Focus on U.S. immigration and U.S. education: The United States is a major educational power and a stronghold of education. Discussing U.S. education is a complex issue; due to the cultural diversity of the United States, education is also diverse. The U.S. does not have a unified national education system, and each of the fifty states has its own distinct educational system.
Immigration experts believe that the mainstream educational philosophy of a country and society will shape its educational practices and systems. There are many factors that influence U.S. education and shape its current educational system and landscape, but I believe the most profound factor is the educational philosophy. This educational philosophy is not merely a theoretical system about education proposed by educators and theorists, nor is it just something written on paper or documents; it is an educational philosophy accepted and followed by the U.S. government, political parties, and all members of society, deeply ingrained in the minds of almost everyone, characterized by its universality, depth, and practicality.
Americans believe that regardless of one's circumstances, there are two things that must be done throughout life: one is to receive an education, and the other is to embrace a new religion. Education and religion run parallel; both are equally important.
The American emphasis on education has reached a level of devotion comparable to that of religious faith. In 1620, the earliest European immigrants arrived in America aboard the "Mayflower," landing at Plymouth in present-day Boston, Massachusetts.
Today, a stone at the landing site bears the inscription "1620," commemorating this significant event. Life for those early immigrants was extremely difficult, but from 1620 onward, they established schools and began teaching locally, founding Harvard University in 1636. Thus, Harvard's faculty and students proudly assert that America is insignificant; Harvard came first, and then America followed. After European immigrants arrived in America, they would always do three things first:
First, they built churches. Most of these immigrants were Protestant dissenters fleeing religious persecution in Europe, and building a church was their foremost task. They believed that with a church, people's spirits would have a home, and they would have a spiritual sanctuary.
Second, they built schools. They believed that schools are the source of enlightenment and the necessary path for a person to transition from barbarism to civilization; education can eliminate many of the flaws inherent in human nature.
Third, they built post offices, which served as a bridge to connect with the outside world. In the past, post offices were a valuable tool for people to connect with and understand the outside world. This philosophy had already taken deep root in the populace a century and a half before the birth of the United States.
Education and religion are both belief systems that have had a significant impact on American education. As a result, the government and the public view education not merely as an activity pursued for purely utilitarian purposes; people approach education with a religious-like devotion.