The history of education plays a significant role in the training of future educators, as it allows both for the understanding of the past and the comprehension of the historical conditions of contemporary educational concepts and solutions. Even the ancients appreciated its importance, saying: "Historia magistra vitae est" – "history is the teacher of life," thus establishing its significance. Reflecting on our past and social (and educational) processes, it also serves as a practical science: reforms in education, when examined historically, become more understandable, knowledge about educational theories facilitates an understanding of the essence of education as a social function, and pedagogy provides insight into the role of the teacher in this process.

This textbook has been developed primarily for students of pedagogy and presents a general outline of the fundamental content of the history of education, along with a list of primary and supplementary literature to facilitate the study of the subject. In the field of the history of education, there is a lack of concise materials covering the entire scope of the subject due to its breadth, which forces students to use multiple sources to cover individual topics. This textbook aims to guide future educators in the substantive aspects and to clarify the required knowledge. A prospective educator should acquire knowledge and skills in evaluating and assessing the validity of educational phenomena and views, should understand the past to better comprehend the present and act more effectively in the present.