* Ancient Greece: Philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle established schools of thought and teaching, but these were vastly different from modern schools.
* Ancient Rome: Roman education systems were more formalized, with grammar schools and rhetoric schools.
* Medieval Europe: Monasteries and cathedrals played a significant role in preserving and teaching knowledge. Universities began to emerge in the 11th and 12th centuries.
* The Renaissance and beyond: Educational reforms and the rise of public education systems gradually shaped the structure of schools as we know them today.
So, rather than one inventor, the development of schools is a complex historical process involving contributions from numerous cultures and individuals over a vast expanse of time.