Educational Development In Colonial America
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The main education system of the United States of America is deep rooted in the European beliefs. There were many Native Americans living in America and the need for formal education found a very minimal role in the country. The American education in the colonial era was based on a two tier system.
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The lower classes had access to basic education where they learned to read and write and also compute and were exposed to religious classes. The higher classes were exposed to study Latin and Greek and also went to premium schools which prepared them for higher studies like college education. English was spoken predominantly in the Colonial era.
The educational system at that time was mainly dependent on religion. The Puritans or the Protestants came to America to attain religious freedom and believed that education is very important in order to read the Bible. The children in the school were encouraged to endure the hardships of life and to be spiritual.
During this period, teachers were treated like clergy and only people who had high moral values and remarkable character were allowed to do the job. The schools in New England and other neighboring States were influenced by the Puritans and their values. The mid Atlantic region had a more diverse population like Dutch, Irish, English, German, Scottish and Indians. Each one had their own values; so most of them set up their own schools based on the schooling system in New England. When it came to religious instructions, the school propagated their own religious sects.
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