New England was one of the first European settlements in America. New England's population was mainly composed by Puritans, who were part of the Pilgrims that came in the Mayflower but distinguish from the rest by their religious believes. The most important principle for the Puritans was their religion, so it is not strange that religion was a strong influence in New England's education. Parents took children to church, and later these children were tested at home and school on what they had heard during the sermon. Reading the Bible was mandatory to live a virtuous life, and education of children was important for social perfection and church's purification. The way I see it, there was a strong connection between the church and the school. The Bible also stimulated discussion of literature and promote intellectual activity. Puritans taught Greek classics of Virgil, Cicero, Ovid, and Terence, and also poetry and Latin verse. To these extremely religious people, Americans owe the foundation of the Roxbury Latin School, which was the first of the free schools for American children, and the foundation of the first American College, Harvard in 1636. While other Americans were involved in developing the country's transportation and industry, the Puritans were more concerned about the country's culture. Religion was also extremely important in the motivation of scientific thought. The vast majority of Americans admitted to the scientific Royal Society of London was composed of Puritans from New England. Teacher training was diverse and was given by the kind of teacher. Parents and grandparents taught children moral values and correct social behavior as well as reading. Some women transformed their houses into schools, which were called dame schools. These ladies taught reading, writing, and computation. Puritans also had an apprenticeship system in education. Boys usually were sent with masters who taught them not only vocational skills but also reading and writing, and girls learned homemaking skills from their mothers. So, the quality of teaching and teacher's preparation varied greatly and depended on the education and talent of each master, dame, family member, or minister. Concerning the length of expected school attendance, classes in the Boston Latin Grammar School, which was founded by Puritans and considered by many today as the model for the future American high school, started at 7 a.m., recessed at 11 a.m., and picked up from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. Graduates from the Boston Latin Grammar School were expected to go on to college and finish their studies there. The length of attendance at school was determined by the social position of the student because only wealthy students could go to the Boston Latin Grammar School, and Harvard. Discrimination was present in education in New England. There were several aspects to consider if someone wanted to go to a Puritan school. First, Puritans did not accept anybody in their community who did not share their religious believes. Second, black and Native Americans were denied educational opportunities. Finally, poor students could not afford going beyond the formal school or having more than basic education. So, New England's education was discriminatory concerning religion, race, and also social status. On the other hand, American education has given a great turn and made several progresses nowadays. Religious people do not control education anymore. It's true that there are many religious schools, but there is a wide array of diverse schools that are not religious, so children have options to choose from. Concerning teacher training nowadays, it is my opinion that teachers are more prepared now than they were before. Education in the United States has become more rigorous, so more testing and longer courses are required in order to become a teacher. Today, ministers are ministers; housewives do not make a school out of their houses; parents who opt for homeschooling generally look for professional teachers instead of teaching themselves, so those who teach today do not consider teaching as an alternative but as a life's path resulting in more specialized teachers than before. The length of expected school attendance keeps being about the same as in the time of the Pilgrims. Everybody wants to pursue a career at a university. The only difference now is that attending school is possible as long as the student wish to study. In most of the cases, the economic factor is not an impediment to go to a university anymore because there is financial aid, scholarships, loans, and other ways for students to pay for their career. Discrimination at schools is against the law in any school. I do not think that discrimination affects the eligibility of a student to go to a determined school like it used to be in New England's education. Although it is true that some schools are expensive, there are alternatives like I said. It is my opinion that American education has come a long way and changed in a huge way from the time of New England and the Puritans, but it is undeniable that the deep roots of American education grew with teachers in New England. Puritans started the long way to American education as it is known today.
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