Story of School Part 1

While developing a public education seemed like an earnest and well-meaning step forward many of the intentions were built with inequity in mind. Even today Jefferson, who is remembered as a strong proponent to free public education had a much more aristocratic vision for public education. Jefferson firmly believed in a “teach the best shoot the rest” approach to public education stating that public education was in his mind designed to “rake the geniuses from the refuse”. In Jefferson’s vision of public education students could only benefit from a basic education over three years. In his mind this would be enough time to identify students who were suited to schooling, who would later attend university through tax dollars. Jefferson believed that these geniuses, pick specially from the refuse were to be the next aristocracy to govern the United States, and pushed this proposal through congress several times. However even these designs were considered too progressive and were struck down each time.

            The debate concerning religion in public schools was came at a considerable surprise, I knew that the bible was a common teaching tool in early American schools, so I never expected there would have been any kind of drive to make public education secular. However the treatment that The Story of School describes that was inflicted on Catholic and Irish students the push for secular or publically funded Catholic schools suddenly makes much more sense.