Education in the construction of national identity: a historical and theoretical analysis

Abstract

The article investigates how education has been crucial in the formation and consolidation of national identity since the Modern Era. Using an exploratory research methodology, the study analyzes historical, theoretical, and empirical sources to understand the relationship between education and state-building. Initially dominated by the Church, education was centralized by the State from the 18th century onwards to promote national identity and social cohesion. In colonial contexts, modern schooling was used to shape the workforce and disseminate colonial values. With the emergence of nation-states, public education became a tool for modernization, development, and globalization. The study concludes that public schooling was fundamental for the construction of state sovereignty and the formation of citizens aligned with state ideals. Curriculum standardization and teacher training ensured social cohesion and the integration of the popular masses into the social structure. Public education emerged as a central institution in the architecture of the modern state, playing a multifaceted role in the formation of citizens and the consolidation of social order. Schooling not only transmitted knowledge but also functioned as a strategic instrument of social control, essential for the stability and progress of modern nations.