Spencer's Principles

Spencer believed that people in industrialized society needed scientific rather than classical education. Emphasizing education in practical skills, he advocated curriculum featuring lessons in five basic human activities: (1) those needed for self-preservation, such as health, diet, and exercise; (2) those needed to perform on'’s occupation so that a person could earn a living, including the basic skills of reading, writing, computation, and knowledge of the sciences; (3) those needed for parenting, to raise children properly; (4) those needed to participate in society and politics; (5) those needed for leisure and recreation. Spencer's ideas were eagerly accepted in the United States. In 1918 the Cardinal Principles of Secondary Education, a report issued by the National Education Association, used Spencer's list of activities in its recommendations for American education.