'Wolfgang Ratke' (also 'Ratchius' or 'Wolfgang Ratich') (
18 October 1571–
27 April 1635) was a
German educationist.
He was born at
Wilster,
Holstein, and educated at the
university of Rostock. His system of education was based upon
Francis Bacon's philosophy, the principle being that of proceeding from things to names, from the particular to the general, and from the mother tongue to foreign languages. In
1618 he opened schools at
Augsburg and elsewhere, but at
Köthen difficulties with the clergy led to his imprisonment for eight months, and after starting another school at
Magdeburg in
1620 which failed, he became a wanderer and died at
Erfurt in 1635. His ideas were far in advance of his time, but he lacked executive ability. His work was overshadowed by that of the more successful
Comenius.
Publications
★
Barnard, ''German Teachers and Educators'' (Hartford, 1878)
★
Quick, ''Educational Reformers'' (New York, 1890)
★ G. Vogt, ''Wolfgang Ratichius, der Vorgänger des
Amos Comenius'' (Langensalza, 1894)
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