How Education Has Changed in The Last 100 Years

Undoubtedly, there has been a tremendous change in the education system. Many advancements have been made in the field of education. Every school started providing free internet service so that their students can do research on various topics. But, there was a high risk of students using the internet for other purposes. So, on September 30, 2020, the American association of schools has set Banned Websites Awareness Day to encourage schools to ban unwanted or age-inappropriate sites.

Everything has changed over the past hundred years; the way of teaching, the syllabus, the transportation facilities for students, communication, school culture, and mandatory going to school to learn or gain knowledge to distance learning.

The way of learning has revolutionized vastly over 100 years.

Let’s have a short glimpse at the history of learning and how it got revolutionized over time.

A History of Learning

1852 –  Mandatory Education

In the ’80s, children under the age of 18 were not allowed to go to school. Children can learn or gain some basic knowledge only after they are 18. In fact, before 1852, sending children to school or not was totally dependent on the parents. But this concept began to change when Massachusetts understood the importance of education and made education mandatory for all children.

1875 – Learning for free

Before making learning free, parents need to pay school and tuition fees and buy books for their children to send them to school. Because of such rules, children of the wealthier family only got the chance to study. Thus, in 1875, the United States Congress passed a bill in the parliament to mandate free public schools.

Early 20^th Century – Minds over the mind

For the longest time, children of low-income families were forced to work in factories, mines or even send children to other places that would take advantage of their youth. These situations kept children of low-income families away from studying. Thus, in the early ’20s, a strict rule against child labor was implemented that made it illegal to employ children as labor, allowing children to go to school.

1917 – Full Circle

While Massachusetts started in 1852, Mississippi finished in 1917, becoming the last state to pass the bill for mandatory education for children. Thus, schooling was made compulsory for every child in the United States, and every state and town should provide all the basic materials required for studying.

1930-Take me to school

In the 1930s, country conflicts led to the closure of many public bus lines. Because of it, it became difficult for children to get to school. It affected poorer students whose parents lacked private transportation very badly.

Because of such a problem, a great revolution had been made- bus transportation facilities, especially for students.

1946 – No hungry kids

Even after completing country conflicts, many people, especially the poor, were suffering very badly. Many people were still struggling to join hand and mouth. And,  almost every student was coming to school hungry every day.

Knowing that learning with an empty stomach is very difficult, the federal government passed the National School Lunch Act. After implementing the act, free and low-cost lunch programs for students who came from low-income families were run, ensuring that the students at least get one meal per day.

1954 – Say no to segregation

Less than a century ago, almost every school was segregated. Separate schools for white and black students were established in the town area, and the schools of black students were of low standard compared to the standards of schools for white.

So, in 1954, it became illegal to segregate students based on race, and this was the most revolutionary change in the United States school’s history.

1965 – Bring me poor

In 1965, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as title one, was passed. The main motive behind passing this law was to create equality in primary schools by redistributing funds to the schools located in low-income areas. The aim was to remove the difference between high-income schools and low-income schools.

1972 – Girl power

The United States Congress passed the Higher Education Act, named Title IX, in 1972. This act was strictly against the discrimination of students based on sex in the funded school. This means all the females could access any school, resources and can be part of any activities at a publicly funded school.

1975 – Accommodations for all

Students with disabilities were not given a chance to learn or gain knowledge before 1975. So, the parents of such children had no option, and they had to send their children to highly expensive private schools or low-grade public schools. But the Disabilities Act changed the whole scenario, and students with disabilities were given a chance to learn to free and access appropriate education.

2001 – No child left behind

The No Child Left Behind Act created a set of standards that were grade-appropriate for each subject area. As per this Act, teachers must conform their lessons to the mentioned standards and prove that their students have understood the concepts through standardized testing. This act was one of the most controversial revolutions in the field of education in US history.

2013 – The next generation

With the rapid growth and demand in science and technology, engineering, and math, US schools need to implement STEM skills. AS per the US government, The Next Generation Science Standards should form a set of standards for STEM education to better prepare students for careers in these fields in K-12 schools.

2020 – Covid-19

2020 was the time where almost everything was shut down. The world was devastated by the outbreak of coronavirus, Covid-19. Schools and colleges were highly affected. All the institutions were closed, and no one was allowed to leave their home to decrease the spread of the disease.

As the virus outbreak was out of control, all the sectors, especially the education field, faced many difficulties. Schools faced many challenges in finding the most effective and safe ways to conduct their regular classes. Students and teachers then started communicating with each other through video calls. Thus, in 2020 distance learning or e-learning got the hype because of the pandemic.

Changes In The Education Field Over The Past 100 Years

1) Schools are larger and more children attend

Compared to the ’70s and ’80s, almost every school has its private infrastructure designed for student safety. At present, each class must have all the required material required while studying, and only 25-30 students are kept in one classroom. But it was not the same case in the 1900s. There would be 60-70 students in a single classroom.

2) Bus transportation widened the school districts

Before 1930, students used public transportation to go to school. But after 1930, all the public transportation was destroyed, and students had to face the problem. So, bus transportation facilities, especially for students, were started. Now at present, every school and college, whether private or public, provide transportation.

3) You can choose private over public

Back then, private schools were too expensive to afford by the middle class or low-class families. Many children of poor families are forced to work to earn some bread for the family. But in the present context, everyone can choose their institution.

Today’s private schools and colleges offer scholarships where students with poor financial conditions are funded and provided opportunities to study in private schools.

4) Technology is more advanced

One of the major changes in education over the past 100 years is the usage and advancement of technology. In the past, students used to learn from the textbook or write on the blackboard with chalk. Attendance was done on the register. Students had no clue what the computer looked like.

But, now in school, there is a separate lab for the computer. At present, the computer has become a topic of study in itself. Students use active books or the internet to look for several quality study resources like this gas laws worksheet answer key to find information on certain topics. Such materials are an effective tool of learning to engage students to ensure active learning. Also, today’s students can enjoy the facility of online group study through the internet using google drive or asking teachers online at any time from anywhere.

Summing Up:

There has been a great revolution in the education sector over the past 100 years to cut a long way short. Almost everything has changed and is still in the process of changing. Talking about the future of education, many experts say that some aspects can affect the educational system in the coming years. The aspects are technology, the role of teacher and new knowledge, and innovative research. Even so, the importance of education remains the same to improve and refine a person’s life.

by Alecia Carroll

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