At the beginning of thenineteenth century, the American educational system was desperately in need o …

At the beginning of the
nineteenth century, the American educational system was desperately in need of
reform. Private schools existed, but only for the very rich. There were very
few public schools because of the strong sentiment that children who would grow
up to be laborers should not “waste” their time on education but should instead
prepare themselves for their life’s work. It was in the face of this public
sentiment that educational reformers set about their task. Horace Mann,
probably the most famous of the reformers, felt that there was no excuse in a
republic for any citizen to be uneducated. As Manager of Education in the state
of Massachusetts from 1837 to 1848, he initiated various changes, which were
soon matched in other school districts around the country. He extended the
school year from five to six months and improved the quality of teachers by
instituting teacher education and raising teacher salaries. Although these
changes did not bring about a sudden improvement in the educational system, they
at least increased public awareness as to the need for a further
strengthening of the system.

Câu hỏi: According to the passage, Horace Mann wanted a better
educational system for Americans because _______ .