I am writing this within walking distance of Horace Mann’s birthplace ,and I hope that I do not disturb his legacy too much, but I think that it is time that we re-examine what Horace had in mind and how this may have become distorted by “Mission Creep.”

Horace felt that it was important that every child have the necessary tools to be successful in the society of the middle to late 1800’s. This meant, I believe, that you could read, write, and count in order to be able to enter the workplace of the industrial society that was overtaking the country.

To do this small schools, often one room schools, were established close to the homes of the children as there were no school buses or other forms of transportation available to most children. As the schools were small every teacher had personal contact with the adults, usually parents, who were raising the children. The curriculum was basic as the teachers were often not much better trained than the oldest of the students. Education stopped for most children at end of the 8th grade, and at least initially was not compulsory.

When High Schools were added they were in larger towns, often with admission requirements and attendance at the discretion of the Principal. Getting to high school was up to the parents and the student. These schools focused on training students for the kinds of jobs that existed in the locality, and offered a “Classical” curriculum for those that wanted to go on to either a college or university as well. Latin, possibly Greek, Grammar, and serious History were mandated for this track. Electives? Probably not. Textbooks were lacking in both pictures and color. Summers were off so that children could help with the harvest.

Normal schools, designed to train teachers, were initially only one year in duration and not all teachers had even completed this training. The costs of these schools were borne by the local taxpayers, not the state or federal government.

This simple system allowed America to become the leading nation in the world and gave us the highest literacy rates on the planet.

What happened?

America now graduates less than 70% of those who enter high school even when we cannot define the skills needed to graduate, requires state and federal funding, feeds most kids lunch and many breakfast, offers electives too numerous and often too frivolous to mention, places about 25th among developed countries in basic academic skills, spends twice as many hours in school as many developed countries and has some of highest costs per student in the world.

Our prison population, highest in the world, has about a 5th grade education, yet I doubt that many of the prisoners have spent only 5 or 6 years in school. “Social Promotion” has clearly been a factor in developing adults that are not capable of functioning in our society.

We have the largest transportation system in the nation devoted to transporting school attendees, students is too strong a description for many, in the world.

Clearly this system is expensive and not serving the taxpayers or our youth in the manner that Horace Mann had envisioned.

Why?

I would like to suggest that the old adage, “What is free is valued little” has a great deal to do with this. Whereas, when Horace was alive, education was valued very highly it is now taken for granted, and what we call “Education” has been diluted so that there are no “Failures, disappointments, or embarrassments.” It is the Disney World where everyone lives a happy life according to those who are running this system.

It is the greatest, and most expensive, daycare system on earth for most of our students. There is no longer any expectation that the biological parents prepare kids for school, feed them, or insist that they behave or do anything related to school when school is not in session. Educators have come to allow any, and all, to enter the school house and once there to keep them no matter what their behavior. “Consequence” is a word that is nearly banned from the school house! “Discipline,” that is that really is meaningful, is certainly out of the question! School has become an amusement park without an admission fee for many. It is a place to go to be with friends and classes are a disruption. Better yet you get a free ride to the “amusement” park!

Elsewhere in the world, in those countries that now seem to be leading in manufacturing and design of new technologies, as America used to do, education seems to lack these expensive distractions and have higher expectations for the adults. I think that Horace would look at that kind of education much more kindly.

Is it time that we call a halt to this? Is it time that we redefine the objectives of education to be ones that we can afford? Is it time that we demand that the adults in our society step up to the mark and insist on focus and behavior if we are to expend our resources on their children?

America is now facing limitations that we didn’t used to have to face. It is no longer the place of “Unlimited Resources” that we have experienced in the past. I think it is time to “Buck up!”