Public Education

[TheDevil'sApprentice]

I remember reading somewhere that public education was brought in during the industrial revolution to create a new generation of more disciplined workers - and that everyone was very explicit about this being its purpose.

I forgot where I read this, so if someone could help me out in finding these explicit statements, that would be great (its for my liberal professor who's research interest is the philosophy of education).

Cheers

[TheDevil'sApprentice]

Someone here must know about this. I'm gonna repost this in history, maybe more knowledgeable people browse that forum.

[Charles Xavier]

A public education system was a big demand of the working class, not of the capitalist class. People died fighting for Public Education in some of the Capitalist countries. The Capitalist class would have children working in coal mines, if possible.

[politics student]

A public education system was a big demand of the working class, not of the capitalist class. People died fighting for Public Education in some of the Capitalist countries. The Capitalist class would have children working in coal mines, if possible.

They had children from the age of 12 in the mines for many years, labour laws put an end to child labour in the west. The companies now use child labour in the developing world which is no real shock when you look at the history of capitalism.

[Charles Xavier]

They had children from the age of 12 in the mines for many years, labour laws put an end to child labour in the west. The companies now use child labour in the developing world which is no real shock when you look at the history of capitalism. Correct.

[TheDevil'sApprentice]

I didn't think the working class was in a position to win such vast concessions at the time public education was introduced. What I read was that after the enclosure of the commons the capitalists had major problems getting former peasants to accept what they had to do in the factories, and that public eduation was introduced to make the next generation of workers more accepting. Surely you must see the way public education does discipline people to accept wage labour, even now, and much more blatantly back then.

[Oneironaut]

I didn't think the working class was in a position to win such vast concessions at the time public education was introduced. What I read was that after the enclosure of the commons the capitalists had major problems getting former peasants to accept what they had to do in the factories, and that public eduation was introduced to make the next generation of workers more accepting. Surely you must see the way public education does discipline people to accept wage labour, even now, and much more blatantly back then.

The working class is/was in a perfect position to win concessions. Capitalists know the economic and political power held exclusively by workers is very threatening to the capitalist state. Because of this, capitalists are going to give concessions when they must in order that workers don't revolt against the system itself. Yes, we fought for public education and won but that doesn't necessarily mean we haven't made concessions on what is taught in schools and how schools are funded. In the end, our current public education system is not under worker control. Not to mention that there exists no funding for our schools. So in other words, the capitalists have managed to twist public schools in their favor or simply ignore them.

[TheDevil'sApprentice]

The working class is/was in a perfect position to win concessions. Capitalists know the economic and political power held exclusively by workers is very threatening to the capitalist state.Agreed, but only if the organisation and class consciousness is there. Public Education, as Education, would be a massive concession, but it came before lots of much smaller ones. If Education had been won by the class struggle from below, we would have seen other smaller concessions earlier than education, but they came later. This suggests something else at work.

[Oneironaut]

Agreed, but only if the organisation and class consciousness is there. Public Education, as Education, would be a massive concession, but it came before lots of much smaller ones. If Education had been won by the class struggle from below, we would have seen other smaller concessions earlier than education, but they came later. This suggests something else at work.

I see what you are suggesting. I think you are on to something very plausible. It would make sense for the capitalists at that time to introduce a way to make workers much more productive and obedient, and even get workers to think that the public education system will be beneficial to them! Whether or not this was the case, despite the huge efforts of the working class to gain free education, it has simply resulted better workers to keep raking in the profits for you know who. If you come across any data supporting "something else at work" please post it I am interested!

[Charles Xavier]

I see what you are suggesting. I think you are on to something very plausible. It would make sense for the capitalists at that time to introduce a way to make workers much more productive and obedient, and even get workers to think that the public education system will be beneficial to them! Whether or not this was the case, despite the huge efforts of the working class to gain free education, it has simply resulted better workers to keep raking in the profits for you know who. If you come across any data supporting "something else at work" please post it I am interested!

Well, I think workers in countries with a very underfunded public education system are being exploited and making bigger profits for the vast majority of transnational corporations in the world. Capitalists are not against public education as long as they don't have to pay for it.