American Education System

American Education System
A Comparison of Past and Present Education System
The period between 1860 and 1890 marks important changes both in the social and political aspects. Research shows that the events that followed this period had a significant influence on the education system. The change in the government system in America, following the end of the civil war and the adoption and implementation of the Morrill Act of 1862 saw the opening up of land grant colleges. These colleges were both similar and different to the much popularized liberal art colleges of the time.
A significant common feature in both colleges was male dominance. In the liberal art colleges, the majority of the students belonged to the male sex. These students came from a strong financial background that could afford the high costs of education. A large number of male students in the land grant colleges is associated with the end of the civil war. These colleges provided an opportunity for the ex-soldiers to learn. Additionally, the transition from the conservative laws to federal policies took time, limiting the enrollment of women to these institutions.
According to Geiger and Sorber (2013), the introduction of the land grant colleges led to the adoption of new technical courses, as well as sciences in the curriculum. It was a different turn based on the art courses that characterized the liberal art colleges. Courses such as agriculture were considered significant, fueled with the need to learn ways of utilizing the vast lands acquired at the end of the civil war.

The colleges managed to offer affordable education leading to a significant number of student enrollment. On the other hand, the federal policies significantly influenced women enrollment into institutions of higher education.

References
Geiger, R.L., & Sorber, N.M. (Eds.). (2013). The land-grant colleges and the reshaping of American higher education (vol.1). Piscataway, NJ: Transaction Publishers.