Between 1800-1840 literacy rates in the US held roughly around 90% in the Northern states and around 81% in the Southern states (among Whites in the South).(1)  Within the Boston, the schools before 1817 were all private, and nearly 100% of students were enrolled and 96% of all Boston children (across socio-economic statuses) were attending schools, despite no truancy laws, nor any government control. (2)  Apart from this, lobbying groups persisted in Boston and government controlled schools began in the city in 1818.

Beyond many obvious successes of privately controlled and parental controlled education, many persisted — ignoring research — that this private system was not meeting the “need” and thus the government must step in.  By the 1850s, government schooling (sponsored, controlled, etc.) was finally gaining vast support and around this time period, the State of Massachusetts, under Horace Mann, moved towards greater government, central, control of education.

Government “Public” education was thought to be a “public” good.  Meaning that this service is something that is a must and therefore “must” be supported by the government.  If the ground though was only for support, then Yes… this would be a valid argument, but since “support” meant “takeover” and “control” with decreasing control on behalf of the parents (as Dewey advanced, the parents are incapable of making “good” educational decisions), “public” schooling was infact government controlled, mandated, intrusion upon liberty.

Why was this an intrusion of liberty.  Well, liberty (freedom in this sense) is “independence from the arbitrary will of another.” (3)  The prime violator of this intrusion was not only human beings, but moreso humans working in groups upon another–Government.  The framers of the US Constitution understood that as government intrusion (control, regulation, mandates, etc.) increased, Liberty decreased.  In the case of public schools, as the government has marched forward with greater limitations, guidelines, standards, etc., the freedom of the local school to adjust to the community, the freedom of the parents to make decisions about the learning of their students… that, has progressively decreased.  Thus, as the government as taken more control away from the school and parents, freedom in learning and education has decreased.

Do we need government schools?  If we believe that parents are incapable of making educational decisions, if hold a certain view of people being particularily incompetent, then yes… our opinion towards government control would be favorable.  If we believe that parents/guardians and students, regardless of education, can make appropriate educational decisions, then we would be much more in favor of freedom… the “American Way.”  These views of humanity–either possessing capabilities or being incompetent– lead to individuals either believing in freedom or believing in control over their fellow citizen.

1.  Matthew Brouillette, (2001). “The case for choice schooling: Restoring parental control of education,” The Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

2.  ibid.

3. Frederick A. Hayek. The Constitution of Liberty, (University of Chicago Press: Chicago, IL, 1960), pg 12.  This concept is also worked out by Immanuel Kant in his Metaphysics of Morals, around pg 238.

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