Analyzing the Education System
The common school system was suggested to be “the great equalizer of human conditions, the balance wheel of the social machinery, and the creator of wealth undreamed of” (Mann & Cremin, 1979). However, it did just the opposite of that. It only benefited students who fit into the one approach being used, in other words, it was not universal learning for individuals. Students were not learning what was in their interests, instead, they were being told to sit at a desk, listen, and read the concepts Mann thought to be important. “Language was the gateway to the subjects of the common school curriculum…”(Mann & Cremin, 1979).5 Those in marginalized groups were invalided and unseen since those who did not speak English were forced to. For people of color, racial problems were linked to the American Dream (Du Bois, 1990). 6Looking into how students behave at home and how they are expected to act in school it is unfair. Those in lower classes had stigmas held against them and were more likely to be treated differently. This leads students to participate less, lack confidence, and decrease their interest in an education. It was said that crime rates would decrease in the United States if the common school system was created (Mann & Cremin, 1979). It is also suggested that the school system be “dependent upon religious instruction” (Floyd P, 1952).7 As a society that is constantly changing, growing, and migrating, it is unfair to force religion. No matter the religious status of one, students should not practice something they do not practice at home. People need to understand the public school system because it continues to shape generations and the future of America.
John Dewey an American educational reformer, argues against the Common School system for what should be taught, examined, and nurtured in society. Dewey argues that “...find the main reasons to be that such work engages the full spontaneous interest and attention of the children. It keeps them alert and active, instead of passive and receptive.” He recognizes that the disciplinaries Horace Mann has implemented are not filling the needs of certain social groups. Mann believes that students who help one another have committed a school crime, however, Dewey emphasizes that this deteriorates building a community. Students should also be learning “various forms of active occupation”. In other words, the curriculum needs to be extended for students to learn different modes of employment. John Dewey states “Until they are trained in social direction, enriched by historical interpretation, controlled and illuminated by scientific methods, we certainly are in no position even to locate the source of our economic evils…”8
5 The Republic and the School: Horace Mann on the Education of Free Men (New York: Teachers College Press, 1979).
6 The souls of black folk: Authoritative text, contexts, criticism. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1999.
7 “He American Faith in Education. History of Education Journal 4, no. 1 (1952): 11–17. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3659267.
8 The School and Society.The School and Society | Project Gutenberg, September 5, 2024. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/74376/pg74376-images.html.