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The First Massachusetts School Law
"That old deluder Satan"
1642

When colonists first arrived in America they relied on parents to teach children how to read and write. However, this didn't always prove successful. Massachusetts was the first colony to enact educational reform. Massachusetts officials were concerned that illiteracy, failure to read the Scriptures, and infidelity were overtaking the colony. In 1642, the colony required parents and masters to take responsibility for teaching their children to read and write, their primary text, the Scriptures. Five years later Massachusetts passed the first law requiring communities to establish schools for the instruction of reading and writing.

LAW
"It being one chief project of that old deluder Satan to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures, as in former times by keeping them in an unknown tongue, so in these latter times by persuading from the use of tongues, that so at least the true sense and meaning of the original might be clouded by false glosses of saint-seeming deceivers, that learning may not be buried in the grave of our fathers in the church and commonwealth, the Lord assisting our endeavors.

It is therefore ordered, that every township in this jurisdiction, after the Lord hath increased them to the number of fifty householders, shall then forthwith appoint one within their town to teach all such children as shall resort to him to write and read, whose wages shall be paid either by the parents or masters of such children, or by the inhabitants in general by way of supply, as the major part of those that order the prudentials of the town shall appoint. Provided, those that send their children be not oppressed by paying much more than they can have them taught for in other towns. And it is further ordered, their where any town shall increase to the number of 100 families or householders, they shall set up a grammar school, the master thereof being able to instruct youth so far as they may be fitted for the university. Provided, that if any town neglect the performance hereof above one year, that every such town shall pay five pounds to the next school till they shall perform this order."

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