Committee of Ten facts for kids
The Committee of Ten was a special group of educators from the National Education Association (NEA) in the United States. They met in 1892 to study American high schools. Their main job was to look at how high schools were teaching students. They also wanted to suggest ways to make education better for the future. They gathered information from teachers across the country. After many meetings, they wrote a report with their ideas.
Why the Committee Was Formed
In the United States, each state handles its own education system. This means that in the late 1800s, high schools were very different from one state to another. Sometimes, even schools in the same state taught different things. This made it hard for students. Colleges often found that students were not ready for their classes.
People started wanting a more standard way of teaching across the country. There were also different ideas about how high schools should teach. Some people thought students should just memorize facts. Others believed in teaching students how to think critically.
Another big question was whether high schools should prepare students only for college or for jobs. Some schools even separated students based on their race or background. But other people wanted all students to have the same courses. There was also a debate between teaching classic subjects like Latin and Greek, or more practical skills. The Committee of Ten was created to help solve these disagreements.
Who Was on the Committee of Ten
The National Education Association formed the Committee of Ten in 1892. Most of the members were leaders from colleges and universities. They also had smaller groups, each with eight to ten members.
Here are some of the main people who led these groups:
- Charles William Eliot, President of Harvard University (the Chairman)
- William T. Harris, Commissioner of Education
- James B. Angell, President of the University of Michigan
- John Tetlow, Head Master of the Girls’ High School in Boston
- James M. Taylor, President of Vassar College
- Oscar D. Robinson, Principal of the High School in Albany, New York
- James H. Baker, President of the University of Colorado
- Richard Henry Jesse, President of the University of Missouri
- James C. Mackenzie, Head Master of the Lawrenceville School
- Henry Churchill King, Professor at Oberlin College
Important Recommendations
The Committee of Ten shared their ideas in a report in 1894. This report answered eleven key questions about education. It also suggested what students should learn in major subjects. These subjects included Latin, Greek, English, other modern languages, mathematics, and science (like physics, chemistry, and astronomy).
The committee suggested that students should have 12 years of schooling. This would include eight years of elementary school followed by four years of high school.
One big question for the committee was about "tracking." This meant teaching different things to students based on what they might do after high school. For example, some students might be planning for college, and others for a job.
The committee strongly disagreed with tracking. They said that "every subject which is taught at all in a secondary school should be taught in the same way and to the same extent to every pupil so long as he pursues it." This means all students should learn the same things in the same way. It shouldn't matter if they are going to college or starting a job.
They believed this approach would make education fair for everyone. It would also make teaching and training new teachers much simpler.
These ideas led to some common practices in high schools today. For example, it became normal to teach English, math, and history or civics every year in high school. The recommendations also helped set up the order for science classes, like teaching chemistry and then physics in later years.
The committee also saw a need for better teachers. They suggested that universities could help train teachers more effectively. They thought universities should offer special courses for teachers. They also suggested lowering costs and helping with travel fees for teachers. The committee also believed that school leaders, like superintendents and principals, should show other teachers how to teach better.
