IThe 17th-century cleric and educator Jan Amos Komensky, known to many as Comenius, took a great interest in the early years of a child's education and in particular, education by mothers within the home. He believed that teachers should understand how a child's mind develops and that all children should receive the same education, whatever their gender and social class - quite a revolutionary idea in the mid 1600s. Comenius promoted education that was 'thorough, natural and enjoyable' and opposed rote learning. He wrote Ten Commandments for a Happy Life, which includes the advice, echoing the words of Confucius, 'Appreciate time and use it well...It is better to play than do nothing'.
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