From the time the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620 until the 1850s, most parents taught their children to read at home or sent their children to small private or religious grammar schools. Education was voluntary and local governments did not force parents to send their children to state-controlled schools. Yet, literacy rates in colonial America were far higher than they are today.
In 1765, John Adams wrote that "a native of America, especially of New England, who cannot read and write is as rare a Phenomenon as a Comet."1 Jacob Duche, the chaplain of Congress in 1772, said of his countrymen, "Almost every man is a reader."2 Daniel Webster confirmed that the product of home education was near-universal literacy when he stated, "a youth of fifteen, of either sex, who cannot read and write, is very seldom to be found."3
After the Revolutionary War, literacy rates continued to rise in all the colonies. There were many affordable, innovative local schools parents could send their children to. Literacy data from that early period show that from 1650 to 1795, the literacy rate among white men rose from 60 to 90 percent. Literacy among women went from 30 to 45 percent. 4
In the early 1800s, Pierre Samuel Dupont, an influential French citizen who helped Thomas Jefferson negotiate for the Louisiana Purchase, came to America and surveyed education here. He found that most young Americans could read, write, and "cipher" (do arithmetic), and that Americans of all ages could and did read the Bible. He estimated that fewer than four Americans in a thousand were unable to write neatly and legibly. 5 (See Note references in my book, "Public Schools, Public Menace")
From 1800 to 1840, literacy rates in the North increased from 75 percent to between 91 and 97 percent. In the South, the white literacy rate grew from about 50 to 60 percent, to 81 percent (it was illegal to teach blacks to read). By 1850, literacy rates in Massachusetts and other New England states, for both men and women, was close to 97 percent. This was before Massachusetts created the first compulsory public-school system in America in 1852 (of course, these literacy numbers did not apply to black slaves since many colonies had laws that forbid teaching slaves to read).
Ever since the first public schools were established in Massachusetts in 1852, and made compulsory in most of the states by the 1890's, literacy among adults and children has been deteriorating. As I noted in a previous article, today the literacy rate for students in our public schools ranges from 30 percent to 70 percent. Compare that literacy horror statistic to the over 90 percent literacy rate for the average child, man, and woman by 1852.
The question to naturally ask is this: if our kids learned to read far better when we had an education free-market before public schools came along, why on Earth do we need public schools now? The answer is, we don't. Parents should take advantage of the quality, low-cost, free-market education alternatives they have right now that I explore in my book, "Public Schools, Public Menace."
Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst, and author of "Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Contact Information: Website: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com, Email: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com, Phone: 718-447-7348, Article Copyrighted ? 2005 by Joel Turtel, NOTE: You may post this Article on an Ezine, newsletter, or other website only if you include Joel Turtel's complete contact information, and set up a hyperlink to Joel Turtel's email address and website URL, http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport carUh oh.Your kids arrive home with their school reports and... Read More
I remember when my daughter was born, later my son.... Read More
If you're a single parent or a married couple on... Read More
"It takes a village to raise a child" is more... Read More
On one of her quarterly visits to see her grandson,... Read More
As a parent you will be asked to assist with... Read More
Diagnosing children and teens with ADHD can be a challenge.... Read More
During one "generation gap" quarrel with his parents young Michael... Read More
There is nothing quite like hiking with small children. The... Read More
Time management is an organisational concept traditionally associated with adults... Read More
So you're going to become a father. Now is not... Read More
I have a bit of a different response than most... Read More
Voices have a way of falling into a pattern, not... Read More
When you think about it, probably the one thing that... Read More
It used to strike me as odd - but really,... Read More
Every summer our daughter goes to summer camp. She looks... Read More
Having a babysitter take care of your kids is sometimes... Read More
One of the few decisions you'll make during pregnancy that... Read More
"Family Matters" was the headline that caught my attention in... Read More
Q. We just got our daughter's progress report, and it... Read More
My son is 6 yrs old. He came home the... Read More
Raising a pre-teen or teenage daughter (or son) is not... Read More
Sitting by her Pinocchio lamp, she smiled at me as... Read More
In the first premise, some films and video tapes which... Read More
Q: A parent writes in to ask, "You write a... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..If you were to ask 100 parents why they think... Read More
As Mother's Day approaches I would like to give a... Read More
Each child carries a unique picture of the self, shaped... Read More
I am in pain. I've been in pain all day.... Read More
Q. I don't like my children spending so much time... Read More
When I was pregnant, we knew that we had some... Read More
Though you can cover even very long distances by car... Read More
When you hear the phrase, 'guerrilla parenting techniques', what images... Read More
Sex has a lot to answer for ? babies usually... Read More
By not planning for the future we guarantee that we... Read More
I have always found the notion of toilet training a... Read More
Cardiovascular endurance is one of the five health-related components of... Read More
We are all aware of the child obesity epidemic that... Read More
When my oldest daughter was born, I walked the floor... Read More
The law of -ing.The law of -ing refers to a... Read More
We were sitting in the family room. My kids had... Read More
When is a person brilliant? When does a person show... Read More
The 21st Century Problem in Schools: Bullying, and How to... Read More
So, the thing is? I am feeling a little guilty.I... Read More
Prioritize. Learn to say No. Steal some time for yourself.Don't... Read More
There are only two ways to get more money:1) Increase... Read More
Most of us recognize the continuing escalation of violence around... Read More
As the flurry of Back to School activities subside, parents... Read More
Should a parent give a child a tangible reward when... Read More
Most of us can agree that there is a lack... Read More
Parenting |