a scapegoat (the church) to blame for the lack of food and money. Then to add fuel to the fire, the printing press was invented. This allowed the people to see the bible for themselves, a book which was before only held in the hands of the church. People could interpret the book for themselves, and didn’t need the church or it’s priests as much as they used to. Religion was the only kind of education until then, as people started to try and see the world in a more secular sense. This was the beginning of the end of education and religion being tied so closely together. The church lost a lot of power, as the bible became the ultimate authority replacing the pope and the priests. Around this time, universal education started. Universal education is the system in which everyone, even commoners, have the right to a basic elementary education. Martin Luther also introduced other new ideas concerning education, such as state controlled curriculum, teacher certification, and finances. He also believed in vocational and higher education being made available for everyone, not just the wealthy or elite. The next great development in the Religion/Education relationship came around the time of the population of North America by the Europeans. There were three major colonies in the territory that is now the U.S.: the North, Middle and South colonies. Each took to education in a different manner. The Northern colonies formed a theocratic government, as the people were of similar religion and ethnicity. Universal education was upheld, as schools were paid for by subscription, or church taxes. This meant the curriculum was Christianity-based, just as in England before. Communities with 50 households were made to establish a school (Old Deluder Satan Law of 1647) and truancy was enforced upon. The Middle Colonies had a lot more diversity, and religion played less of a role in the education system. The South Colonies had a lot o...
