Massachusetts Was First in the Nation to Make Parents Do This

Massachusetts tops U.S. News & World Report's "10 Most Educated States In America." World Population Review agrees, saying, "Massachusetts is the most educated state in the U.S., with a total score of 81.82."

The site says, "Massachusetts ranks first for education attainment and third for quality of education." It further states that "Massachusetts has the highest percentage of bachelor's degree holders at 43.7% of adults and graduate or professional degree at about 32.4%."

These results are not a coincidence, nor did they happen overnight. Education has been a priority since Massachusetts was a colony in the 17th Century.

According to the Free Speech Center at Tennessee State University, "Massachusetts passed the Old Deluder Satan Act in 1647, laying the basis for public schools in America."

The Center says, "In 1642, Massachusetts had required parents to ensure their children's ability to read, and five years later, in this act, the state-mandated community schooling."

According to the Free Speech Center, "The Puritans valued literacy highly; they believed all individuals should be able to read and interpret the Bible for themselves."

The law required every town with fifty or more families to "hire and maintain a teacher to instruct all children in reading and writing." Towns with 100 or more families were required to maintain a grammar school to "prepare students to attend Harvard College."

Soon, other New England colonies, except Rhode Island, adopted similar measures.

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A January 2023 Boston Globe article says, "Massachusetts has the fifth-best education system in the country for 2023," citing a report from Scholaroo.com. The report says the Massachusetts education system ranked first in student success, fourteenth in student safety, and sixth in student quality.

The commitment to education began in Massachusetts not long after the Pilgrims arrived here from Europe.