Types of Schools: Public Education--Countries



Figure 1.--The first public school sytem in Asia after the Meiji Resoration was founded by the Japanese (1870s). It was based on the European model. Primary schildren wore their own traditional clothes. econdary children wore Prissian caset unforms (noys) or sailor dresses (girls). The Japanese also finded public education in their empire. Partly as a result of that, today South Kore and Taiwan have some of the finest schools in Asia. This colorized photograph sjows Japnese schoolboys about 1910, The boys wear traditional clothes with Prussian cadet caps. Notice their chool bags.

The first public schools came from northrn Europe where Protestabts wanted their children educated, in part so they could read the Bible. We see the first public schools in northern Germny. Prussia was a leader, in part an effort to compete with richer countries suronding the country. Over time, more countries beginning with the United States established public schools. This began during the colonial era, although they were not free unit the United States emerged from the Revolution. Each state founded its own school system. Eventually public schools became European wide. Even so, large numbers of children in Catholic southern Europe did not attend schools because of poverty. Public secondary schools were rather limited in Europe until after World War II. Public schools were a largely Europen and North American phenomenon until modern times. Latin American schools were poorly funded and not available to many children. They were virtually non exisrent yntil after World War II. The exception was Japan which after the Meiji Resoration founded a Europen style public school system (1870s). Japan brutally built an empire. As brutal as the Japanese were, two of the finest Asian public schools are former Japanese colonies (South Korea and Taiwan). Public schools were founded in the British Dominions (Australia and New Zealand) and the Philippines after the United States it from Spain. African countries began founding public schools after World war II and the Decolinization process. The situation in North Africa and the Middle East is complicated. France began founding public achools in North Africa at the same time as in metropolitance France, but they were used as an instrument to Frenchify the indeginous population and thus often resisted by the local. In Middle East public schools were not founded until after World War II. A major issue for religious and cultural reasons became the education of girls.

Europe

The first public schools came from northrn Europe where Protestabts wanted their children educated, in part so they could read the Bible. We see the first public schools in northern Germny. Prussia was a leader, in part an effort to compete with richer countries suronding the country. Each state founded its own school system. Eventually public schools became European wide. Even so, large numbers of children in Catholic southern Europe did not attend schools becuse of poverty. Public secondary schools were rather limited in Europe until after World War II. Public schools were a largely Europen and North American phenomenon until modern times.

Scotland

An early leader in public education was Scotland with the Reformation, but it was centered on the Kirk, not the Scottish state.

England

Public education to the south in England lacked far behind Scotland, Germany, and America. This was because the resistance of aristocratic landowners who dominated Parliament.

Germany

Not only did northern Europeans promote education for religious reasons, but some European monarchs saw financial advantages in an educated public. One of the earliest truly public state financed education system was set up on Prussia. The Governent made school attendance complulsory (1717). Prussia was a relatively poor German state and educating the population was seen as a way of making the country more ecomonmically productive in its competition with neigbnoring states.

North America

Over time, more countries beginning with the United States established public schools. This began during the colonial era, although they were not free unit the United States emerged from the Revolution.

United States

Public education was an important attribute from the beginning of colonial America, although there were major differences between colonies and the north and south. The General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony decreed the need for elementary and Latin schools (1647). They were not precisely the modern conceptvof public schools in that the goal was to teach Puritan values and Bible reading. The Continental Congress ordered a survey of the Northwest Territory (1785). This led tothe formation of townships, with a portion of each one or land grants reserved for a local school. The multitude of Protestant scects made religious establihment impossible and the Federal Constitution precluded the establishment of religion (1789). Education became the responsibility of the states which in the north were developing tuition-free public schools. Pennsylvania approved a new Contitution requiring free public education for children in families that could not afford to pay tuition fees (1790). The New York Public School Society organized low-cost schools that had a school master to teach the older children who would then teach the younger children (1805). Boston opened the first public high school in America (1820). Massachusetts passed a law which made all grades of public school tuition free (1827). Massachusetts established the first state’s Board of Education (1837). It was heased by Horace Mann, an education pioneer. Massachusetts was the first state to make school attendance compulsory (1851). The Southern states gave much less attention to public education until after the Civil War. The early land grants led to a system of public land grant universities (1862 to 1890). As a result of all these developments, by the time European immigrants began pouring into the country after the Civil War. America had a strong public education system to help theiir children rapidly become Americans. Vocational education is funded by Congress with the Smith-Hughes Act (1917).

Asia

Public schools were virtually non-exisrent outside Europe and North America until after World War II. The exception was Japan which after the Meiji Resoration founded a Europen style public school system (1870s). Japan brutally built an empire. As brutal as the Japanese were, two of the finest Asian public schools are former Japanese colonies (South Korea and Taiwan).

Africa

African countries began founding public schools after World war II and the Decolinization process.

Latin America

Latin American schools were poorly funded and not available to many children. Many poor children in the cities did not attend and there were few schools in rural areas. Gradually the school systems in the region expanded, but the uality of the schools was far below American and Europen. Rote learning was often emphasized. The poor perforance of Latin American economies made funding schools a problem. Tests comparing academic achievement in different countries continue to rate Latin American schools very poorly.

Middle wast and North Afriv

The situation in North Africa and the Middle East is complicated. France began founding public achools in North Africa at the same time as in metropolitance France, but they were used as an instrument to Frenchify the indeginous population and thus often resisted by the local. In Middle East public schools were not founded until after World War II. A major issue for religious and cultural reasons became the education of girls.

Oceania

Public schools were founded in the British Dominions (Australia and New Zealand) and the Philippines after the United States it from Spain.






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Created: 7:49 PM 1/26/2018
Last updated: 7:50 PM 1/26/2018