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Back-To-School - Disappointment?
Back to School - Disappointment?
By John Bishop
Our back-to-school buying habits do not help kids succeed in the classroom!
Parents are buying new book bags, school clothes, tennis shoes, notebooks, pens,...
Ten Careers For High School Seniors Who Hate School
Let’s face it…not everybody likes going to school and high school can be a terrible experience for many students. Whether you’re the hands on type who preferred Shop class to English class, or an athlete who liked working as a team more than...
You Better Not Lie, I’m Telling You Why…Santa Claus Is Coming
You Better Not Lie, I’m Telling You Why… Santa Claus Is Coming By Dawn Fry Holiday season brings the perennial return of Santa Claus. According to traditional lore, St. Nick flies around the world on his reindeer-powered sleigh. He lavishes gifts...
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America's Public Schools --- Deteriorating Like They Did In Ancient Rome
The citizens of the early Roman Republic enjoyed an education system similar to ancient Athens. It was voluntary and parents paid tutors or schools directly. There was very little government interference, so a vibrant education free market of tutors, schools, and apprenticeships developed.
One aspect of Roman society that compromised their education system was that Roman parents wanted their children to learn knowledge that only Greek teachers could provide. However, most Greeks in Rome at the time were slaves.
As a result, the Greek teachers could not personally or financially benefit by their work. Often their morale was low and they were subject to harsh discipline. Unlike the free teachers in ancient Athens, Greek slave-teachers in Rome had little incentive to innovate or continually improve their skills. As a result, the quality of education stagnated.
Also, a majority of the Roman population was slaves, both from Greece and other areas Rome had conquered. Naturally, these slaves had no rights and no control over their children’s education.
Things got worse after Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C. and Emperor Augustus took
power. The quasi-democratic Republic turned into the dictatorial Roman Empire and was ruled by a succession of Emperors. To secure their power, each succeeding Emperor then tightened their grip on education. They increasingly regulated education, suppressed teachers who spoke against the Emperor, and eventually required teachers of Greek and Latin rhetoric to be licensed and paid by the State. The quality of education in Rome then grew progressively worse.
The parallels with the history of education in America are striking. Here too, when our education system was voluntary and parents paid teachers and schools directly, we had a high-quality, constantly improving education system. After state governments created compulsory public schools, education in America has been going down-hill ever since.
About the Author
Joel Turtel is the author of “Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Website: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com,
Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348. http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com
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