Horace Mann Essay

In the document “Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education”, Horace Mann believes that education should be readily available to everyone in order to counteract the “tendency to the domination of capital and servility of labor.” Universal education can potentially be the difference between, the wealthy capitalizing the poor, and a society where the poor are given an equal opportunity to excel and be a part of the capital rather than the labor. Mann states, “Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of man…” When everyone is given the same chance to obtain a well rounded education, social status and factions begin to diminish. Mann seems to be an idealist as well

While this appears very philanthropic at face value, Mann’s primary concern is not the welfare of the individual child, but the condition of the society produced by the educational process. He stresses that self-discipline leads to the ability to self-govern; this leads to law abiding, productive and rational citizens.

Horace Mann, known as the "father of American public education", wrote the policy document Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education, that claims Massachusetts's school education is becoming unequal among the citizens. Mann develops his argument by using European and American values of men, and how society functions with men that have been treated as equals. Mann's purpose was to discuss the problems in Massachusetts's education system in order to inform his audience and persuade a change. Mann's audience assumes an audience that would be government workers or officials because of his message of changing the education system.

Another objective Mann had for public education in America that he considered essential and that is certainly still relevant today is Political Education. Mann himself held a deep knowledge of politics and their importance in society. When he wrote his Twelfth Report, he occupied a seat in the United States Congress. Therefore, he knew in his own life how important Political Education had been.

In the "Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education," by Horace Mann, he expresses his belief in the power of "universal education" to counteract the "tendency to the domination of capital and servility of labor” (Mann 158). If society is split between those who are "ignorant and poor" and those who hold "all the wealth and the education," then the latter is powerful and the former are both powerless and hopeless. Education must be made available to all he believes since it is "beyond all other devices of human origin is the great equalizer of the conditions of men,-the balance-wheel of the social machinery" (Mann 159). As a result, access to education "will open a wider area over which the social feelings will expand; and if this education

Mann was a prominent figure in politics for many years and eventually served on the Massachusetts Board of Education for several years. In that time Mann came to believe that education should be based around physical, intellectual, political, moral, and religious educations. Mann got most of his ideas from how schools in the Persian taught these different types of education. (110)

I believe his defining characteristics on his view of an ideal education would have to include the motherly guidance way of education, the teachers working on each student individually and the teachers inspiring the students to think for themselves by giving them encouragement for their thoughts.

Horace Mann’s 12th Annual Report stressed the idea that education should be in anyone’s reach. Education isn’t and shouldn’t be limited to only upper class children because, by providing free education to all, is insuring that everyone is and will be receiving the best education and treated equally. Throughout Mann’s 12th Annual Report, there is discussion of the concept of a common school. From my understanding, this is the awareness that all children attend the same type of school and taught the same concepts, despite social class. This report discussed the idea that money should be spent on education instead of funding less important mandates. I agree with this because educating our children is one the most important mission that we could

The second issue upon which Horace Mann and Geoffrey Canada both agree upon is the expunging of Standardised Testing and High Risk test taking. Horace Mann in the “Communist Manifesto” points out that tax-funded, government run school systems control the information taught. He later writes that the tuition free educational system would bring an end to the “government force-tax funded schools”, and he later says that the justification for tax-funded school systems is “to train the young to work for the communal debt system” (). It can be inferred from the quote that

The second wave had a social impact, generating popular support for sobriety, the abolishment of slavery, and other social reforms. Before the reform the schools were small and experienced very limited educational opportunity. The school reform wanted to amend their education system, which would assist in their children becoming more responsible. Horace Mann of Massachusetts passed the common school movement that caused public schools to be funded by local property taxes. Horace Man would set a list of six principles for public education: ignorance and freedom will not be upheld by the citizens, the public should pay for the training, as well controlled and preserved, the schools should accept all children, the instruction should be nonsectarian, it should be prepared by means of the tenets of a free society, and teachers must be professional and well-groomed. (Horace Mann Biography, 2016)

Horace himself was very poor and had to go to a very small school that was just a very small room but he had an advantage. Horace was a very smart kid and he had a dream. Horace went to school at Brown University, And he majored in and he got a degree in law. Most kids after they have attended school for a given time they either went and helped their parents out home on the farms or they worked in factories not a lot of kids went to college, Horace was one of them who did. Mann thought that education should be universal everyone should have this opportunity world wide not just the united states, Didn’t involve one group of people involved all no religious or specific political group, at no costs, and should aim should be social efficiency which is all external costs and benefits as well as internal costs and benefits, and the citizens should be involved with the society. He got many leaders to think differently about women and he wanted them to also to have an education he thought that women were more well suited to teach children they were more loving and caring and wouldn't show vengeance towards the

In the farming society of the early 1800’s, education was not possible for many children. Horace Mann, a farm boy himself and an early advocate for educational reform, saw the deficiencies in the educational system. He pushed for “common schools” that would retain local control, be co-educational and revolve around the agricultural year. Mann’s ideas began to be adopted around the country in the second half of the nineteenth century. By the start of the twentieth century, mandatory public schooling was the norm. This was the height of the industrial revolution. As Davidson notes in “Project Classroom Makeover”, “Public Education was seen as the most efficient way to train potential workers for labor in the newly urbanized factories (197).” Schools began to work like an assembly line with a focus on efficiency, attention to detail, memorization of facts and staying on task. Curriculum became standardized and states began to replace the local management of education. Critically thinking outside the box was less valued. Regardless of ability, children started school at the same age and were moved through their education in a regulated process.

Horace Mann improved the educational system in many ways by expressing his views in his essay “From the Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education, 1848.” Mann brings up many points in which that are important to improve education, such as political education and physical education. He states

Horace Mann was an early 18th century politician and a visionary in the area of education reform. He is credited as the person responsible promoting the belief that education not only be free, but should be available to all. Horace Mann’s concept for equality in education ensures “that everyone receives an education that will allow them to compete for wealth on equal terms.” (Spring, 2014 p. 58.)

Mann thought also that schools should have nothing to do in their religion and politics. Ideally, this is what public schools and teachers try to do today. Religion is not a part of the public school today.