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> Historically, part of college was to help an individual grow personally and intellectually, to learn not just what to think, but how to think clearly, in orde
by randomdata 8y ago
> Historically, part of college was to help an individual grow personally and intellectually, to learn not just what to think, but how to think clearly, in order to better engage with civil society as an active participant.
Do you mean elementary school? Historically, that is the level of schooling that was provided to all citizens to learn how to think and allow them to become active participants in a civil society. Although it is debatable of how successful it has been at that in modern times.
Historically, college was reserved as a finishing school for the wealthy to learn the social graces of upper-class society. It was only after people started noticing a correlation between wealth and completion of a college degree that the lower members of society started pushing for affordable access, believing that they would also be able to join the upper-class with that experience.
- lsiebert 8y agoPerhaps our experiences varied, but I don't recall a lot of emphasis on critical thinking, decision making and figuring things out for myself in elementary school. If you go back far enough you are absolutely correct, and there certainly is a history of elitism in colleges (and a legacy of discrimination). However land grant colleges, the higher education act, Deweys ideas on pedagogy, all were premised on the idea that people needed more then rote learning and instruction in the trades to succeed. I think you are also ignoring the influence of the Progressive educational movement and the G.I. Bill.