Education between 1864-1916, when students were required to recite lessons and articles, they were not learning important critical thinking skills. Teachers had complete authority. Students in poverty only learned the basics that allowed them to understand what their country expected of them. They weren't gaining the skills necessary to change that country into something better. It seemed as though learning enough information to go to work was enough.
The changing ideas that came between 1916-1983 made it possible for more people to become further educated. Educators still had a difficult time letting go of some control they had over students. Their 'toe-the-line' idea gives the impression that students were machines instead of free thinkers. The change to teach higher order thinking skills came closer to the end of the 1900s.
We still have many issues to work out with the roles of students and teachers...and how to balance those roles in a classroom.
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I completely agree with you that before 1916 students were simply in school to copy and listen to what the teacher or main authority figure taught them. They were not able to even think on their own. I'm glad that today we are teaching students to analyze and actually think about the literature they ar reading. I'm sure the English classroom still has a long way to go, but we have come a long way from the time of recitation learning. Thank goodness we are not there anymore!
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