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Period: to
Schooling before it was required
Before schooling was mandated, children who received education attended a variety of schools, the majority of which were religiously founded and locally funded. These schools often only taught upper-class white boys whose parents could pay for tuition. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED606970.pdf -
Education becomes mandated
In the Massachusetts Act of 1642, education became mandatory. This decision was made largely by religious educators to discipline children and teach them to read the Bible. -
Federal Land granted to States for education
The Northwest Ordinance of 1785 granted substantial amounts of federal land to the States, part or all of which was required to be used for educational purposes. This created schools followed by communities across the Nation. -
Common Schools Established
Though the push for a formalized education system dates back to Thomas Jefferson in 1779, influences from Europe and Horace Mann led to the creation of State-led boards of education in 1826 followed by the implementation of common policies. This created common curriculum between schools, which were open to children of all backgrounds. https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1950/Elementary-Education.html -
Today's Primary Education Systems
Today, most children receive their first years of education in public schools. 11% attend nonpublic schools, the most popular of those being Roman Catholic Parochial Schools. https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1950/Elementary-Education.html