Surprise! Findings from the History of US Education (Blog #1)

What is the purpose of high school?

Besides being the root of many tired-out teenagers’ wonderings, the purpose of high school was widely debated in the late 1800’s. People were generally divided into 2 opinions:

High school is meant to prepare students for college

High school should teach practical courses beneficial for all students, including those who aren’t college-bound.

The solution to the debate? The Committee of Ten, who created the first standardized secondary school curriculum in 1892. Their plan consisted of eight years of elementary education followed by four years of high school. Sound familiar? I was surprised by how unchanged the format of our education system has remained. For all the advancement in society and technology, you wouldn’t expect that the educational track I finished last spring mirrors that of a student in the late 1800’s. 

Considering the earliest schools were established in the early 1600’s, it also caught my attention that the concept of “secondary” education wasn’t standardized sooner. What happened after primary education?

I presume that after a couple of years of school, most students during this era would work. After all, curriculum during this time was still rooted in preparing students just enough to be an effective employee. Over time, we as a society realized that there might be more to life- and education- than working.

I imagine that the Committee of Ten could never fully conceive the intricacies of what modern education has to offer. In my twelve years of (almost entirely) public education, I’ve taken classes as unconventional as Mandarin and as helpful as Interpersonal Communication. What I do think the Committee of Ten could dream of was an educational system that recognized the nuance behind the purpose of education and that students as individuals have different needs, interests-and most importantly- futures.

Besides, one of the four original curricula was English. Coming from this future English teacher, they had their priorities right.