Nationalism is the love and devotion that an individual has for their country. It is the emotions and values they feel in connecting to their nation and its qualities. Nationalism began to spread in the 19th century, and the national education system has led to its growth and development.
The effects that nationalism has on education are immense. Edward Reisner and Isaac Kandel believed that there are three primary themes present in nationalism. The first theme is the national history that ties a group of people together. This makes the members of a nation feel connected to each other as they share a national identity. Their families have histories that come together to form the history of their nation. This is why public holidays exist. It is a great way of reinforcing nationalism by reminding the members of a nation of their shared history and collective identity.
The second theme at play is the uniqueness it gives to individuals. There are only a specific number of people who can bear claim to a certain national identity and being a part of that nation helps its members have something that makes them different from people from other nations. It also helps people develop their identity as individuals who work and function with other people towards the betterment of their nation.
The last theme is one of geographical territory. People of a nation can identify with a specific geographical region with boundaries that separate it from other geographic locations and can act freely within that territory. This makes people feel responsible for and protective of their national territory. Nationalism is displayed in the educational system and is used to instill nationally accepted values in the students. This is why there are various etiquettes, behavioral norms and ritual ceremonies performed in schools.
