Blog #8

 

Early in America’s history, the education system was far different from the system currently seen today. Up until the mid-eighteenth century, school was neither compulsory nor free, with education often provided by private tutors or through churches. Horace Mann sought to change this. Appointed in 1837 as the Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education, Mann surveyed the conditions of school grounds in the state of Massachusetts, taking note of the numerous areas in dire need of improvement.

 

Among the notable needs for improvement was the sore lack of education available to the majority of the public. Mann believed that education should be available to everyone so as to curtail ignorance. As education should be an asset to the public, Mann also believed that education should be funded and regulated by an interested public-- which is to say, some form of government, particularly local and state.

 

In addition to the availability of education, Mann also held opinions on the nature of what was taught. Though many forms of schooling at the time were offered through churches or other religious organizations, Mann believed that education should be separated from religious beliefs. Furthermore, he also upheld that education should be provided in a way that does not inherently shape certain ideals or beliefs. Rather, education should allow individuals to form their own ideals and beliefs.

In some ways, Mann’s opinions on the nature of education seem obvious and granted, and it is rather astonishing to imagine an America which did not uphold these values-- or even a fully organized education system. Fortunately, Mann’s work revolutionized the education system and eventually became adopted across the nation to form the public education system which exists today.