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A New Challenge for Teachers: Encouraging Girls in Science, Math, IT Related Studies & Careers
One key challenge educators face is the importance of encouraging girls to excel in math, science and computer science studies. As technology continues to drive the world of business, those challenged or generally disinterested in science and math...
Six Guidelines To Toyshop For Your Baby
When you are ready for toyshop for your baby, you probably confuse what should you buy. You want to buy your baby educational toys, but does not know whether your baby will understand. You may find that your baby can do so little, so by giving him...
The Importance Of A College Education
It cannot be stressed enough to young people that a college education is the only way to obtain a good job and the type of job that will allow for a comfortable lifetime income and a secure future. My nephew said just last night that he wanted to be...
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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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