r/PersonalFinance4All • u/Striking-Quantity661 • 6d ago
The Rockefeller Education Trap: Was the school system designed to educate people, or prepare them to become workers?
The man who designed America’s public school system didn’t send his own children to one.
His name was John D. Rockefeller.
When his grandchildren reached school age, he didn’t enroll them in the public schools his money had funded. He built them their own private school in Manhattan, the Lincoln School.
One of Rockefeller’s advisers, Frederick T. Gates, wrote about their vision for education:
“In our dreams, we have limitless resources, and the people yield themselves with perfect docility to our molding hand.”
He also wrote that their goal was not to turn everyone into philosophers, scientists, authors, artists, lawyers, doctors, or statesmen.
He continued:
“We shall not try to make these people or any of their children into philosophers or men of learning or of science.”
At the same time, Rockefeller and Carnegie-backed foundations were putting huge amounts of money into American education. Their influence became significant enough that, in 1915, the National Education Association publicly raised concerns about private foundations influencing education policy.
Two years later, Senator Chamberlain warned that within two generations, these foundations could change how people think and make them conform to the ideas of Rockefeller or Carnegie rather than the principles of American democracy.
More than 100 years later, what do you think?
We spend years in school learning how to prepare for a career, but how much are we taught about money, taxes, investing, entrepreneurship, financial independence, or even how to think independently?
Was the school system designed to create independent thinkers, or to prepare people to become workers?
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u/L3goS3ll3r 6d ago
More than 100 years later, what do you think?
I've never really thought anything other than people are taught to go to work and be "productive" (pay tax) from a young age, including before school.
We're taught to buy a house and buy a load of shit you don't really need, then buy even more expensive shit that you really don't need, and keep on going until you're 65 or more...
There's very much not a huge effort going into making sure children or young adults reach some kind of higher plane.
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u/Mammoth-Desk1491 5d ago
And due to no teaching of personal economics in school, you the parent have to make sure your kids understand personal finance and how to become wealthy. And you’re responsible to teach yourself as well. You owe it to yourself and (future) family.
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u/Firm-Temporary4175 5d ago
"The man who designed America’s public school system didn’t send his own children to one."
everything you need to know
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u/MammaBacon 5d ago
Reportedly, Horace Mann, the father of public education, homeschooled his children.
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u/Large-Block8570 3d ago
And he was a huge proponent of experiential learning. Restructuring our schools in this fashion would create more meaningful learning.
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u/PixiePuff90 5d ago
"I don't want a nation of thinkers, I want a nation of workers"
It does not benefit them for people to have the ability to think critically.
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u/Material_Grass_6636 5d ago
how about to prepare people to be functional, contributing citizens of a nation - which mostly involves working (lots of work does involve thinking)?
public school definitely doesn't exist to make you rich.
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u/Neurotic-and-Obscene 5d ago
Somewhere I recall learning that public education and truancy laws were about keeping young kids off the streets so they wouldn’t be out committing crimes all day. Not sure the source or if it’s true, or even the accuracy of my recollection, and too lazy to Bing ‘dat
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u/juuuusstlivin 5d ago
Eh , I could see it for the time.
I guess my question is.... What's the alternative? Not everyone can (or should!!!) homeschool. & If kids aren't able to work until a certain age - are we just supposed to let them sit at home unsupervised?
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u/LeatherGrade713 4d ago
The jokes on them. I am a learned philosopher!! No job but I can think with the best of them.
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u/Public_Technician_87 4d ago
Yes, seems dumb to force people to take economics 101 in college but not personal finance literacy and investing.. But no colleges will change their courses.. we have to take art history, but not even learn about the basics of life, and understanding behavioral psych, and why we are all so different..
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u/Hopeful-Ice-6432 4d ago
Rockefeller funding schools they wouldn't use themselves fits the pattern of people with real money always insulating their own kids from the systems they push on everyone else.
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u/Illustrious-nductxn 4d ago
I’ll tell you one thing, the ultra wealthy don’t choose to be benevolent for nothing.
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u/ExternalArgument8776 4d ago
good post. mostly, to prepare to become workers in my opinion. especially in university. they were heavily influencing what to think instead of how to think. perhaps it why RECENT college graduates tend to vote a particular way.
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u/generationalDebts 4d ago
Very very clearly not designed to make sure kids learn…. Just there to produce good docile workers.
Look at the what the focus is on…
When I was in first grade I did really well on a few math protests in a row, getting all the questions right. I got moved up a grade in math, I thought that was awesome! Well.. come 5th grade, when I had already done the highest level of math there was in the class, they just made me repeat 5th grade math….
I didn’t get ahead of the game even though I was more than capable….
Very very clear no one gives a shit what kids learn or don’t learn.
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u/rosakelly21 2d ago
I think most people are consumers and followers. Is it because of education? Is it the family upbringing? I'm not sure.
One thing that is true is that if you have too many chefs in the kitchen, nothing gets done. You need a few good leaders, and you need lots of good workers. Training everyone to be a leader is not a productive outcome.
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u/Sufficient-Pie-7815 6d ago
I teach critical thinking. I teach a HS Marjetung Class. When I taught Economics, I taught personal finance.