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Show PUBLIC SCHOOLS MUST MEET NEW CONDITIONS. That the public schools must assume as-sume the burden of meeting the changing conditions that are being-brought being-brought about in modern times, when the influenceof the home and the church is being replaced by the newspaper, news-paper, the motion picture, the radio and similar factors, was the belief expressed by ,Wm. John Cooper, commissioner com-missioner of education, in a recent address made in Philadelphia, He said in part: There is a tendency to place more responsibility on the school and many educators are believing that the good .of society requires that the school assume this responsibility. The best statement of the situation which we have in this country is to be found in the proceedings of the White House Conference. In brief, its conclusions are that the school must do more than has been done in the past and that the hands of parents must be strengthened, not weakened. The first step required in cooperation coopera-tion of any kind is mutual understanding. under-standing. On the part of a school this requires much more knowledge about the children who come to the school than has been gathered heretofore. Emotional differences which involve mental hygiene in the complete education edu-cation of children are not now receiving receiv-ing attention. But it can hardly be asserted that mental hygiene is anywhere any-where a regular part of the educa-tonal educa-tonal program. The Comrnissioner lauded the work done by parentteacher associations and urged that parents thoroughly familiarize themselves with the schools which their children attend and lend their aid in support of these institutions. I |
