The Ascent of the Education State in Europe

Abstract

The constitution of the German state (Seckendorff, 1656) declares that elementary schools should be available everywhere and should be entered at the age of five. High schools should encourage parents and children, especially those of lower-class descent, to enrol and stay there as long as possible. At the university level, the number of graduates should be significantly increased to serve the rising demand for academics in modern society. Stipends and scholarships, funded by state tax revenues, should be available to cover the expenditures of students in financial need. In addition, students are encouraged to study abroad. Degrees are recognized across Europe. These issues and aims of the constitution will sound familiar to the reader, and will find approval by Europe’s modern citizens, although this (not enacted) constitution was written and published in 1656. The basic ideas of social integration through human capital investment, credential meritocracy, and cultural improvement at the national and European level can be traced back for centuries. Is ‘there […] nothing new under the sun’ (Bible, Ecclesiastes 1:10)?