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Show EDUCATORS JOIN IN LAVDEFENSE Compulsory education, defective In spot yet with good far outweighing outweigh-ing th bad, cannot be abolished in a democratic system of government. govern-ment. That opinion became rhe consensus consen-sus of Salt Lake City educational experts Friday as th scholastic atmosphere at-mosphere still vibrated under Thursday's assault by United State Diitrict Attorney Dan B. Shield on th existing public school system at a meeting of the Kiwani club. "Compulsory school attendance is a fool thing!" Mr. Shields aaid. "Children incapable of learning impede im-pede th progress of others." Oiarge Denied "Not so!" the educators retorted in effect and some of them spoke with a great deal of vigor. "No bright child is impeded In Salt Lake City or Utah schools. Even the child who learns alowly or hardly at all is entitled to the locializing influence of school work. They can at least be taught to be good citi-xens." citi-xens." Dr. L. John Nuttall Jr.. city auper-intendent auper-intendent of schools, said he wished Mr. Shields could aak each parent of a ao-called backward child if he wished hi offspring denied ichool attendance. tern attempts to capitallz on specific spe-cific ability. It Is true th curriculum curricu-lum is common, but it contains a rich program, and no child, stupid or hriiiint, i-n f.ii to benefit from 1UT. "To .Much Talk" Mr. A. J. Hagen, vie president of the Salt Lake City Council of Parents and Teachers, said succinctly: suc-cinctly: "There's too much of this kind of talk by persons who haven't gone deeply enough into the subject. I wouldn't venture an opinion of Mr. Shields' statement without extensive exten-sive study and personal investigation." investiga-tion." Fred M. Fowler, president of the Salt Lake City Teachers' association, said compulsory school attendance is "on of the inescapabl features of democracy." "There are practical Issue in the administration of a school system which make valueless any offhand expression of opinion," he said. "It is difficult to see how anyone can deny that the general philosophy of compulsory education is perfectly perfect-ly sound. Entitled to Chance) "We could pour all wo hav in education on the exceptionally bright atudent and get a few astonishing as-tonishing results, but what would b th broad benefit? Children slow to learn are entitled to their chance, and the law which gives It to them is an excellent law." Mr. Fowler is coordinator of vocational vo-cational center councila. "What really conatitutes a bright mind is a lot of knowledge, not flashy aptitude In learning a little." Dr. Nuttall observed. "I maintain that each child ia entitled to the advantage ad-vantage of our achool aystem, which Mr. Shield would find If he looked into the matter, has pro-greased pro-greased and Improved Immensely in the last few years. "No sdvancement Is denied the bright child. Nothing can stay the mental development of the smart boy or girt As for the dullsrda we must give them aa much as they can receive. To them school attendance at-tendance at least Is training in social so-cial adjuatment, and, despite Mr. Shields' generalization, they do learn much of highest value." Juatifle Law A. E. Arnesen, superintendent of research for the city achool aystem, looked back on the experience of many generations to Justify compulsory com-pulsory attendance. "It is the law," he aaid, "and it Is a good law. If th duller students are not required to attend school, what is to become of them? Even the dullest can be taught some occupation. oc-cupation. "Mr. Shields' statement that backward back-ward children impede those capable of awift advancement seems to me highly immoderate. Our school sys- j |