Appendix No. 5: On Public Education

Tocqueville and Beaumont give a brief description of the American education system, divided into primary schools and higher education. Whereas colleges are typically subsidized and overseen by the State, primary schools are under the direction of local authorities. The authors use the State of New York to exemplify how public education is both a State and local initiative. After describing the SUNY system of colleges, they give details of the responsibilities of superintendents and commissioners in regulating primary schools in townships. Finally, the authors give some statistics on the financial costs of public education in America that are shared by the State, township, and parents. They conclude by giving an example from the laws of New Haven, CT which enforces parental involvement in children’s education.