It is said that the best preparation for a child's future begins at school. In the United States, there are many types of schools, ranging from preschools to universities. The first schools were established in what is now the United States in the early 1600s by settlers from Europe. They established private schools to teach reading, writing and religion. In 1636, the Massachusetts Bay Colony founded Harvard College, the first institution of higher learning in the American colonies. In 1647, Massachusetts passed the colonies' first law requiring the establishment of public schools. The law required every town with at least fifty families to open a primary school for all children. Additionally, each town with a hundred or more families was required to create a Latin high school. These secondary schools required instruction in Latin and were taught to prepare boys for university (School). In the 1700s, private secondary schools, called academies, opened in many colonies. They taught accounting, navigation and other practical subjects such as English and Latin. Some academics admitted girls and some institutions admitted only girls. Colonial school buildings were simple log or wood-frame structures. Most buildings had a room with a centrally located stove and a few windows along the walls. They also had wooden desks and benches for students. The first school districts were established in New England in the mid-18th century. The district system did not become widespread until the 1800s (Wagner). The need for public education grew in the United States in the early 1800s. American political leaders, like those in Europe, understood that a nation's economic and social well-being depended on their responsibilities such than truth and justice. Schools also help people learn to appreciate the arts and develop other interests. Schools improve people's knowledge of the world, train them for jobs or careers, and help them adapt to changes in life. The World Book Encyclopedia. 17. United States: Childcraft International, Inc., 1978. Print. Wagner, Tom. How schools are changing. 2nd. Reed Business Information Inc., 1994. Print.Johnson, JA, Collins, HW, Dupuis, VL and Johansen, JH Introduction to the Foundations of American Education, Sixth Edition. Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1985. Butts, RF Public Education in the United States: From Revolution to Reform. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1978. Public Education in the United States. Microsoft® Encarta® 2001 Online Encyclopedia. (http://encarta.msn.com/)