Salt Lake Tribune | 1914-03-06 | Page 6 | Miscellany

Miscellany Citizenship Training. ! With tho co-operation of tho National Municipal leaguo and other organizations organiza-tions long interested in the problem of education for citizenship, tho United States bureau of education is undertaking undertak-ing a comprehensive study of tho wholo problem of civic education. The work will bo nndor the immediate direction of Arthur W. Dunu, now of New York, who made for himself a national reputation repu-tation somo years ago by his work on this subject in the public schools of Indianapolis, In this field of activity tho government govern-ment bureau of education hopes to do officially and systematically what has heretofore boon attempted by a number num-ber of organizations working independently. indepen-dently. Many civic associations throughout tho United States have been agitating in behalf of education for citizenship; valuable results have been obtained; and many communities have madc important experiments in improving improv-ing citizenship through the scIiooIb and through other agencies. Tho bureau will Book to co-ordinato theso hithorto soparato efforts: to briug co-operation where independent action has pro-vailed; pro-vailed; to mako known everywhore tho results of civic education so far accomplished; accom-plished; and to formnlato a construc tive plan for definito work in this important im-portant field. 1 Ono of the moat t pressing probloms y in citizenship education is that of prop-urly prop-urly equipped teachers. There avn fcw teachers that, havo had tho requisite special training. It bo ono of the 1 vital f:usk8 in tho nnw work to find out 1 what can be douo to train men and 1 women, whether already in tho service or just preparing to teach, for tho dofi-nit'o dofi-nit'o responsibilities and possibilities of direct instruction in citizenship. i Proscnt mclhodtt of teaching- civicb j will bo carefully investigated, whether it is sufficient 'that children should know bow tho president is oloctod, or that ihnv should bq ablo to recite the constitution; to what extent modoru so- cinl and civic questions clean - streets, pure water, milk supply, firo protection, moans of transportation, co-oporation, suffrage, divorce, otc. are to be con- j 3idercd. Theso arc the sort of ques- tions to which tho now corps of invosti- J aators will have to give some attention. atten-tion. Special effort will be made to report -tho many attempts on tho part of pro- (, gressive communities to give all school J subjocts a more definito civic value. In Kansas City, .Kan., for example, the chemistry course in the high school is , in effect a course in practical civics J such things as water and milk analysis, j with their significance in community life, aro emphasized, and high school students servo in the municipal laboratories. labora-tories. Cleveland teachos municipal 1 probloms in the biology courso. Jndianapoiia nas a conrso in -"community arithmetic" in tho elementary ele-mentary schools. Vocational education and school hygieno both have civic i phases of immense importance Theso ( and other practical mutters in citizen- J ship training will bo carefully examined. exam-ined. In announcing the burcan's now work i Commissioner Claxton points out that ( in the larger souse ail education ia J really education for citizenship; that not only is citizenship training coextensive co-extensive with effective education in j general, but that "the final justifica- ( tion of public taxation for public odu- J cation lips in the training of young poo-plo poo-plo for citizenship;"