Let's go back to the earliest schools. Who was responsible for the process? Churches. Why? Because they could use the schools to push their beliefs and ensure they controlled the development of future leaders.
While I admit that pretty much every source I have found in regards to the Prussian model seems to have a few gaps in their explanations, most of these sources indicate that the government wanted more control over their citizens. This Prussian model is widely regarded as the basis for American schools.
Among the things I keep reading about the Prussians is that they believed that they could use the schools to promote obedience to the government. Isn't it remarkable how we went from pushing pro-government values to children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis?
Of course, the schools do more than push obedience to the government. Let's forget the Prussian model for a moment and explain what I have personally seen within American schools. Let's start with their mental destruction.
The schools base student evaluations off of finding the answers that teachers want you to provide. Most of the real world does not fit a right-or-wrong mentality. While most testing is based off of objective measures of factual content, not everything that you have to get right is factual. For example, you have to accept the teachers' portrayal of American history. Additionally, shifting your thoughts from the rigid school content and reluctance to mindlessly accept the content can hinder performance. In order to succeed in school, you have to sacrifice thought.
I can also get into the anti-educational principals. William Torrey Harris, once the United States Commissioner of Education, insisted that "Our schools have been scientifically designed to prevent over-education from happening. ... The average American (should be) content with their humble role in life, because they're not tempted to think about any other role." Again, change can be remarkable. We went from the process being scientifically designed to prevent education to children getting into trouble for learning in class (like I did when I was in school).
Who would benefit from a mindless uneducated society? Oh, that's right. People who are in power. After all, people who question the government and can see their faults are bigger threats to their power than people who are content with things the way they have always been.
What about conformity? The schools clearly rely on the idea that all children are the same. If they show any signs of deviation, the schools try to correct the deviation. As we have seen with the rise of ADD, we will actually drug children if they don't fit the rigid view of the teaching profession. Personally, I once had a teacher tell me that the reason my needs weren't being met was because I was too much of an individual. They also frequently integrate things that are seemingly popular within a class (I have read something about a Disney movie once) that will alienate any child who doesn't enjoy the same things as the rest of the class.
Who would benefit from a conformist society? Anyone who can influence that conformity and wants to control a significant number of people. That would be the government again.
The schools have also taken over the job of raising children from parents. They have been trying to monopolize time. Parents see their children less these days than before the rise of the schools. What are parents doing when they see their kids? If teachers are to be believed, they should be making sure their kids do their homework. When do parents have time to parent anymore? Even when they find the time, they are expected to train such things as obedience in order to improve their school performance.
Why are parents no longer able to raise their kids to develop a conscience? Why are parents no longer trying to ensure that their kids grow up to have good personalities? And who could possibly benefit from government workers with strict requirements set by the government taking over the job of raising children? Do I really need to answer that question?
Let me go to something a little more obscure, career assessments. In high school, I had to take one of these. The general idea is simple. Children can better choose an educational path if they know what jobs will work best for them when they grow older. Of course, it's not always easy to dedicate your life to pursuing the results of a test taken at that age. Additionally, there are certain skewed components to such testing. For example, these assessments try to guess the demand and pay for these jobs in advance. How can we possibly know where the collective society is going to change the job market? We can't.
It's time for more questions. Who provides the research and data for the careers in a career assessment? Who can influence the predictions? Ultimately, the government is trying to determine what they want the workforce to become, and they are using career assessments to push children into pursuing their vision.
There's one final quirk to all of this. Most people involved in this government control scheme are clueless. The bulk of the problems are derived from the process's roots. With how many people take education for granted, it's become rare for anyone to see the obvious. Teachers overwhelming believe that they are actually developing independent educated individuals who can make meaningful contributions to society. Government officials believe that reinvesting and pushing the schools harder will correct the problems that the schools have created such as under-education.
I don't want to sound like a member of the tin-foil-hat society, but the evidence is absolutely overwhelming. While the schools have numerous goals, all of them tie into government control over society. Perhaps that's why dictators love to build schools and require attendance.
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