The school system depends on the individual states (which, moreover, do not exercise any monopoly or specific control over the school), resulting in a very large variety of institutions. But school associations and the analogy of social situations have brought a certain unity to the systems. Only the following depend on the federal authority: the Bureau of Education, with a commissioner, established in 1867, and since 1869 employed by the Department of Interior, with duties of observation, statistics, information and administration of the Land grant Colleges (see below), the Federal Board for Vocational Education, created in 1917 and since 1933 also under the authority of the Commissioner of Education, for financial assistance to vocational schools; and the American Council of Education, founded in 1918 and made up of representatives of about 400 between associations, universities and state and citizen school offices. From the financial year 1933-34, the federal government had to intervene to facilitate the construction of buildings, etc.
The elementary school has a strong civil-patriotic imprint (daily flag salute, etc.); only 10% of primary schools are private; the average enrollment in public elementary schools is twenty-five million per year; the expenditure is more than two billion dollars per year. At the 1930 census, only 4% of the residents were illiterate. In 1934 in elementary schools alone (8 classes) and public kindergartens the pupils were 20,729,511.
The first state to found state public schools was Michigan (1817), but the trend towards the creation of the public school was felt in the century. XIX in all states, although supporters of the public school had to fight hard to make the concept prevail that taxpayers could be taxed in favor of the institution and that schools should at least be placed under state surveillance and that the public education could not be left mainly in the hands of the dominant churches (notable contrasts between the education imparted by these and the concerns of religious sects). Kindergarten has been resumed from Germany.
The middle school developed from the Latin grammar school of the colonial era, of a more humanistic and preparatory type to the College, and from the Academy (still today various private middle schools have this name) of the revolutionary era, of a more modern type, which it was also an end in itself and to which it joined in the century. XIX the high school public: the first was established in Boston in 1821, and by 1860 there were no more than 100 in all of the United States; but they rose to 2526 in 1890, 13.951 in 1918 and 27.000, with 5.669.156 pupils (over 3327 private with 360.092 pupils) in 1934. But with the century. XX there is a tendency to replace the old system (elementary school of 8 years, and middle school of 4) with a new system, which reduces the elementary school to 6 years, followed by a middle school also of 6, divided mostly in two periods: the first of which constitutes the so-called junior high school. In middle school, the young person generally has a certain freedom of choice between some disciplines (or groups), while others are compulsory. Similarly, there is a tendency to extend and strengthen vocational education. At the same time, there is generally a certain rapprochement between high school and higher education which could be defined as first grade, that is, at least the first two years of the College (see below).
Higher education in fact keeps more alive the character of independence and autonomy from the state authority that originally characterized American life; Universities and Colleges oldest in the eastern states (eg., the famous “trio”: Harvard, Princeton, Yale) is a private foundation. These universities constitute a corporation or moral body, administered by a committee of trustees, who usually elect the president, who is entitled to what could be called the executive power, and who can be assisted by a narrower council (fellows); as well as, of course, by the decans (deans) of the various faculties or schools and by the faculty councils. Even the organization of the studies is strongly influenced by the traditional English type, although modified during the course of the century. XIX from the German influence. First of all, the distinction is clear between the College, which generally lasts 4 years (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior), and the real faculties or high schools (graduate schools). Most young people stay in college. This, although founded on the English model (the oldest are: Harvard, founded in 1636; William and Mary, 1693; Yale, 1701; New Jersey, then Princeton, 1746), is now a typically American institution: once an education of a prevalently humanistic nature, modified in the last decades due to the greater importance or prevalence given to scientific teachings, and to the freedom granted to young people to a greater or lesser extent to choose between the various disciplines. Teaching rarely has a true university character: especially in the first two years, young people are mostly divided into groups or classes of 30-40 pupils, each entrusted to a teacher who, under the direction of the full professor, takes care more closely the preparation of young people. The exams are written. For admission,
A characteristic phenomenon of American university life, especially in college, is the importance attributed to sport. Every physically healthy young person practices at least one form of sporting activity; in the crowd the best are chosen to form the football and rowing teams: these, along with light athletics, are the sports most practiced by students. Both to preserve absolute amateurism and to prevent sport from being to the detriment of the study (there has been a lot of controversy about College athletics) various universities have imposed that only young people deemed to be able to participate in competitions – especially inter-university ones – for profit and discipline, worthy of wearing the colors of their university.
In fact, the “spirit of the body” is very lively; as well as life in common in dormitories, in refectories (almost every young person has a roommate) and in the “forum” (campus) of university or college, together with sporting practice, tends to develop in the young the feeling of loyalty and honesty and other qualities that make him more suitable for social life. In this, most American and foreign writers see the truest educational value of American university life. Another feature is the many possibilities offered to young people in poor economic conditions to earn a living during the period of studies: not only through scholarships, but through work, both during the holidays and during the school year, perhaps in the university itself. Also noteworthy is the large number of clubs of all kinds – for simple gatherings or reading, for study, amateur dramatics, politicians, etc. – and “secret societies” Phi Beta Kappa, founded in William and Mary in 1776, extended to Yale and Harvard in 1780 and 1781, and today purely honorary): being admitted is always a distinction. The above-mentioned “spirit of the body” is also proved by the fact that on every great university there is a real “literature”, including novels; just as each has a newspaper or magazine, edited, distributed and administered by students or former students. Even after leaving university, the young man does not lose contact with his Alma mater: both through conferences that bring together classmates quite frequently, and through the network of university clubs, and through financial contributions. The private nature of most of these institutions, in fact, means that in addition to the income from their assets, they have to rely on donations or contributions, generally numerous and conspicuous. It is these that have promoted the grandiose development of some universities with perfectly equipped laboratories, rich libraries (in 1936: Harvard had 2,598,040 volumes; Yale, 2,400,000; Chicago, 1,100,000; Princeton 720,000; beyond the special libraries) and sometimes important museums, which have allowed a notable progress in scientific research. This character, of a research institute, as well as of teaching, he was hired by American universities after the founding of Johns Hopkins (v.). On the other hand, this state of affairs gives rise to a certain degree of dependence of universities on major donors or founders – often religious sects, or persons belonging to them – which is not always useful for the freedom of studies and science.
Also, the great variety of university institutions often means that the name of college or even university belongs to schools that are actually very modest, sometimes of practical professional education: colleges of secretarial science or domestic science. Even the major universities have to some extent had to give in to these practical needs and create schools – but in these always of a university nature – of commerce, pedagogy, etc. Numerous teachers colleges.
With the century XIX there was a tendency to create state universities: arrested by a sentence of the Supreme Court (1819), it became established with the creation of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, in 1841; and from the end of the century. XIX state universities, especially in the central and western states, have been continually growing and improving. Another characteristic category of higher education institutes is that of the so-called Land grant colleges, agricultural schools established following the Morrill Land Act (1862) which constituted some state-owned lands provided for such institutes to be erected: several of which they have assumed great importance, and some are genuine polytechnics.
After leaving college with the degree of bachelor’s degree (generally in “arts” or “letters”: bachelor of arts, abbreviated BA or AB; now often also in science: BS), the young person can, as we have said, finish his studies, giving himself to business, journalism, etc.; or continue them in the various faculties. Those of a professional nature (law, theology, etc.) generally give the degree of bachelor; after which the young man can attain the degree of “master” (in the faculty of arts this happens immediately to the baccalaureate of the Colleges); and later, after more severe studies and having demonstrated a high ability, even that of a doctor to whom very few reach proportionally. Unfortunately, the lack of uniform legislation means that in various states even the highest degrees are sometimes granted by less than mediocre institutions, and for money.
The admission of women to universities has been much discussed: state universities have been coeducational since their foundation, or very soon, already with the second half of the century. XIX; others, on the other hand, still exclude them, but alongside them, colleges of women have sprung up as filiations.
In 1936, the Council of Education registered 928 colleges and universities, as well as 438 junior colleges and 262 vocational schools. The total expenditure on national education for the financial year 1931-1932 was $. 2,968,010,400, of which 2,174,650,555 (73%) for public elementary and middle schools, 229,563,702 (8%) for private schools, and 543,855,466 (18%) for higher and vocational education.
Of memdiale fame are the Smithsonian Institution (v. Smithson, james) and the Carnegie Institution (v. Carnegie, andrew) Washington (1902), the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, and finally the Rockefeller Foundation (v. Rockefeller, john davison).
