Why Latin and Classical Education Are Still the Gold Standard for Top Students

In an age of constant distractions, avoidance of memorization, and treating the arts as nothing more than self expression, Latin offers something rare and enduring: an opportunity for students to experience internalizing vast classical knowledge and using it to strengthen their logical thinking skills around the humanities. A proper education should result in the ability to meaningfully engage in a millennia-long conversation about human nature, virtue, and truth. Latin unlocks the ability to closely analyze language and art in a way that few modern students can. This quote from the Junior Classical League summarizes the various specific benefits beautifully:

"We the members of the Junior Classical League, covenant to hand on the torch of classical civilization in the modern world. We believe an acquaintance with the civilization of Greece and Rome will help us understand and appraise this world of today, which is indebted to the ancient civilization in its government and laws, literature, language and arts. We affirm the JCL experience develops responsibility, fosters brotherhood, promotes enthusiasm, encourages competition, inspires dedication and enriches our total growth."

-- Junior Classical League Creed

In case you are unfamiliar, the Junior Classical League (JCL) is perhaps the best way to enrich your child's humanities education. It is the largest classics organization in the world, centered on the study of Latin, Greek, and classical culture. For serious students, it’s a valuable combination of intellectual depth, camaraderie, and constant academic competition. I had an amazing experience with JCL as a child, and I love sharing similar opportunities with my students by hosting international Latin competitions of my own! The JCL creed summarizes the key points of why Latin is so essential to a proper education. Below, I will expand upon each point it lists.

"...covenant to hand on the torch of classical civilization in the modern world..."

Ancient Romans went from mud huts on a hill to conquering all of Europe as well as parts of the Middle East and Africa. Memorizing facts and dates is a necessary starting point in order to truly grasp the magnitude of the Romans' accomplishments. Then using these facts, students can start to ponder the broader patterns of our history; a student who understands what led to Rome's greatness and collapse is capable of more meaningful thoughts about leadership, ambition, social issues, and modern civilizational trends. It is not possible to be fully literate without this historical context, and it is our responsibility as a civilization to pass along these essential memories of those who came before us.

"...an acquaintance with the civilization of Greece and Rome will help us understand and appraise this world of today..."

While civilizations rise and fall, core elements of humanity remain constant over time. Studying people of the past will give us a greater context for learning about the modern world (as we will see in each of the subsequent sections).

"...which is indebted to the ancient civilization in its government and laws..."

Our government and laws are indisputably deeply flawed. However, it’s better than most, if not all, governments from throughout human history because it is built on a foundation of classical ideas that became increasingly refined over time. Learning historical precedent and influence can give us a much more solid foundation in order to build a better tomorrow. Despite our system's many flaws, we do have a concept of due process, checks and balances within branches of government, legally protected property ownership, representative government, innocent until proven guilty, prisons to keep dangerous people secured away from the general population, and formalized laws to strive towards even application of the law. Imagine how much worse life would be if we suddenly forgot any of these!

"...literature, language and arts..."

It's not possible to fully comprehend most Western literature from the 1900s or earlier without knowing Latin. Old books routinely toss in Latin phrases and even sentences. Religious texts have historically been written entirely in Latin, as have major mythological and philosophical treatises from ancient times. Reading without understanding the allusions is missing many layers of comprehension. Art has a similar tradition that is deeply rooted in classical techniques. Modern art can be spectacular when done well, yet we've all also seen highly questionable modern art that results from a lack of classical foundation. And studying the Latin language gives students such detailed control over grammar and language usage that it completely changes our approach to writing, reading, and speaking.

"...We affirm the JCL experience develops responsibility..."

Taking JCL events seriously requires major time-management skills and juggling multiple projects. Further, the projects can vary wildly in scope, pacing, and style. This results in both lots of awards, and lots of practice for being responsible and organized, which is super helpful for success both in school and as an adult!

"...fosters brotherhood..." It gets lonely being the best student locally. Junior Classical League events are a great way for top students to network with other outstanding students from around the country. That sense of community can be so refreshing and comforting to exceptional students!

"...promotes enthusiasm..."

Learning is obviously an important part of an education. Even more important than that is instilling a love of learning so that your child continues learning for a lifetime. The wide variety of competitions available (see the next section) provides a lot of different avenues for students of different learning styles and preferences to find their place to thrive!

"...encourages competition..."

There are so many Latin competitions that emphasize different areas of classical skills. There's everything from multiple choice tests (across a wide variety of subcategories that emphasize different fields of knowledge), to essays, to recitations, to art projects, to sports, and even a talent show. I fondly recall winning first place at nationals in the board game category (which feels like a silly category to win, although admittedly board games are still a big part of my life today). Some categories are harder to win than others, which creates a motivating and inspiring on-ramp for talented students to excel on a national scale.

"...inspires dedication..."

The amount of continual effort needed to excel routinely at competitions that happen throughout the year teaches students how to be dedicated to their studies. While individual contests are seasonal, I remember vividly how many contests there are packed together on consecutive weeks and weekends. Not all contests are required, but they are each a new exciting opportunity. The best students prepare continually (and also see each other constantly at different events!).

"...and enriches our total growth!"

The process of both learning so much content and experiencing all these events can be positively life-changing. Whether you win or lose at a major event, there's another opportunity around the next corner, and it's a lot of fun regardless. From exploring ancient philosophical treatises in the original language, to buzzing in rapidly on trivia questions at Certamen, students ultimately gain greater confidence, cultural literacy, and a new appreciation for the world.

Whether or not your student's school has a Latin program or a JCL chapter, you are allowed (and I strongly encourage you) to study Latin together independently and join JCL as a member at large. You don't need to know any Latin yourself to help your child get started.

Here's my post on how to get started in Latin.

If you have any questions about doing either of these, feel free to reach out on my contact page, and I can help you get started.