Public and private education in the United States. - I

June 14, 2010

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The United States Constitution grants no authority over education to the federal government. The Department of Education therefore, has as primary function to formulate federal funding programs involving education, and enforcing federal educational laws regarding privacy and civil rights.

Public education is primarily a State and local responsibility and educational standards and standardized testing decisions are usually made by state governments.

In a highly decentralized system the federal government and the Department of Education aren't directly involved in such decisions and haven't direct public jurisdictional control over the informal private process known as "accreditation" that determines the quality of educational institutions and their degrees.

The only exception to this rule is the No Child Left Behind Act of Congress of 2001.

With this law, American schools that don't want to miss the funding received from the federal Government have been forced to make their respective students progressively improve exams notes.

Since long time ago, by law, in the United States of America education is universally available.

It wasn't always the same. From the very beginning colonial society valued education, but it wasn't universally available, its benefits weren't offered equally to all children.

Upper class children, by example the sons of a planter in colonial days, would typically be taught the basics under their male tutor guidance in a &#&home school&#& system.

At some point of their level of education, the sons of wealthy planters would be sent to boarding &#&private schools&#& in England to follow a career of higher education.

There were as well significant differences among boys and girls in the education they received.

Girls coming from wealthy families learned enough writing and reading to read their Bibles, and basic arithmetic to be able to record household expenses. The &#&home school&#& private teaching was usually developed by a more or less educated governess born in England. They were taught skills as cooking and nursing, as well as needlework and other home activities. To be socially smart they learned art, music, French and social etiquette. The girls did not have the opportunity to go to England for higher education because it was considered not necessary nor important for them.

But it was enormously different for the children of poor families. They did not receive education in literacy and religious as those of the upper class did. Instead, they took on apprenticeships to help them just to survive doing something useful.