171 The Public School System as a Tool of Social Control

In the West, the introduction of public schooling that is required of all students is frequently viewed as a sign of progress because it gave everyone an equal chance to learn, improve one's cognitive abilities, and advance in life. However, not everyone shares this optimistic viewpoint. Rather, a lot of people who have researched the history of public education have concluded that its primary function was, from the beginning, not to educate and inspire but rather to exert social control. This viewpoint was summed up by the great American writer H.L. Mencken: “The most erroneous assumption is that public education aims to educate young people and develop their intelligence. This could not be further from the truth.”