Nicole Hardy
In the annals of American history, the inception of public education remains a subject often shrouded in myth. Many Americans tend to assume that public schools are an inherent part of our nation’s fabric, embedded in the very essence of our democratic system. However, a closer examination reveals a different narrative that challenges these established beliefs. To comprehend the transformation, we must journey back in time to explore the origins of public education, shedding light on its philosophical foundations and the gradual shift toward government control.
The U.S. Constitution, the cornerstone of American governance, does not mention education. Instead, it delegates educational matters to the jurisdiction of individual states, parents, religious entities, and private school proprietors. Early New England towns, for instance, were obligated to maintain common schools, driven by the imperative of ensuring that children acquired literacy for reading the Bible and pursuing higher education. This system existed alongside various other forms of education, including homeschooling, private tutoring, church schools, and private academies. This decentralized educational landscape was characterized by the absence of compulsory attendance laws and centralized state curriculum control.
This decentralized educational model yielded remarkable results in terms of literacy. Citizens demonstrated the ability to read religious texts like the Bible and intricate documents such as the Federalist Papers. Historical records, like Farmer’s Journals from that era, attested to the widespread competence in education achieved before the advent of public schools.
A significant turning point in the evolution of public education can be traced back to a transformation in the religious outlook of the intellectual elite, most notably at Harvard University. Harvard, founded in 1638 by Calvinists, changed its religious orientation profoundly. By 1805, the emergence of Unitarianism—a religious liberalism that rejected the divinity of Christ—led to the expulsion of Calvinists from the institution. Unitarianism eventually dominated at Harvard and influenced the wider academic sphere.
Unitarians championed a new vision that emphasized salvation through education. They believed that only the government could provide a secular, nonsectarian education conducive to reason-based moral development. Thus, they favored adopting the Prussian model of state-controlled education as the ideal blueprint for America’s educational landscape. Employing persuasive propaganda, social activism, and legislative maneuvering, Unitarians laid the foundation for a centralized, state-owned educational system. Introducing compulsory school attendance into many state constitutions solidified the establishment of a permanent state bureaucracy governing education. By the 1870s, the public school movement had triumphed, resulting in a decline in the prominence of private academies.
Another influential import from European philosophy during this period was Hegelian statism, which posited that the state embodied a divine entity on earth. This belief encouraged educators to assert that the state’s solemn duty was to mold its children—deemed as “most precious natural resources”—into obedient state servants.
Around the turn of the 20th century, the Progressive Era ushered in a new wave of reformers. Comprised of members from the Protestant academic elite who had moved away from their religious roots, they embraced science, evolution, and psychology as their guiding principles. The progressives contended that ignorance, poverty, and social injustice were the root causes of evil in society, with capitalism as the primary source of social inequity. To realize their vision of a socialist utopia, they deemed public education the most potent instrument for ushering in social transformation.
These progressives, now disassociated from their religious heritage, embarked on a vigorous campaign to reshape America from a religious, capitalist nation into an atheist or humanist socialist society. Their faith in science, evolution, and psychology led them to advocate for significant educational reform. This reform, which would later mold public schools into their present state, encompassed moral, social, and academic dimensions.
The culmination of educators’ dreams came to fruition with the establishment of the U.S. Department of Education during the Carter administration. The passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 marked a significant milestone as it provided educators unrestricted access to federal funding, setting the stage for pivotal changes in the educational landscape. As we probe deeper into the intricacies of public education, it becomes increasingly apparent that the system is advancing toward a global paradigm shift under the influence of organizations like UNESCO, propelling us toward the ideals of a New World Order.
An awakening is gradually unfolding among parents who recognize that public schools are no longer solely focused on education but have also embarked on pursuing social change and control. Many argue that a government-controlled education system fundamentally contradicts the values of a free society, sparking a dilemma that may necessitate a critical decision. Ultimately, a choice between the two—government-controlled education or the principles of a free society—may become an unavoidable crossroads in the future of American education.
During this summer, a team of students from MIT embarked on a journey to the sou …
Post-completion of their exams and papers, students at New Hampshire’s community …
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) made an announc …
