Much of the US public educational system is based on the Prussian model, tweaked by Horace Mann, which had the original intention of creating a national identity. Nationalisms can be founded on shared experiences, so schools became a fundamental institution for the creation of citizens.

However, Mann's vision, rendered in an industrial era, drew inspiration from the factory model so prevalent in industry. Factories are an efficient way to scale mass production, so why not apply that mentality to education? This had the interesting corollary of actually better preparing students to work in factories, since they were forged in a factory-like environment. We see this in the rigid bell schedules, compartmentalization of activities and subjects, age-based grade levels, credit requirements, and focus on discipline, hierarchy, and obedience.

Economic historians argue that this was intentionally crafted by the political elite to create better labor for factories, which may or may not be true -- Horace Mann's original vision was definitely focused on citizenship and tolerance, but are those qualities not also desired in factory workers?