to inspire educators today.
This biography offers insight into the life and work of Roger Ascham, providing readers with a deeper understanding of his significance in the history of education.
Quotes by Roger Ascham
It is a pity that, commonly, more care is had – yea, and that among very wise men – to find out rather a cunning man for their horse than a cunning man for their children.
As a hawk flieth not high with one wing, even so a man reacheth not to excellence with one tongue.
Charles V used to say that "the more languages a man knew, he was so many more times a man." Each new form of human speech introduces one into a new world of thought and life. So in some degree is it in traversing other continents and mingling with other races. As a hawk flieth not high with one wing, even so a man reacheth not to excellence with one tongue.
I remember when I was young, in the north, they went to the grammar school little children: they came from thence great lubbers: always learning, and little profiting: learning without book everything, understanding within the book little or nothing.
A man, groundly learned already, may take much profit himself in using by epitome to draw other men’s works, for his own memory sake, into short room.