Public education

Public education is schooling provided by the government, and paid for by taxes, in countries other than England where public schools are privately funded. Public education emerged in the late 18th century, as political philosophers argued that an educated citizenry was an essential component of a democratic society. While in colonial America, as in Europe, schooling was often regarded as a prerequisite for religion (in the Protestant Reformation concepts such as the priesthood of the laity or the importance of the individual conscience and the supremacy of Scripture had made widespread literacy take on greater importance), the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 provided that "Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged."

Related Topics:
School - Government - Tax - England - 18th century - Protestant Reformation

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the 19th century, industrialization and the rise of democratic nation-states led to the more widespread systematization of public schools. In France, for example, the state used public schools to foster national identity and linguistic conformity at the expense of separatist movements and regional dialects. The public school system in the United States has also been credited with being an important instrument in the assimilation of large numbers of immigrants. Proponents of public education assert it to be necessary because of the need in modern society for people who are capable of reading, writing, and doing basic mathematics. However, some libertarians argue that education is best left to the private sector; in addition, advocates of alternative forms of education such as unschooling argue that these same skills can be achieved without subjecting children to state-run compulsory schooling. In most industrialized countries, these views are distinctly in the minority.

Related Topics:
Industrialization - Reading - Writing - Mathematic - Libertarian - Unschooling

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~