The Roots of Education

By Joe Bullick

As I look back on the roots of my education, I missed being in a one-room schoolhouse by several years.  I started first grade in 1937 at Ingomar Elementary, which was a one-room schoolhouse in the early 1900s. 

From the beginning of recorded history, there has been some form of education.  In prehistoric times primitive cultures lived in families and groups of related families called tribes.  Education was direct and simple—the family taught the various tools for survival.  Each tribe developed certain customs and beliefs and the children imitated the adults. 

Throughout history, education has always been one of society’s most important activities.  One of the most significant developments in education was the birth of school boards.  The Free School Act of 1834 was historic in that it was the first, effective law that attempted to provide access to public school for all Pennsylvanians.  Regardless of wealth or standing, it provided for the formation of school districts in each ward, township and borough.  And most importantly, it provided for the election of local school directors to form a school board; board members supervised the formation of public schools and certified teachers.

Before 1834 there were about 32,500 children attending the so-called pauper schools. After the first year of the new law, enrollment jumped to 320,000 students.  The school term averaged about four months.  Teacher salaries were approximately $18 a month, and the total appropriation was $75,000 a year. 

Education has really changed in the 70 years since I first started school. It has become more political as unions move to secure more pay and smaller class sizes, and legal battles over dress codes and freedom of expression become commonplace in public schools.  Discrimination on the basis of sex is prohibited and disabled children are guaranteed individualized education programs. 

School boards, parents and students are faced with many issues—safety in the schools, closing and consolidation of schools, funding and equal opportunity.  Preparing our youth for the future is no easy task.  An old adage says:  “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”  What will 2007 and the years to come hold for American public education?

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Joe welcomes any ideas, suggestions or interesting stories.
Email him at northcon@nauticom.net. Please put "Town Crier" in the subject line of your email.

To contact Joe to schedule an appointment to tour his museum at McKnight Elementary School, call the Northern Connection office at (724) 940-2444 or email northcon@nauticom.net. Please put "Museum Tour" in the subject line.

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