Show A t Y m 1 Fundamentals Needed Neede F k rl 1 In Postwar Education I t 3 o Courses Must Be Centered Around Core of Subjects Stressing Human Relations M Physical up Build-up Also Important Aw Y I By BAUKHAGE News Analyst and Commentator Service 1616 Eye Street NW Washington D. D C. C This Is the second of two articles on the new this one In education In a previous column I laid before you the vital need of ot reconverting our educational system i if America is going to meet the challenge of other ideologies to the faith in our democratic institutions I pointed out how poorly many of our occupation occupation occupation tion forces are testifying to their democratic convictions in the face of the geniality of our former ene ene- mies I took you into the office of Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Com Com- missioner of Education John Studebaker Studebaker Stude- Stude baker who pointed out to me how reconverting educationally is as important important important im im- im- im as reconverting industrially if we are going to meet the problems of the day Dr Studebaker said that this could be achieved by making a solid core of education available to alL Such a core would be composed compos composed com com- pos posed d of certain basic studies which educators believe are essential to a solidarity of democratic thought The commissioner of education sees this core as a reinforcement of mental mental mental men men- tal Iron in the moral structure of the thena na nation elation tion When you talk about making this core available to all that is not the complete picture Men like Doctor Studebaker would have this group of basic studies required of an all students students stu stu- stu- stu o dents not Just made available to them And thereby say the traditionalists traditionalists traditionalists tradition tradition- hangs a threat to the Ute elective system under which many institutions institutions institutions of learning have been comfortably comfortably comfortably comfort comfort- ably educating students Under the system of free choice College Joe Joeand Joeand Joeand and College Jane could pick the courses their hearts desired If their hearts desired a little extra sleep in m inthe inthe the thc morning they could pick classes that would not require early rising If U extra-curricular extra activities were particularly heavy one semester they did not have to take economics which was hard when Turkish architecture architecture archi archi- was a snap Too many students have been coming coming coming com com- ing out of our institutions of learning learning learn learn- ing lag without a basic concept of ot what our democracy is all about about say the educators who are crying for recon recon- version II U they dont don't select the courses that will give them that concept concept concept con con- they must be required to take them these same men say the say the future future future fu fu- fu- fu ture of our way of life is at stake Education Vital Force In State It Is a well known fact that before the th N Nazis ever uP dreamed rp mp of nf world ever y 4 n 4 conquest they first restrained by force those who were too old or too wise to accept Nazi indoctrination The more malleable minds of f the young were filled with the false doctrines doctrines doctrines doc doc- trines of ot subordination to the state race hatred and exaltation of might Their other democratic anti-democratic and anti Christian principles were r poured into the youth until there was produced a state in which the controlling element of the population was fanatically loyal to Democracy and Christian principles principles ples pies once instilled can produce just justas as strong a loyalty just as enduring a faith but there is a minimum of instruction in their true meaning that must be made available to everyone ev ev- more more than that that should be required study of f everyone who 55 would be a good citizen This is the first way in which the destructive destructive destructive tive forces which are working against democracy can be arrested And so Doctor Studebaker pre pre- presents the Idea of a core around which which can can be built an understanding understand understand- ing of the Ute whole democratic system how its parts can be fitted Into one another and into a n world which must either be closely integrated or explosively explosively explosively ex ex- antagonistic There Is not space here to consider consid consid- er the details of the composition of this core Two examples of the type of studies which Doctor Studebaker feels are essential and which must must mustI I be taught much more comprehensively comprehensively comprehensively and for fora a longer period than now was given in the first article They are economics and geography There must be basic understandings and skills skins in the field of language By that the commissioner commissioner com corn missioner means the channels by which we communicate and are communicated with with reading reading writ writ- ing listening speaking Since radio broadcasts arc are heard dait daily by multiplied multiplied multiplied multi multi- plied millions critical listening I should be a vital part of the basic educational program Since freedom of or expression is an essential attribute of a democracy citizens need to develop critical thinking in order to evaluate the powerful influence of communication tion and propaganda constantly brought to bear on them War Exposes Academic Weaknesses During the war certain major weaknesses In our educational system system system tem were bluntly exposed Total rejections rejections rejections re re- re- re In the war for tor physical psychiatric and educational reasons have been almost as numerous as the number of men who served in inthe inthe inthe the army overseas We may mayor or ormay ormay may not need our young men to fight another war but regardless of this we need to Improve school programs programs programs pro pro- I grams of health and physical education education education tion including the early discovery of remediable defects detects to be corrected by family physicians and public health agencies A nation that would be strong must be strong cally Military authorities have also found a major weakness in the work of the schools in the failure to require require require re re- re- re quire older students to carry mathematics mathematics mathematics mathe mathe- matics to the point of practical mastery mas mas- tery The natural sciences gained a larger place in the field of education education education tion during the war and they should continue to do so according to Comm Commissioner Commissioner Com Com- m missioner Studebaker No adequate understanding of our civilization is possible without considerable knowledge knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge of ot them Moreover many careers in trade technical professional professional protes- protes and scientific pursues er of ot industry business or agriculture agriculture ture are handicapped without a thorough thorough thorough thor thor- ough scientific groundwork laid in inthe inthe inthe I the elementary and secondary schools and for many continued in inthe inthe inthe the colleges and universities But one of the most basic segments segments segments seg seg- ments of the core in the opinion of Dr Studebaker should be made up of the social studies It is upon this group that we have leaned most heavily in training for responsible citizenship and this must continue con con- History and the other social studies are essential to the grounding ground ground- ing of our citizens in the American tradition of political liberty a knowledge of the structure of our republican form of government and anda a firm attachment to the democratic faith Doctor Studebaker says sas I said that it is the thc belief belie of Important Important important Im Im- im- im educators that a core of this type must become a must in inthe inthe inthe the curricula of the nation thereby casting overboard the traditional elective system whereby a student is given pretty much free choice in what he will study This new approach approach approach ap ap- ap- ap is emphasized in one of the most widely quoted documents of recent recent recent re re- re- re cent publication the Harvard study entitled General Education in a aFree aFree aFree Free Society This work has startled a number of people coming as it does docs from the institution that saw the elective system reach its most extreme form for it recommends recommends recommends mends the abandonment of that tem In this document the chief priest of the elective system points out the weaknesses of that long cher method Of course It Is one thing to set setup setup setup up curricula that will insure the fact that those attending school will get the basic studies It is another to see that these required subjects are made available to nil all Is it possible to produce and democratically distribute dis dis- distribute tribute this basic core to all America America America Amer Amer- ica Not yet That is another must mustin I in the new The expenditures expenditures ex ex- now made on this priceless price price- priceless less commodity are inadequate But ButI I am not dealing here with the fi finances finances fie nances of education That is a subject in itself Suffice it to say that even with greater funds this tilis product as printed blue by the experts experts ex ex- cannot be produced in the existing plants any more than the peacetime models and types of ot Industrial industrial In in- commodities can be produced produced produced pro pro- by machines equipped for walI war wal production Nor is the personnel and the training of that personnel ade ade- I quate |