History has always played a pivotal role in modern education but since the 1960s, the United States of America has changed its educational reforms widely. The current existing laws are because of developmental changes that were inspired by history. Throughout the years, education has changed and shifted students for the better. These changes were bought upon when educational laws focused on the enlightenment and betterment of the students instead of emphasizing subjects such as religion, family virtues, and social affairs. In the past, education was not about enlightenment but more just a privilege that few people had. Wealth and education had a direct relationship. The advancement in technology and laws has since changed the whole nature of education. The presence of the internet has made learning very easy for students. If you need to write a history paper and have no time to do that you can avail writing services online such as Peachy Essay.
Early History of Education in the United States
Education was not really a requirement during the 17th century. It was not considered meaningful and if children were educated it was by a family member at home. The main focus was on farming and instilling family values in children. The main purpose of why one was taught to study was to read and understand the bible. The rich had more access to education and they treated it like a luxury. Those who could afford it hired private tutors. Even after the population started increasing and every state was required to have at least one school, the wealthy preferred to be the ones who got an education.
Homeschooling was Prevalent
With no proper funding system in place for schools, children were mostly taught at home by their parents or an able family member. The system of schools depended entirely on the tuition fee paid by students, charitable donations, taxes, or support from the state. Since education was not that common and was not considered important, not many children went to school.
The public school have played a huge role in increasing awareness about the importance of education and denouncing the difference in sex, class, and financial status among students
Progressive Education
As history worked its way, progressive education was introduced which focused on educating a child to his highest potential. Societal norms and family virtues were no longer the highlights of education but literacy was preferred and promoted. In the past, girls were not considered for formal education at all but the introduction of progressive education and changes in educational reforms allowed every gender to get equal opportunities.
In the 1900’s getting elementary education was made compulsory by the state for every student. Before this only a few states had laws on education. The 1960s also saw a lot of racial segregation in education. The African Americans were not considered worthy of attending schools and colleges and were discouraged to get an education. This lasted till the 1970s when segregation laws were broken to give everyone equal access to schools and colleges. In the 2000s, the United States of America passed the ‘No child left behind’ law which made education a basic necessity for everyone.
Important Events that Shaped Modern Education
A series of different events have occurred throughout history to enable the education system and students of now to prosper and receive worthy information. These events start in the 1900s when the first association of universities was founded to promote better education and to compete with their European counterparts. Women were given their right to vote and the American Federation of Teachers was founded. The schools were given transportation facilities to make the availability of education easier for students both near and far.
In 1939, David Wechsler developed an adult intelligence scale to measure the IQ deviation of individuals. It noted how far scores of subjects deviated from average which abled school systems and parents to single out children who needed special education. This system is still widely used in schools in the United States.
In 1941, when world war 2 started it pushed back education to the back seat as all funding went straight to the war. Men dropped out of universities and colleges to enlist in the forces. After the world war, things went back to normal.
The school lunch program was also launched to provide a healthy nutritious lunch to students of all grades.
In 1971, the federal court in Pennsylvania ruled that all children with mental disabilities had the right to get an education free of cost.
In 1972, the education amendment titled IX became a law where discrimination of genders in the educational system was prohibited and equality was promoted. In 2002, the No Child Left Behind reform was introduced which put a lot of pressure on schools to produce good results every year. Schools were held accountable and penalties were made for schools that did not meet the goals of NCLB.
The American reinvestment and recovery act of 2009 provided more than 90-billion dollars for the betterment of education and most of these funds went to schools in local districts. It also included the race to the top initiative.
The Introduction of Technology
Years before the first personal computer was invented by Apple inc. students were not yet introduced to the ease that computers have brought to education. Nowadays technology has taken over classrooms and both teachers and students benefit from it. These machines have become more compact, powerful, and economical to easily incorporate into universities and classrooms. Teaching students the practicality of computer sciences or other sciences that were disabled due to lack of technology and advancements has now become so much easier. The norm of computer-aided education started becoming common during the 1980s. By 1990, computers had become an integral part of every classroom in the United States of America.
With this advanced technology, teachers and students now have new and difficult challenges to overcome. The same factory mindset is not required now in classrooms or workplaces, but a sharp-witted mind that can adapt to challenges and come up with new strategies is preferred.