“Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel (or Froebel) (April 21, 1782 – June 21, 1852) was a German pedagogue, a student of Pestalozzi who laid the foundation for modern education based on the recognition that children have unique needs and capabilities. He created the concept of the “kindergarten”, and also coined the word now used in German and English.”

“Friedrich Fröbel opened the first kindergarten on 28 June 1840 to mark the four hundredth anniversary of Gutenberg’s invention of movable type. Fröbel created the name and the term Kindergarten for the Play and Activity Institute, which he had founded in 1837 in the village of Bad Blankenburg.”

“Fröbel’s idea of the kindergarten found appeal, but its spread in Germany was thwarted by the Prussian government, whose education ministry banned it on 7 August 1851 as “atheistic and demagogic” for its alleged “destructive tendencies in the areas of religion and politics”. Other states followed suit.”

Look for entries under KINDERGARTEN, and FRIEDRICH FROBEL

Claims of a connection between the army and state education have often been made (by John Gatto among others) and here’s an interesting write up – http://www.sntp.net/education/school_state_3.htm

David

It’s also about control. the earlier they get children in their system, the more they can instill their indoctrination of the political views.

In fact, kindergarten actually is a word from the Prussian Empire (now part of Germany) where the state basically indoctrinated children into becoming good soldiers and citizens for the state.