Foundations of Education
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Among the significant figures in the history of the American Educational System, few have had as much ideological and practical influence as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Horace Mann, John Dewy, and Johann Pestolazzi. Each altered the course of American education to a degree that the developments made during and after the lifetimes of each of these figures are practically manifested in todays educational environment. In some cases, as with Franklin, much of his contribution was practical, with the establishment of public libraries and emphasis on self-education. Others, such as Dewy, were ideological pioneers that changed the methods of education. One can never overlook the role of politics in American Education; the regulation of education and the presence of Patriotic/Nationalist agendas in curriculum are still issues that we face today, those who played a significant role in the establishment of the current system also influence the fundamental goals and outcomes of that system.
Benjamin Franklin is heralded as one of the greatest American philosophers as well as one of the most influential figures in American history. His fundamental desire for education and self-improvement would set an example for others to follow as well as establish a model for the educated American. He was also a major proponent of schools as both an ideological tool for indoctrinating members of other religions, as well as a method for assimilation of other races and cultures into the white Anglo model. We are still struggling as a culture to undo the influence of those who followed this model. Practices of exclusion, segregation, racism, and exploitation were typical of the early model of American education. Franklin notes, “Why increase the Sons of Africa, by Planting them here in America, where we have so fair an opportunity, by excluding all blacks and Tawnys and increasing the lovely whiteД
This statement is somewhat loaded in that it is apparently anti-slavery, but for the wrong reasons. It places an obvious racial value judgment on Blacks as intellectually inferior. The racist tendencies of his philosophy were not, however, the most important parts of Franklins development of education. His establishment of public libraries is probably the greatest accomplishment and boon to education to that time. Public libraries continue to offer the opportunity of free self-education. This ability is one of the most powerful tools for freedom a nation can possess. If censorship is avoided, it offers anyone individual control over their education. This is an absolutely necessary step towards a free state. Control over education and literature is control over thought and social mobility. This social mobility is one of the fundamental issues Benjamin attempted to address over the course of his life. He would be one of the most influential founding members of the Academy movement in early America, which both set the stage for the first high schools as well as beginning a movement of private education that still exists as an option today.
Although Franklins intention with the academy movement was to provide social mobility to anyone, the result was a system that preserved the elite and excluded most others. Today it is possible to attend private College Preparatory Schools that are much the same as they were in Franklins time. Most are predominantly white, with high tuition that excludes middle and lower class students. They also tend to offer an intense curriculum similar to that proposed by Franklin.
Concurrent to the developments of Franklin were the political and philosophical changes brought by Thomas Jefferson. Although Jeffersons ideas on education were progressive in some ways, the racial and social hierarchies that dominated the period were very apparent in his work. Although he believed in free education for all Americans, this was an exclusive term, limited to white Americans. His ÐBill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge in 1779 was a key piece of early educational legislation. It continued where Franklin left off, placing a high value on what Jefferson termed, “Common Sense” as well as practical reason. His view of education was one of dual purpose: to educate the citizen, and educate the leader. Jefferson believed that by being well versed in history and current events, one could make competent rational judgments in a variety of arenas .
In a radical break from the previous doctrines, Jefferson was opposed to using schools to promote political or religious ideals. He felt that by developing a strong moral sense, good character, and broad knowledge base, an individual would naturally come to the correct conclusions in other arenas. In practice, these ideals were not necessarily carried out. He allowed his views on the natural intellectual aristocracy to be more of an influence on his actual political decisions than the ideals that led to this concept.
Today we see many of the Jeffersonian principles in action. We have attempted to expand the right to a free primary education to include all races and religions, so as to offer the opportunities of social mobility equally. One of Jeffersons fundamental concerns was that education serve the democratic system. His belief that all members of society be able to make competent political judgments through general education is an analogue to the modern Ðno child left behind policy our nation is attempting to adopt. Jefferson proposed more state and federal control over education, so that the population could be equally and properly educated. Our current system of accountability and standardized testing is an attempt to ensure a general knowledge base for the entire population. There are many positive aspects of this kind of system, but it ignores many important aspects of education in general. If students are constantly studying for standardized tests based on a general knowledge base, they are not able to focus on differentiation. This is not a practical system, as it does not take individual goals and interests into consideration, reserving that ability for college. Any nation as diverse as ours cannot hope to effectively teach a common curriculum