In the era of the “smartphone generation,” where individuals are struggling with the daily onslaught of online content and its impact on mental health, more and more educators are turning their focus back to the past seeking guidance from historical figures like Aesop and Aristotle.
The classical education movement has been thriving in the United States for decades, with approximately 677,500 students enrolled in classical education institutions during the 2023-2024 academic year. In recent years, this trend is also gaining momentum in Australia.
One of the leading figures in this movement is Sarah Flynn. The movement aims to discard the reliance on electronic devices in classrooms, emphasizing the importance of teaching children virtues and learning from historical figures rather than engaging in critical interpretations of them.
At the annual classical education symposium “Education Promotes Societal Prosperity” in Brisbane, the founder of the classical education institution Logos Australis, Sarah Flynn, who is a mother of five, stated: “For young children, we start with fables, like ‘Aesop’s Fables.’ We show them that the behaviors exhibited by these animals actually mirror human conduct, and these stories contain truths about the rewards of living a virtuous life.”
She added that from a psychological perspective, classical literature helps children absorb positive thinking patterns, similar to the positive impact that counseling provides, stating that “literature plays a vital role in promoting individual happiness and societal prosperity.”
Classical education challenges the current educational paradigms, which primarily focus on acquiring practical skills in hopes of securing a job in the future.
Flynn expressed, “The purpose of education has always been about individuals seeking self-improvement and promoting societal prosperity. However, in the past 100 years, if you asked people why they go to school, they would say, ‘To get a job.’ Education has been commodified, turned into a transaction, embodying an extremely utilitarian view of learning.”
She pointed out that modern learning emphasizes analysis, criticism, or “finding evidence, making arguments, and then breaking everything apart.”
“But we cannot solve human problems with a purely materialistic view,” she added.
On the other hand, classical learning also incorporates other elements: spirituality, art, and even aesthetics, which are often considered as “not real knowledge” and marginalized today. Students also learn Latin.
Despite the limited number of classical education schools in Australia, the popularity of the symposium has been increasing over the past three years. This year, organizers reported that around 250 educators participated in the two-day conference, double the number from the previous year.
This timing is particularly fitting as data shows a continual decline in the mental health of young Australians, as parental interest in public education diminishes.
In 2023, a study by Headspace found that one in three young people experiences distress from social media interactions, with 44% wishing to quit social media but fearing missing out on information.
Concerningly, only half of young people feel confident about job-seeking, with just 52% believing they possess the necessary skills for success. Furthermore, 62% of young people report feeling lonely.
To address the impact of social media, the federal government plans to implement a ban on social media use for those under 16 before the year ends. Additionally, state governments have prohibited the use of smartphones in classrooms.
Simultaneously, the growing distrust of parents in the public school system is evident.
In New South Wales, the enrollment rate in non-public schools has increased from 13.1% in 2000 to 19.5% in 2025.
The number of students receiving education at home has also remained steady – with approximately 45,000 students in Australia being homeschooled, with Queensland showing the most significant growth.
The latest addition to Brisbane’s classical education institutions is St. John Henry Newman College, set to offer classes from pre-kindergarten to third grade in 2026, with plans to gradually expand through high school by 2030.
Principal Kenneth Crowther stated that parents are seeking an environment that allows children to fully enjoy learning without falling into “anxiety, depression, isolation, or exhaustion.”
“Often the differences are not about what we have done but about what we have not done,” Crowther remarked.
Crowther explained, “We believe in traditional teaching methods, where students learn through pen and paper rather than constantly relying on laptops.” He also referenced books such as Jonathan Haidt’s “The Anxious Generation.”
He highlighted another key distinction from current education – not to discover the world’s problems but to find areas for personal improvement.
“We read Shakespeare not to uncover all his issues. We read Shakespeare to better understand ourselves,” Crowther stated.
“It’s more about living with our true selves rather than examining and judging the world – to realize that if the world has problems, then we are also part of the problem, and hence we need to find solutions.”