USA Education in Brief
Success of the educational system is fundamental to
All societies must wrestle with fundamental questions about the nature and purpose of their educational system, but the
Early on, Americans understood that their future as a free people rested upon their own wisdom and judgment, and not that of some distant ruler. For this reason, the quality, character, and costs of education have remained among the country’s central preoccupations since its founding.
Educational institutions of all types and sizes, from nursery schools to advanced research institutions, populate the American landscape. Public schools have been described as the nation’s most familiar government institutions. Whether communities are poor or affluent, urban or rural, public schools are a common denominator throughout the
From their origins two centuries ago through today,
Fundamental questions about the purpose and methods of education have resonated in public debates in the
Should schools emphasize basic skills – reading, writing, and mathematics – or provide a broad education in the liberal arts and sciences? How can schools provide equal access to all yet maintain high academic standards? Who should pay for schools – parents or the public? Should schools focus on practical, job-oriented skills, or give all children the academic courses necessary to succeed in college? How should teachers impart moral and spiritual values to the children of different cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds? What criteria should be used for selecting secondary school students for admission to prestigious colleges and universities?
The answers to these questions are not easy, and, in fact, schools in the
Source: the U.S. Department of State