Brief History of American Compulsory Schooling

Note to readers:  I only wish history were simple.  Then I wouldn’t feel like I’m missing so many pieces of history in this post.  If I included everything I know, and everything I learned while writing this then I’d have to write a book.   I originally wanted to write a time line, but quickly realized that there was a message I wanted to give you.  Hopefully, I’ve captured that message for you and inspire you to research more. Enjoy!

The idea of compulsory schooling actually came from Plato’s, The Republic.  The earliest example of authoritative compulsory schooling is traced back to Sparta.  Even though Sparta isn’t usually referred to as a totalitarian state, it may be the first example of European totalitarianism in recorded history.

Skip forward from about 195BC to the 18th century Prussia.

From what I could gather, the Prussian Education System was specifically for the raising up of obedient people and to indoctrinate the youth with militant state ideology, nation building.  The most obedient graduates were awarded the best jobs and positions in military and government to make sure that the dictatorial style of government remained in tact.  For if you do not have an obedient people, then you cannot be “King of Prussia”, as Frederick the II named himself.

Although schooling was generally considered compulsory for years prior, in 1763 Frederick William II made school compulsory by law for all children between the ages of 5 and 13.  By 1794 all schools and universities were made institutions of the state and were funded by taxes.  Children were divided by age, a teacher stood in the front administering curriculum decided upon by the elites.  The elite decided what was to be learned and how the children would learn it.  In addition the math, reading, and writing children were also taught obedience and duty to country.  In the summer, children were released.  I had seen in a short film,  that the kids were released specifically to help their parents with the harvest, but I could not find a valid source saying so.  I’m unsure of the validity of that statement, but it does make some sense.

Doesn’t any of this sound eerily familiar?

In 1843, Horace Mann, while the secretary of the state board of education, visited Germany and became fond of the Prussian educational system.  Because of his convincing writing and passionate lectures, he created an interest in education that had not previously existed.  Shortly after his visit, the state of Massachussets adopted the Prussian educational system and following their lead, the governor of New York set up its 12 state schools under the same system.  Eventually, all states adopted this method of compulsory instruction; a method with origins that originally came from a country with a militant monarchy.  It might be important to mention here, that it is quite interesting to me that Horace Mann was such a champion of compulsory schooling.  Mann himself, never attended school for more than 6 weeks a year and was largely self-educated.

Early America did not have compulsory schools.  Instead it had private schools which relied on tuition, not government money. The change from voluntary schooling to compulsory education marks a significant change in the rights of families.  It marks a time when the state assumed responsibility over its children and their education.  Laws made it possible for states to take children away from their families if they felt the children were not being properly educated or if they were held from school.  Compulsory schooling in many different countries seems to have roots in many different places.  Prussia began compulsory schooling for nation building, many believe that American compulsory schooling was to continue the workforce and protect the economy, England enacted compulsory education well after industrialization.  The common theme, at the time, was the government; specifically the government’s control of children and families.  Not anywhere in my research about educational systems did I read anything about children being anything but  but a group that must be “fashioned”.  No individual rights, nothing.  I only read about training, obedience, and matters of the state.

So, if we supposedly live in a “free country” (yeah…  I know) and we at the very least reject totalitarianism and a dictatorship and we are free to think and learn what we would like, then WHY is school compulsory?  I guess children didn’t and still don’t have rights.  Our educational system is modeled after a system created in the 18^th century under the dictatorial regime (yes, technically a monarchy) of Prussia.  Thought provoking isn’t it?

There is your little bit of history for the day.  If you think I’ve gotten anything wrong, aside from my opinions, please feel free to comment or email me (link in sidebar) and I’m happy to fact check.  I’d hate to write something here that isn’t true.