What the Education of George Washington Can Teach Us | Education

By KayleyKenzie
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Word Count: 364

Believe it or not, the education of George Washington was limited compared to other leaders of his day. His two older half-brothers went to England to receive their education; George Washington did not.

He did not learn any other languages or go to college. In fact, George Washington's education ended when he was about sixteen years old.

So who taught Washington, and where did he go to school? We don't know for certain. All that remains of the education of George Washington are the school papers. We can see through these papers that Washington received a solid education that helped him throughout his life.

Washington was quoted as describing his education as "defective." Even though the education of George Washington continued to be developed, he remained embarrassed that his formal education ended early.

His favorite methods of acquiring knowledge included reading books, learning from others, and studying the people he respected. He also learned from personal experiences.

Here is what we can learn from the education of George Washington just by reviewing his school papers:

1. His first school papers were dated 1741. If he was born in 1732, he was about 8 or 9 and could effectively read, write, and do math.

2. Another one of Washington's papers was actually a survey of his half-brother's turnip field. Obviously, he learned surveying while he was in school. How would this ability aid him later in life?

3. We can see from another one of Washington's papers that he learned geography, knew how to calculate interest in monetary transactions, and could also copy many of the legal forms in use in Virginia in those days.

4. Washington may not have received his education in England, but he was certainly taught something about manners and decorum. He copied 110 rules that people should observe for good manners and behavior.

The rules were known as the "Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation." The rules clearly must have helped him interact with people and the leaders around him.

Even though the education of George Washington was cut by a couple of years, it is obvious that he received a good education. What he learned helped him become a leader for this nation.

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