Many Children Left Behind

Thomas Jefferson's opinion on the importance of education is understood by reading the engraving on his tombstone, "Here was buried Thomas Jefferson/ Author of the Declaration of American Independence/ The Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom/ And Father of the University of Virginia" (Hollis). For such an experienced man to choose only these three accomplishments to appear on his tombstone (all of them being intellectual achievements) shows that he must have placed the most importance on his successes achieved as a result of his education. Since those accomplishments have helped him earn the respect of both his contemporaries and modern-day Americans, it is valuable to consider his opinions on how the future generations of America should be educated.

Made evident in his Notes on Virginia, Jefferson believed that it was important to "diffuse knowledge more generally through the mass of the people," and that the best way to do this was through educating young Americans in reading, writing, and arithmetic in small, county schools (p. 195). He wrote that "every person [is] entitled to send their children three years gratis, and as much longer as they please, paying for it" (p. 196). He even described something that seems like a combination of the modern concepts of merit and need-based scholarships: "A visitor is annually to chuse the boy, of best genius in the school, of those whose parents are too poor to give them further education, and to send him forward to one of the grammar schools" (p. 196). However, this policy means that poor children can only gain an education if they are the most intelligent pupil in their school. Only one child can score the highest on a test or be the teacher's favorite, so many other equally-intelligent children would be unable to receive higher education.

Therefore, while it seemed at first that Jefferson's idea of providing education to every child really meant every child, it slowly became evident that he was talking about every highly intelligent or wealthy malechild. "Those whom either the wealth of their parents or the adoption of the state shall destine to higher degrees of learning, will go on to grammar schools" (p. 197). There is also no mention of the possibility of a female being the most intelligent child in a county; Jefferson's plan for formal education seems to leave out females completely. Instead of having a progressive plan for education, it becomes evident that most elements of Jefferson's view are in line with the attitude of the elite.

He felt that a select few (ten boys per state) should be "well taught in Greek, Latin, geography, and the higher branches of arithmetic" (p. 197). The most worthy children would also be taught "useful facts from Grecian, Roman, European, and American history" (p. 197). Jefferson believed that this plan would insure that "the genuisses will be raked from the rubbish annually" (p. 196).

Even though most of his views on education are in line with dated elitist thought, Jefferson explains his rather modern view that it is not proper to require that children learn "the Bible and Testament," because they are "at an age when their judgments are not sufficiently matured for religious inquiries" (p. 197). However, Jefferson did feel that it was important to instill the "first elements of morality" into the minds of children. He recommends that children should be made to understand the following about life: "Teach them how to work out their own greatest happiness by shewing them that it does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed them, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits (p. 197)."

Interestingly, this quote is in direct disagreement with his concept of "raking the geniuses from the rubbish" (p. 196). While here he states that the "condition of life in which chance has placed" someone does not determine their quality of life, he had just finished arguing that poor children should only receive schooling if they are the most intelligent in their school. It seems that while Jefferson is standing on the cusp of progressive thinking, he is ultimately in accord with the typical attitude of the elite.

Since Jefferson died in 1826, it is no surprise that some of his views on education may rub the modern-day reader the wrong way. One such instance is in the case of his failure to mention female children in his discussion of formal education. In a letter to his daughter, Martha, he prescribes a structured regiment for her to follow, including the practice of music, drawing, dancing, reading French, writing letters, and reading English (p. 366). It seems that although Jefferson viewed the well-rounded education of male children as crucial to the future of America, he thought that females need only learn ornamental tidbits that would make them desirable wives for the educated men.

In conclusion, although Jefferson's opinions on education seem modern upon initial examination, closer inspection reveals that they are little more than the typical elitist attitude with a little tweaking. His failure to recognize the importance of educated females for the future of America is a tremendous lack of foresight that cannot be ignored.

Works Cited

Hollis, Christopher. "Image of Jefferson's Gravestone: Wdwic Pictures." Hollis Innovations. 01 JUL 2001. 8 Mar 2008 .

Jefferson, Thomas. "Letters." The Portable Thomas Jefferson. Ed. Merrill D. Peterson. New York: Penguin Books, 1975. p. 349-585.

Jefferson, Thomas. "Notes on the State of Virginia." The Portable Thomas Jefferson. Ed. Merrill D. Peterson. New York: Penguin Books, 1975. p. 29- 233.