What Was Education Like in the 1920s?

The 1920s were part of an era in education called the progressive era, which involved student-centered learning and a collectivist focus on using education to help reform society. During this era, more students began attending high school as cities expanded how many schools were available, and there was a focus on secondary education as preparation for college.

Education in the 1920s had the progressivist characteristics of the beliefs that experience was essential for learning and that the teacher should consider each student’s individual interests when it came to subject matter. School was not seen as simply a tool to prepare students for their future careers, but it instead was to help students reach their full potential in life.