PUBLIC EDUCATION

• Many countries in the world have nationally run education programs that offer their students a very basic education. Often, any educational opportunities that are provided end at the primary school level. Parents who want their children to continue their schooling have to pay expensive fees. A large percentage of students are sent for vocational training to learn physical jobs like carpentry, plumbing, mechanics, and other practical skills rather than continuing with academics. Only the most intelligent or wealthiest students are encouraged to continue an academic education.

• Public education in the United States was first suggested by Thomas Jefferson, but did not become a reality until the 1840’s. Until then, education was mainly for the wealthy. Some people wanted to give educational opportunities to everyone. Horace Mann and Henry Barnard wrote journals and articles to inform the public about educational issues and to raise support for what they called common schools. Because of their hard work, a free public education was available to all primary grade students by the late 1800’s.  Benjamin Franklin started secondary schools appropriate for all students 1751, but it was not until the mid 1900’s that school became a requirement for students up through age  16. Approximately 85% of Americans now graduate from high school.

• Although the federal government does supply some of the funding, public education in America is under the control of each individual state.  Each state has a department of education with specific laws and regulations that apply to schools in its own state. Local school districts organize services in their area, hiring personnel and overseeing the daily operations of schools in their attendance area. A large portion of each district’s funding comes from local property taxes and new construction fees. State departments of education pay another large portion based on actual student attendance, and the federal government provides about 6% of the overall budget.

 Name:__________________________________

Answer the following questions based on the reading passage. Don’t forget to go back to the passage whenever necessary to find or confirm your answers.

1) Why do you think the governments of other nations often limit education to primary school?

2) Based on context clues in the reading passage, what is  vocational training?

 

3) What do you think motivated Horace Mann and Henry   Barnard to care so much about public education?

4) Do you think high school graduation rates would drop if attendance was not required?

5) Our educational system is locally based instead of nationally based. What affect does this have on our   schools?