Say what you will about the current public school system, but there is no denying a simple fact. The United States has produced some of the best minds in the world. There are many legitimate criticisms about the country’s education. However, it is also worth pausing every now and then and reflecting on how far we have come.
Such reflection can help avoid making easily avoidable mistakes and recognize approaches that have had tremendous success. In this article, we will explore the history of education in America.
From colonial-era schools all the way to the modern Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)-focused system we now have. There’s a lot of history to cover, but we will briefly look at each important period and the important changes it brought to education.
Colonial Era (17th-18th centuries)
The quality of education during the time of the thirteen colonies was dubious at best. There were few qualified teachers in the first place. Edward Janak, a professor at the University of Toledo, described teaching during this time as a “commercial endeavour”. Anyone could put up a sign and begin to teach.
Education slowly started to change, though. In 1642, the Massachusetts Compulsory Attendance Law was passed. According to it, the head of each home was responsible for ensuring children under their roof were instructed in reading, religion, and laws. Education at this time was also closely linked with religion. Being able to read the Bible was a high priority for the Puritans.
Gradually, the focus of education also extended toward training children in trades and skills through apprenticeships. Corporal punishment was common and would remain the norm as a disciplinary method well into the 20th century.
Interestingly, several colleges that we know today were founded during this period. New College, founded in 1636, would go on to be known as Harvard. Similarly, Collegiate School, founded in 1701, would go on to be known as Yale. Other colleges like Princeton, Columbia, Penn, and Dartmouth were also born during this period.
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The American Revolution and the Founding Fathers’ Vision (late 18th century)
Schools during this period were influenced greatly by the vision of the founding fathers. Thomas Jefferson, for instance, wanted all children to have free access to education for at least three years. This education would focus on training them in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
According to Road To The Civil War, Jefferson wanted to two-tier approach to education. One specifically for the labouring and one for the learned. Those who showed promise would receive further training. It might seem a bit divisive to modern sensibilities, but it made sense in the context of early America.
Jefferson hoped that his two-tier approach to education would help create the future leaders of the country.
Similarly, Benjamin Rush, another founding father, believed that the purpose of education was to create well-rounded citizens -not scholars.
These ideals made sense, given the limited resources of the time and the need to rapidly develop the country after independence.
The actual experience for students was heavily reliant on rote memory and attention rather than on developing critical thinking and understanding. However, as years went by, a number of reforms occurred through which new systems were introduced.
These included the Pestalozzian system (which was against drilling and memorization) and the Lancastrian system (which introduced the concept of student monitors.)
The Baby Boomer Era (mid-20th Century)
During the 1950s and the 1960s, America experienced a sharp population boom. World War II had ended not too long ago, and school enrollment had increased by over 30%. America wasn’t prepared to handle the resulting increase in students, and for a while, both schools and teachers were overwhelmed.
Corporal punishment was often used as it was hard for teachers to keep classrooms with many students under control.
In terms of education, there was a phase when the curriculum tried to focus on progressive and holistic education. This revolved around seeking to stimulate physical, mental, and emotional growth. Philosophy classes became more popular while the hard sciences took a back seat.
However, this all took a U-turn in 1957, when Americans witnessed the successful orbiting of Sputnik, the Soviet satellite. Many started to fear that America had been technologically overtaken by the Soviets.
Thus, the brief dance with holistic education went into hiatus. The upcoming Cold War would ensure that the American education system would focus on churning out scientists and engineers to compete with the Soviets.
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Modern STEM-Focused Education (Present Day)
After America won the cold war and became the world’s sole superpower, education in the country experienced a transformation. Resources were now plentiful enough that most Americans had access to both free public schools and could even choose paid private schools.
Rather than going for a centralized, national curriculum, each state had its own curriculum and guidelines. However, the 2010s saw the introduction of the “Common Core State Standards.” This was an effort to make education more standardized across the different states.
Common Core hasn’t been without controversy, though, and there are several criticisms of the system that raise valid points. In recent times, some states have chosen to leave the system. These include Indiana, Oklahoma, Arizona, Louisiana, and West Virginia.
Americans today have a lot more options in terms of school choice. Special education support exists, and the integration of technology into education has created much innovation and growth.
STEM focus has never been greater and is emphasized greatly in the curriculums of many schools. There are also a growing number of STEM-focused schools that aim to prepare students for higher education and careers in STEM-related fields.
With the rise of AI and the early stages of greater space exploration, the importance of technology, space aeronautics, and astronomy fields are likely to see an increase in the coming years. It is safe to say that the focus on STEM is only going to grow stronger from here on out.
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Conclusion
Yes, there is always space for the education system to improve. We can always aim for higher standards and quality. Sometimes, it may seem like we have made many mistakes in the past.
However, when we look back at the history of education in America, it is important to keep the historical context in mind. Many of the choices that don’t seem logical today were a necessity in those times.
Decades from now, we might look back at our current STEM-focused education and discover flaws that we simply do not notice now. Then again, such is the nature of hindsight.
