A Movement Towards Common Schooling
“Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.” These are words spoken from Thomas Jefferson who always imagined and dreamed of a state wide school system that benefited the mass of the population. This system would educate children no matter what race, ethnicity, or religion in ways that would help them become well rounded citizens. This dream by Jefferson was soon initiated through the Common School movement built by Horace Mann. Mann, who is more commonly known as the “Father of the Common School,” dedicated his career to fighting for the education of all children because it is a duty owed by the government. Horace Mann’s 12th …show more content…
While Mann and Lewis believed that Common Schools were the answer to providing children with quality free education, the author of this article disagrees. He voices this point in writing, “gentleman, I hope you do not conceive it at all necessary, that everybody should be able to read, write, and cipher.” (119). This author believes that it is not necessary to be sufficient in performing simple things, like reading and writing, that are learned throughout schooling. He backs this up by offering the notion that there are several careers in which you do not need to do any of those things, including farming. Despite the unnecessary role of education in pursuit of these careers, the author points out that taxes must still be paid in support for education efforts. He reflects on the high taxes that would result from building these common schools, and how the information learned may not benefit one’s career choice. Issues such as high cost of university, useless information, and high taxes are a few of the major disadvantages that are discussed within this article. The advantages that Mann and Lewis speak about are, in return, disadvantages to this author. Mann believes that education is the key to being intelligent and making a life for one’s self, stating that “the greatest of all the arts in political economy is, to change a consumer into a …show more content…
The idea whether or not this notion of free common schools was of advantage or disadvantage to citizens depended greatly on the region in which they resided. Northern and Midwest regions favored this movement because it offered an equal opportunity for education that would also minimize the separation between different classes and races. This divide in classes was especially prominent within the southern regions, which adds to the fact that common schools there were rarely seen during the nineteenth century. It is important to note that the Common School movement made by Horace man was a powerful step towards revolutionizing education as a catalyst for the creation of successful intelligent children within our
“Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.” These are words spoken from Thomas Jefferson who always imagined and dreamed of a state wide school system that benefited the mass of the population. This system would educate children no matter what race, ethnicity, or religion in ways that would help them become well rounded citizens. This dream by Jefferson was soon initiated through the Common School movement built by Horace Mann. Mann, who is more commonly known as the “Father of the Common School,” dedicated his career to fighting for the education of all children because it is a duty owed by the government. Horace Mann’s 12th …show more content…
While Mann and Lewis believed that Common Schools were the answer to providing children with quality free education, the author of this article disagrees. He voices this point in writing, “gentleman, I hope you do not conceive it at all necessary, that everybody should be able to read, write, and cipher.” (119). This author believes that it is not necessary to be sufficient in performing simple things, like reading and writing, that are learned throughout schooling. He backs this up by offering the notion that there are several careers in which you do not need to do any of those things, including farming. Despite the unnecessary role of education in pursuit of these careers, the author points out that taxes must still be paid in support for education efforts. He reflects on the high taxes that would result from building these common schools, and how the information learned may not benefit one’s career choice. Issues such as high cost of university, useless information, and high taxes are a few of the major disadvantages that are discussed within this article. The advantages that Mann and Lewis speak about are, in return, disadvantages to this author. Mann believes that education is the key to being intelligent and making a life for one’s self, stating that “the greatest of all the arts in political economy is, to change a consumer into a …show more content…
The idea whether or not this notion of free common schools was of advantage or disadvantage to citizens depended greatly on the region in which they resided. Northern and Midwest regions favored this movement because it offered an equal opportunity for education that would also minimize the separation between different classes and races. This divide in classes was especially prominent within the southern regions, which adds to the fact that common schools there were rarely seen during the nineteenth century. It is important to note that the Common School movement made by Horace man was a powerful step towards revolutionizing education as a catalyst for the creation of successful intelligent children within our