Lester Frank Ward Quote

"The secret of the superiority of state over private education lies in the fact that in the former the teacher is responsible to society ... [T]he result desired by the state is a wholly different one from that desired by parents, guardians, and pupils."

by:	Lester Frank Ward (1841-1913) American botanist, paleontologist, sociologist, first president of the American Sociological Association
Source:	1897
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Categories:	Education, Power, Statism
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This is one scary quote! I believe our current experience tells us that private schools do the better job of educating, but Ward's thrust is elevate the desires of the state , in the name of society, above the wishes of the individuals who make up that society. The end result will be indoctrination which can easily and probably lead to a dictatorship in a very short time. Few will even see it coming.  -- J. B. Wulff, Bristol, CT      2 1
Left to their own parents did not educate their children. They kept them ignorant and on the farm. Slowly most saw the good of the three R's and the better life that it brought. And not knowing about private school, or not being able to afford it, they banned together in communities and hired school marms to teach their kids. Is this what Ward is talking about. We have no "state" education in the Ameridca in which I live we have community schools. What planet is this guy on! The community in some cases teaches a broader range of subjects like science and stuff while the private may teach creationism, voodoo and stuff like that so if that is what he means about responsibility to society maybe he is correct about that part.  -- Waffler, Smith      2 3
The state school's primary goal is indoctricantion. The private school's primary goal is to teach what parents want to be taught. Private schooling, including home schooling, is superior to public schooling in every way that matters.  -- Justin, Elkland      5
We have reading classes in college to teach college students how to read. This is an example of our wonderful public school education. Public schools are more to indoctrinate than to teach.  -- jim k, Austin, Tx      4
"We have no "state" education in the Ameridca in which I live we have community schools." Public schooling is funded by taxes confiscated to pay wages set by union membership working within a state-protected monopoly. You are right, Waffler to say the we do not have state education, we have state daycare. For those of us who have little choice in the matter, be prepared to teach your children everything you want them to know during every spare minute that you have with them.  -- Justin, Elkland      4
Yep, A very, VERY scary anti-altruism implemented to dummy down and enslave free sovereigns, to de-industrialize the greatest wealth producing engine that has ever existed, to facilitate the exchange of a representative republic for a mongrel of democracy / socialism / despotism and all else that is recognized under the banner of tyranny, to dismantle the family (it being the core strength of society), and to hide the Laws of Nature and Nature's God's self evident truths with immoral illusions.  -- Mike, Norwalk      3
That all teachers today, are responsible to society. Through the governing bodies. Because the "state" is governed by greedy people, today; means that this tool of public education is diluted. The taxes that should be directed toward the children, are subverted. That the people in power wish to remain there.So they spare no expense in retaining their power, to the detriment of the kids. That the quote is more appropriate to the time it was said.  -- Jamie, Nelson      2
-- Anonymous, Reston, VA US
Waffler says parents do not know what their children should learn, but the STATE does.  -- cal, lewisville, tx      3
I'm always surprised when I see how vehemently Americans will refuse to give up their guns (and rightly so) but will give their kids minds up for state sponsored training. Odd isn't it?  -- J Carlton, Calgary      2
I did not say that Cal. I said parents don't always care whether the kid can read or write. Society does. So society (the state if you will. that is you and I) mandates that children below the age of 16 or whatever it is be educated. Private schools also must teach a basic curriculum mandated by "us", "the state". "society" choose what ever word you wish As far as society, state or village schools they are as old as the planet or at least the human race..  -- Waffler, Smith      1 2
Gee, Waffler, when making an argument for mandatory state education are we supposed to consider how poor your own education is in the process? How old are you? And yet you do not understand the difference between one and one-million, a person and a group, society and government, 'us' and the 'state'? Groupthink has muddled your brain, Waffler. Get a dictionary. You say, "Left to their own parents did not educate their children. They kept them ignorant and on the farm." Are you just making this up as you go, Waffler? I guess your parents were pretty dumb then. People wouldn't learn to read and write without a truant officer at their door? My parents grew up on the family farm. They learned how to grow food, crops, irrigate, use wind power, build houses, fix engines, hunt, fish, have entertaining and lively conversation, take their goods to market, survive tornados, drive tractors and cars -- grandma would tell one kid to go get a chicken from the coop for dinner, chop off its head and pluck it. Both my parents skipped grades and they and their brothers and sisters all went to college on full scholarships. I inherited great-grandma's old school notebooks from 6th grade single room schoolhouse -- perfect penmanship, perfect grammar, well-read -- you don't see that kind of work today among today's college graduates. And my family reads voraciously. I don't know how they made it without Waffleworld edjukashun. Moreover, they were brought up with a sense of RESPONSIBILITY!! They never got a hand out even when the fields were dry -- they struggled and were no worse for wear. And little by little, funny money and government intrusion made that life almost impossible. Now all we are trained to do is work for corporations pushing paper, counting their profits, and collecting tribute. "But what's wrong with that," Waffler may say, "you can go to Wal-Mart and buy anything you want."  -- E Archer, NYC      7
Which is worse; bad teachers - overpaid with tenure or uncaring parents who couldn't care less ? Home schooling is questionable too. One has to ask - what are the parents qualifications, time and inclination to home school their children? Personally, I would opt for my kids to go to a first class prep school.  -- David, Athens
Lester Ward, Waffler, and Hitler all seem to have the same opinion on education. I sure that's just a coincidence though.  -- Ken, Allyn, WA      2
Obvioulsy Archer I was not talking about your parents or grandparents. There are many multitudes of strories of children who have exceeded the knowledge level and thinking level of their parents. This does not happen by home schooling or by only learning what your parents know. There are millions who have been positively influenced by a village, or city or community school teacher. Again obvvoulsy in Archer's narrow inward looking world of mom/dad grandma/grandpa such a large and wondrous view of the universe and its vast knowledge never occurred.  -- Waffler, Smith      3
David, you're right. Everybody is different. Archer has some phenomenal stories and experience with home schooling. My children have all started college when reaching 15. None have gotten any government grants, student loans or help from me all while maintaining at least 12 units a semester. There are some great private schools out there. I used to have a pre-K through 8th grade Montessori school with great and caring teachers. As to parent qualifications, you can't measure parents by an academia standard. I have a cousin that, might we say was scared of the letters IQ. She is one of the most loving, sweet, caring and innovative people I know. She social networked at libraries, home school associations, the local college, etc., etc. and each of her kids went to college on scholarships. She did all that while always struggling to come up with the next food dollar.  -- Mike, Norwalk      3
Mike, you address something the social planners conveniently ignore -- human dignity. By believing the masses are helpless and without character, they do nothing to support the development of character, integrity, hard work, responsibility. Cats gotta scratch, dogs gotta dig, and humans gotta, too. The social engineers use tried-and-true pychological techniques for brain-washing the masses into being fearful and pliant, and soon you will hear out of the mouths of the people the very thing they have planned for them to say. No dignity because no individuality, no character because nothing to stand for, no morality because no choice. The last thing the unionized education industry wants is for people to discover we don't need them. We might learn something that doesn't keep the delusion going!  -- E Archer, NYC      4
-- BR King, Ogden
Waffler, you are an ignorant liar. U.S. history alone showed that theocratic seminaries (government schools) were not near as plentiful as they are today (home schooling was the norm) and, while promoting the freest land on earth, domestic home schoolers (even on the farm) out did most of the rest of the world.  -- Mike, Norwalk
cal ;-) Waffler is a contradiction in action. In his logic, only State Theologians should have children because they are good obedient chattel, only doing what the other State Theologians with kids tell them what to do ? ? ?  -- Mike, Norwalk
This quote just doesn't make much sense to me, it's nonsense.  -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown

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