What are the purposes of public schools and how they have changed over time and across cultures Who and what should be taught? Who should teach? Who should operate schools? Almost all nations have developed universal, free, primary and secondary school systems. Schools are typically publicly funded and publicly operated, providing citizens with basic literacy and numeracy. Schools are also expected to help produce other outcomes - moral and virtuous human beings, productive workers for the 21st-century global economy, and informed citizens able to participate in national governance. How did this form of education become dominant around the world? The course uses U.S. historical and contemporary debates juxtaposed against those in the UAE and considers the perspectives of teachers, school leaders, and policymakers. Students' own-country perspectives will also be used to compare and contrast public schooling across contexts. The course will conclude with a consideration of whether new technology, demographic shifts, and global economic changes necessitate a fundamental rethinking of the purposes of public education.