The compulsory attendance of children to go to school from the age of six to nineteen in grade thirteen is called the K 12 educational system. Knowing a little about the background of this type of educational system makes it easier to understand its general concept of teaching .
The first grade kindergarten was created by a German philosopher teacher named Friedrich Froebel who wanted to create a place for young children to learn from his guided play and allow them to flourish with their individual minds and early learning. This grade was created long before the K 12 education system was followed and began in the United States around 1856. At that time, education was not yet compulsory nor did all children have access to attend school. Kindergarten was generally taught to the sons of the elite who did not have to work on their family’s farms.
In 1918, the Fisher Act helped formulate the K 12 education that is familiar today. The law initiated recognition of education for children with special needs and raised the age at which children can leave school to fourteen. After the Act, the separate states have separate regulations regarding their education systems. Most of the schooling available after the following years is usually headed by religious communities. In 1925, the Supreme Court allowed the public or private education of children.
After so many years, states have formed their own education departments to handle the education of children. Funding resources were also available from federal, state, and local sources.
The K 12 education system was established by the time the 1950s arrived. Discrimination based on social status became evident by having only the children of the elite allowed to attend school. Some social biases also occurred, as segregation was prevalent in public schools, but it was abolished in 1954.
Since then, the education system has worked for most of all states. And in 2002 the No Child Left Behind campaign approved by then President Bush that allows parents to choose the school to which they will send their children.
Arguably, many parents have found K 12 ineffective in their children’s education and opt for other alternative learning systems such as homeschooling and community schools. Some even have online teaching to educate their children. The only challenge in these alternative options is the educational credits for the children. But surprisingly, the government has become more accommodating of the other learning options as time has passed.
The government has made it possible to provide free education in public schools to children up to grade 12. Private schools are often expensive because parents have to pay the required tuition. Many of the children who attend the K 12 educational system enjoy its benefits in school by bringing out the best in themselves and their abilities. Undoubtedly, the system will change in due time due to the constant changes in the socio-political atmosphere. What we know as now may radically change within a few decades.