Mass Schooling for State Control

Agustina S. Paglayan’s book argues governments adopted mass education primarily to produce obedient citizens, not to expand autonomy. She cites the timing of adoption, the rhetoric that persuaded rulers, and the training/directives given to teachers as evidence of an indoctrination aim. This challenges the romantic story of schooling as a pure emancipation project. — It reframes education policy debates by suggesting centralization and curriculum battles are features of state power, not bugs, with implications for governance, school choice, and civic formation.