Final answer:
Secondary schooling emerged around 1880 to prepare a workforce for the Industrial Age, enabling children to achieve middle-class status through access to better jobs. The school system expanded rapidly, with a curriculum catering to both liberal arts and vocational skills to meet the demands of the industrial economy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Around 1880, the development of secondary school was primarily intended to create workers for the Industrial Age. This level of education became essential as the industrialized world demanded skills that could only be learned in an educational setting. Achieving middle-class status was tightly linked with obtaining jobs that required at least a secondary school education, which in turn became a goal for middle-class parents to secure their children's future. Public school enrollment surged, and by the late 19th century, the number of high schools had grown substantially, offering a curriculum that often included the liberal arts, classical languages, and advanced mathematics. However, there was also a growing movement for vocational education, reflecting the industrial economy's need for technical and trade skills.
Secondary education became a stepping stone for children, especially from the working class, to raise their social status by preparing them for clerical jobs or, in the case of young women, teaching positions. Education reforms in the early 20th century, aimed at curtailing child labor, reinforced the importance of at least completing primary education, further increasing the value of formal education in society. As the number of schools increased, the practice of employing different teachers for each grade and discipline-specific instructors became more common, indicating a more structured and diversified educational system adapting to the needs of an evolving society.