Contrary to the author's statement in an article Jennie pointed us to, public education was not developed during the Civil War to create "conforming workers", but was instituted almost the moment this country was settled for the highest of educational goals and intentions: to ensure that all of the members of the community could read. The Puritans in Massachusettes worried that their learned and wise leaders would eventually die and leave behind only illiterate and ignorant citizens. In addition, they worried that the citiizens, unable to read, would fall into sin and lawlessness, being unable to read either the Scriptures or the Laws of Massachusettes. And so, they enacted laws that required that every child be schooled in reading by their parents or masters. In the event that the parents did not do so, laws were enacted that allowed the government to take over the education of the child. Eventually, the purpose of this education became the entrance into Harvard College, where men were trained to become leaders. This tradition of government schooling eventually spread throughout New England and the Northern states, leading to a somewhat uniform system of public schooling.
The South differed greatly in its attitudes towards education, primarily because of the class system that was in effect. The wealthy landowners would educate their children at home, teaching them what they needed to know in order to get along in the society to which they belonged, hiring tutors if neccessary to teach beyond the basics of reading and writing. Anyone not belonging to that class, i.e. slaves, were not allowed to become educated because of the fear that they would overstep their station. Additionally, the lack of proximity between households in the south was not conducive to setting up schools, as there were often not enough children in one locale to rationalize such an expense.
So, these two traditions lived side by side in the US for a long time, well beyond the Civil War, before uniform education laws were passed and implemented. The goal of public education, however, has always been identical to that of "homeschooling". To give all children an education that would enable them to function and become leaders in the society to which they belonged. That is still the goal today.
3 comments:
I know that history of education myself. But the goal of public education actually is not to build up leaders. The goal of public education is conformity. Think very carefully about what school today actually is. They are not in the business of actually educating. So what is their business?
Actually, schools are in the business of actually educating. That's what I dedicate myself to every day. Not just educating in the subject matter I am responsible for imparting, but educating my students in how to become learners themselves. Any educator worth his/her salt will tell you the same thing.
The result might not actually be education the way we want it to be. Various inequties, practical constraints and other issues often make attaining that ideal of education impossible. But don't confuse the intended goal with the actual outcome.
There were two distinct stages in the growth of public schools in America. Initially the New England colonies required that each community of more than 50 people (or families, I forget which) had to have a school. But the colonies, and later the New Enland states gave little direction on the details of the schools.
It really wasn't until Horace Mann that we started having what evolved into public schools. At the time Horace Mann was pushing for public schools, literacy was in the high 90% range.
Lots of things in life have more than one reason or motivation. As I understand the history of public schools in America some people in the New England states were concerned about Catholics and so public schools as a way to teach the next generation certain values and attitudes.
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