Elite Knowledge for the Masses: The Origins and Spread of Mathematics and Science Education in National Curricula

Abstract

This article examines how and why mathematics and science became universally required, core components of official elementary and secondary school curricula worldwide. Based on a broad analysis of historical documents and official curricular timetables, it discusses the introduction and growth of these school subjects since the 1800s. While math-related subjects became required in most national school curricula relatively early in the nineteenth century, the introduction of scientific subjects provoked prolonged and highly charged debates in many countries. By World War I, however, both subjects had become ubiquitous features of official school curricula. Since then, emphasis on mathematics and the sciences has increased throughout the world. Contrary to widely held assumptions, national characteristics are weak predictors of variations in official instructional time devoted to mathematics and science education.