What the Schools Teach and Might Teach

Educational Survey of Cleveland “What the Schools Teach and Might Teach”

In his 1915 report, “What the Schools Teach and Might Teach,” Franklin Bobbitt argues that the primary purpose of education is to prepare students for life in the modern world. He identifies three major areas of focus for schools:

• Command of the fundamental skills of reading, writing, and mathematics. Bobbitt argues that these skills are essential for all students to succeed in life, regardless of their future career or social status.
• Knowledge of the major branches of learning. Bobbitt includes history, geography, science, and the arts in this category. He argues that students should have a basic understanding of these subjects in order to be informed citizens and well-rounded individuals.
• Specific skills and knowledge needed for future careers and social roles. Bobbitt argues that schools should also prepare students for their specific future roles in society. This may include vocational training, training for citizenship, or training for homemaking.

Bobbitt then goes on to examine the curriculum of the Cleveland Public Schools and finds that it is not aligned with his goals for education. He argues that the curriculum is too focused on traditional academic subjects and does not adequately prepare students for life in the modern world.

Bobbitt makes a number of recommendations for reforming the Cleveland Public Schools, including:

• Reducing the emphasis on traditional academic subjects and increasing the emphasis on practical subjects such as vocational training, homemaking, and citizenship training.
• Differentiating the curriculum to meet the needs of individual students. Bobbitt argues that not all students need the same education. Some students may need more preparation for college, while others may need more preparation for the workforce.
• Making the curriculum more relevant to the lives of students. Bobbitt argues that students should be learning about the problems and challenges facing the world around them.

Bobbitt's report was highly influential in the development of modern education. His ideas about the purpose of education and the need for a more relevant curriculum are still debated today.

Bobbitt's report was written over 100 years ago, but his ideas about the purpose of education and the need for a relevant curriculum are still relevant today. Schools today face many of the same challenges that Bobbitt identified, including the need to prepare students for a rapidly changing world and the need to differentiate the curriculum to meet the needs of individual students.

Bobbitt's report is also a reminder that education is not just about academic learning. It is also about preparing students for life in the real world. Schools should teach students the skills and knowledge they need to be successful citizens, workers, and family members.