Show our schools The challenge to this country posed by bythe bythe bythe the Soviet Union is not a military and economic one alone It is also an educational educational educational one and the failure of some of us to to actively support better schools is a disturbing sign It will be recalled that President Eisenhower's Eisenhower's Eisenhower's Eis Eis- committee on Education beyond beyond beyond be be- yond high school stated that the gap ber- ber wean this country's educational needs and its educational effort is widening omi omir ominously While we cannot subscribe to the Soviet Soviet Soviet So So- viet way of life and while we do not know how true some of the claims made in Russia Russia Rus Rus- sia sill are it is also true that we cannot hide from the fact that the U U. S S. S S. S It R. R is making making making mak mak- ing tremendous strides strides' in the field of edu edu- cation In the field of science and related courses the Russians are training far more stud students than we are today We do not agree with some of the critics of the U U. S. S school system and we certainly do agree with former Harvard President James Conant that one of the stones atones of our system the tho liberal arts college must be retained However there is much improvement to be made all the way from the grammer school level to the college level Because of various circumstances it seems that the Federal government is handicapped extensively in dealing with the problem Schools are are a local problem in in any event and schools are run by the states or local communities and not by bythe bythe bythe the Federal Nevertheless the task is a sided many-sided one Wp We need to o have whatever constitutional constitutional Federal support that can be beneficially beneficially beneficially bene bene- received and support from state and local governments In brief we need the support of the people to make our schools better schools and to offer our nations nation's children the best possible chance to survive and excell in tomorrows tomorrow's world and to be equipped to cope with whatever challenges they may face We have no specific plan or no organization organization organization or or- in mind We do not propose any specific step in this community However we call to the attention of all citizens that it is time for us to stand for better schools better curriculums and higher standards School officials need our support and if the future of our children is worth the effort and the thought every one of us should make some contribution to a better school system |