Western schools of thought and education

Western philosophy gives education seven different compasses. Idealism says truth lives in ideas and the mind, so education should cultivate reason and character. Realism says the world exists independently of us, so teach facts and science. Naturalism says follow the child, not the book. Worked example: a teacher who lets children learn botany by growing plants in the school garden is practising Naturalism, while one who drills the classification of plants from a textbook is closer to Realism.