CHAPTER II THE PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF THE UNITED STATES Public secondary education is primarily a state function. The United States Constitution does not mention "education." Its control is not included among the powers enumerated in the Federal Constitution.i That education is a state rather than a federal function is indicated by the United States Constitution in the provision: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States, respectively, or to the people." 2 OBJECTIVES OF THE PUBLIC SECONDARY EDUCATION PROGRAM The constitutions and statutes of the several states express in at least forty different ways the objectives for which the public secondary education program is established and maintained." 4 The objectives most frequently stated are: "to promote health" by thirty-three states, and to "develop temperance" by thirty-one,5 "to establish free public schools," "to inculcate morality," "to develop patriotism." and "to teach the duties and dignity of American citizenship," are each mentioned as general objectives by more than twenty and less than thirty states. "That the public schools be open to all,"10 and "to inculcate honesty,'' are given more than ten and less than twenty times. Article I, Section 8, United States Constitution 2Article X, Amendments to the United States Constitution See Key Code I, post See key number 1033, Summary Chart I, post "See key number 1029, Summary Chart I, post "See key number 1001, Summary Chart I, post "See key number 1021, Summary Chart I, post See key number 1028, Summary Chart I, post See key number 1032, Summary Chart I, post 10See key number 1005, Summary Chart I, post 11See key number 1018, Summary Chart I, post Seven objectives were each given by more than five and less than ten states. These objectives are: "to cherish science," "schools to be efficient," "to be thorough," "to encourage virtue," "to encourage thrift and economy," "to aid in the diffusion of knowledge," "to aid in agricultural improvement," and "to teach good manners." The remainder of the forty objectives were each selected by five or fewer states. It is doubtful whether all of the forty statements of purposes expressed in the constitutions and statutes may be classed technically as true objectives. Yet these statements placed in the constitutions by their framers are interesting and valuable expressions of those purposes for which they provided state systems of public schools. The following key code lists these expressions of objectives in detail. The key number for each part of the code indicates the column on the summary chart in which the states mentioning the various objectives are checked. A similar plan will be followed throughout the study. Key codes will be used in presenting the constitutional and statutory provisions of the several states in detail. The chart and code methods have been adopted in order to secure definiteness while presenting the material in condensed form. KEY CODE I OBJECTIVES OF PUBLIC SECONDARY EDUCATION 1001 The public secondary schools shall be free (40)* 1002 The public secondary schools shall give equal benefits to all (1)* 1003 The public secondary schools shall be efficient (9)* 1004 The public secondary schools shall be thorough (6)* 1005 The public secondary schools shall be open to all (18)* *The figures in parentheses indicate the number of states having this provision 1006 The public secondary schools shall serve as uniform sources of information (19)* 1007 The public secondary schools shall foster learning (1)* 1008 The public secondary schools shall encourage virtue (8)* 1009 The public secondary schools shall prevent vice and immorality (2)* 1010 The public secondary schools shall preserve literature (5)* 1011 The public secondary schools shall cherish science (9)* 1012 The public secondary schools shall inculcate benevolence (2)* 1013 The public secondary schools shall countenance charity (3)* 1014 The public secondary schools shall inculcate industry (4)* 1015 The public secondary schools shall encourage economy, thrift (8)* 1016 The public secondary schools shall inculcate sobriety (1)* 1017 The public secondary schools shall countenance sincerity (2)* 1018 The public secondary schools shall inculcate honesty (10)* 1019 The public secondary schools shall inculcate punctuality (2)* 1020 The public secondary schools shall develop social affections (3)* 1021 The public secondary schools shall inculcate morality (25)* 1022 The public secondary schools shall inculcate respect for others (1)* 1023 The public secondary schools shall aid in the diffusion of knowledge (8)* *The figures in parentheses indicate the number of states having this provision. |
