In general, people used to believe that education is essential for every person because it allows to reach a wide range of opportunities in the future and determines the way one will live till the end of his/her days. The public school system is the main provider of education in the USA. It is available for everyone, as it is financially supported by the government. Such a system was adopted at the end of the 18th century after the American Revolution. At first, it operated under the parishes and was focused on elementary education. Then common schools appeared. They were meant to teach students reading, writing, and arithmetic. Such an approach was designed by Horace Mann. He also emphasized the value of history and geography. The first normal school was found at the beginning of the 19th century, and soon schooling became compulsory, which also made it federally funded. With time, public secondary and high schools appeared (Applied Research Center para. 7). The government started to underline the necessity for all children to have the education and implemented acts to make it obligatory. However, a lot of representatives of the general public believe that such a view is wrong. Different ideas towards schooling are revealed even by professionals who have teaching experience. For example, Diane Ravitch explores education from a historical point of view. In her work The Essentials of a Good Education, the author focuses on the main tasks of the school. She believes that educational establishments should bring up efficient and conscious citizens who can control their lives (Ravitch 109). Unlike John Taylor Gatto, she is sure that schooling is necessary for everyone. Having worked as a school teacher for about three decades, Gatto concluded that the public school system limits learners’ originality and prevents them from becoming outstanding individuals. Still, even though the schooling system has a range of drawbacks, it is significant in today’s society because it raises conscious citizens, socializes students, preparing them for adult life, and gives basic knowledge needed for identifying personal interests. In her work, Diane Ravitch reveals the connection between the needs of a citizen and the school curriculum. She says that when learning history, children can get to know what people are capable of. They study economics and civics to be aware of their rights and responsibilities. Foreign languages provide an opportunity to cross the boundaries and understand other cultures. Finally, arts prepare students for joyful community activities that socialize them. Professional states that “today, policymakers think of education solely in terms of secondary purposes” of schooling while the primary ones are focused on raising those citizens who are aware of their rights and responsibilities, can strengthen country’s economy and culture and can survive life’s vicissitudes (Ravitch 109). Still, Gatto does not agree with such a point of view. He claims that the USA schooling system does not achieve such goals, it “serves children only incidentally; its real purpose is to turn them into servants” (Gatto 690). The author believes that schools make education a boring routine that is meant to create a standardized cit