The Educational System and Social Class Essay

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.

In his Twelfth Report, Horace Mann discusses reasons that public education is imperative in the success of a peaceful, prominent society. Mann maintains that education is a way to produce successful and resourceful citizens. Without education, people can only do so much and can only go so far; they are raw materials that need to be developed into something more. Mann lists all of the important and necessary institutions in society that require educated people in order to flourish. Society, in turn, depends on those institutions to succeed. His main effort was to give all members of society the same tools for success, thus giving society a chance to thrive.

Education has come a long way evolving from wealthy families teaching their children at home to public schools where every race, religion, and status gets an education. Along the way there have been key people and events which shaped the way education plays a part in all our lives. The following paper will expound on a few of those cases. The four people and events contributing to the basis of this paper are Thomas Jefferson, Horace Mann, John Dewey, and the court case of Brown vs. Brown.

	During Mann’s twelve years as secretary of the Massachusetts board of education he sent back reports to the board as to the condition of schools and what he thought should be taught in them. His ideas in these reports revolved around six ideas: "(1) that a republic cannot long remain ignorant and free, hence the necessity of universal education; (2) that such education must be paid for,

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)

Mann was educated in a one room school house that was often in need of repair because it lacked the funding necessary for physical maintenance in which led to less funding for academic resources. Schooling in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century was often irregularly managed and unorganized. However, Mann was not only intelligent but he was a determined individual who focused to teach himself the content and skills needed to pursue higher education. It was this impoverished background that would serve as a framework for Mann’s work and beliefs. It would be his own experiences during his upbringing that would fuel and motivate his dedication to improve public

First and foremost, the American Educational System has received numerous advocates offering crucial inputs on education from centuries ago up to the present time. Even so, with focus, shining on past advocates, three well-known men who are still receiving constant acknowledgment for their ideas and contributions regarding the system. Notably, Dewey, Man, and Jefferson all share major impacts, alike and unlike, resulting in significant effects on the American Educational System.

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.)

During Mann’s twelve years as secretary of the Massachusetts board of education he sent back reports to the board as to the condition of schools and what he thought should be taught in them. His ideas in these reports revolved around six ideas: “(1) that a republic cannot long remain ignorant and free, hence the necessity of universal education; (2) that such education must be paid for, controlled, and sustained by an interested public; (3) that such education is best provided in schools embracing children of all religious, social, and ethnic backgrounds; (4) that such education, while profoundly moral in character, must be free of sectarian religious influence; (5) that such education must be permeated throughout by the spirit, methods, and discipline of a free society, which preclude pedagogy in the classroom; and (6) that such education can be provided only by well-trained, professional

Horace Mann’s famous quote on education can be found in the Twelve annual report of 1848. His take on education is very different than the puritanical belief system which is based on teaching an individual based on the word of the Bible in order to maintain social stability. Horace Mann broke the chains of the puritan’s belief system that was controlling society by means of religion and gave each individual the basic human right for an equal opportunity education; for he demonstrates his strong believe in part of his quote, “is the great equalizer of the conditions of men”.

The idea of social inequality dates back since the time of our founding fathers. The mistreatment and unlawful equality and opportunity that these foreigners received became embedded into our history—this endless list includes, just to name a few, the Irish, Chinese, Jews, and most notably the African Americans (Blacks), who became slaves to the American people. Here in the United States, the current social class system is known as the class system, where families are distributed and placed into three different existing class—the upper class (wealthy), middle class (working), and lower class (poor). Since then, improvisations have been worked on into the class system, establishing now roughly six social classes: upper class, new money, middle class, working class, working poor, and poverty level. Social stratification is a widely common topic of debate because there have since been many arguments and debates on this controversial situation of social inequality and how it relates to social class and social mobility. According to Economist Robert Reich, he states that "The probability that a poor child in America will become a poor adult is higher now than it was 30 years ago..." (Reich, par. 5), meaning the given amount of equality, opportunity, and support that these struggle families obtain have gone mainly unnoticed by the government that it has gotten worst. The constant uproar of social inequality and injustice that these middle and lower working class families stem

Horace Mann, also known as the father of American education, created eight major theories that are vital to our education system today. Mann 's Value Theory contributed to society 's views on education. His Value Theory explained the goals of education. Mann believed that education should be open to all people, regardless of their financial status. This concept of Value Theory is much like my educational experience. Growing up, my family was not financially well off. However public school gave me the opportunity to learn and reach a higher level of education. Now I am able to compete with people of all financial statuses, for jobs and opportunities. As part of Value Theory , Mann also believes that education could have a set of values that did not belong to a religion therefore making them applicable to all people. A major example of this theory being implemented in education today is the policy that the government cannot fund religious schools. I experienced this first hand when I graduated middle school, and many of my friends went on to attending Catholic schools. The families of my friends invested thousands of dollars to cover their tuition. Since I attended a public school, I attended school for free because it was paid for by the government. Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of Value Theory was Mann 's emphasis on the importance of practical knowledge, which he described as reading, writing, math, and science. He believed these subjects were fundamental and