Module Part 3 - Blog Post 2

 The reading for this module had very important information regarding the timeline of the public school system’s beginning. As I was reading, I was fascinated by how long it took for a proper public school system to emerge. It is interesting to think that everyone had their own form of education based on where they lived, who their parents were, and what they and the church leaders thought were important values and ideals to be taught. This system also made sense as children would learn vocational skills needed to survive and make a living while also learning to be humane and follow the rules and regulations of their religion. Religious practices usually teach people humility, kindness, and how to keep their soul clean. This ideology was thought to prevent crime and keep people in line. Also, the education differed based on social class. If a child was poor, they could only afford their parents and church leaders as teachers. However, a child from a more affluent family could afford sending their kids to a school that would teach more than just life skills and manners.

Furthermore, there were people who wanted an organized and polished system but there were others who cut down the idea every time it was mentioned. When the public, and the government leaders, decided that it was a good idea for there to be a centralized school system that was accessible to all regardless of their social standing, they created laws that would defend the system as well. Another interesting point of the reading is that one of the main reasons the public school education system was created was so that people could be educated enough to elect their government officials. In the past, not many people were not allowed to vote as the creators of the constitutions did not believe they were knowledgeable enough to make the right choice when voting for leaders. 

During the group activity, it was fun to see how each of us saw different words, phrases, and sentences as important enough to summarize the whole reading. As a group, we noted that the common themes throughout the reading included schooling, debate, and politics; which were also our three words. Schooling is what the nation started with and because of politics and the government not wanting to intervene, there was debate amongst government leaders and those advocating for a public school system. Similar to how we grouped the words, we tried to group the phrases in the same manner relating to the three words. 

Overall, as an English major, this piece was very thought-provoking and fascinating to read. America has come very far as a nation when it comes to education. As a teacher, it is important to consider how this system that we take for granted came to be. There are countries around the world in which students do not have access to education because they can afford it. The United States is lucky enough to ensure all children have access to free education.