From Prussia With Love: Rethinking the "German Theme" in the 19th-Century American Public Education Debate

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Comparative Education Through Historical Analysis

Abstract

In 19th-century America, the reflection on public education was at the core of the pedagogical debate. Common School reformers and other thinkers often looked at Prussia in search of a model for a public education system, producing enthusiast reports but also highlighting the contradictions of a liberal republic drawing inspiration from an aristocratic monarchy. Re-reading today the American-Prussian reports, with a focus on the most controversial issue, can be very fruitful, allowing us to reflect on some unsolved (and perhaps unsolvable) educational conundrums, such as the dialectic between liberty and order, or the dialectic between the social or practical aims of public education. Increased awareness on the subject could provide both new insights for research and new arguments for advocacy.

Author

• Luana Salvarani, Università degli Studi di Parma