In the United States, this history of free public education was not a given and involved a process of change. In 1820, high school was made free in Massachusetts and it took 100 years for every state to pass laws to make K-12 education compulsory and free (U.S. Department of Education, 2005).

A recent question has arisen in the political arena, "Should Public College Be Free"? At one time, a K-12 education was enough to secure a person with a good job and middle class earnings. Clearly this is no longer the case. Modern society's demands more training, learning and education than a K-12 experience can provide. Should this training and education be free as it was before?

U. S. Department of Education. 2005. "Education in the United States: A Brief Overview" Department of Education https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/edus/overview.doc