Horace Mann was an early school reformer in Massachusetts who strived to better the common school system. He wished to see the common school grow toward working for the wealthy, common folk, nonsectarian peoples, and object teaching. Mann was a Protestant Republican who held very nonsectarian moral views. He believed that teaching Christian values should not be completely secular, and he thought that the assimilation of groups with different moral creeds and values into the common school system should not be enforced to a narrow, dogmatic Protestant view (Urban 93). This made him very unpopular with the Catholic minority in Massachusetts. However, their lack of organization and reperesentation resulted in little voicing for them. Furthermore, Mann stood out from his belief in object teaching to connect the leaner to the teacher. He was inspired by Heinrich Pestalozzi.
In his twelfth annual report, Mann contemplated how education was the ultimate protector of society and was the way of defeating the slavery, greed, violence, and hate that was invading America (Frazer 46). Mann believed the common school was the best way for the common folk and working class to find a balance of skill for success in life. Going to the common school would avoid class divisions like Europe. He called this a "balance wheel." As of the wealthy, Mann argued they would want intelligent employers who knew their jobs. He stressed if they did not support education then the economy would be overrun by idiots. Lastly, Mann supported the idea of taxation in which the entire commonwealth had a duty to support the growth of education.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI'm a learner of new things and a thinker of new ideas. Archives
April 2019
Categories |