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Show Fundamentals Needed In Postwar Education US Courses Must Be Centered Around Core of fyrfjnl Subjects Stressing Human Relations; Physical Build-up Also Important. .fffiC By BAUKIIAGE Neivt Analyil and Commentator. H'XU Service, 1616 Eye Street, N.W., Washington, D. C. (This Is the second of two articles on the "new reconversion," this one in education.) In a previous column I laid before you the vital need of reconverting our educational system 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 occupa-tion forces are 'testifying to their democratic convictions in the face of the geniality of our former enemies. ene-mies. I took you Into the office of Commissioner Com-missioner of Education John Stude-baker Stude-baker who pointed out to me how reconverting educationally is as important im-portant as reconverting industrially if we are going to meet the problems of the day. Dr. Studebnker said that Uils could be achieved by making a solid core of education available to all Such a core would be composed com-posed 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 men-tal iron In the moral structure of the nation. When you talk about making this core available to all, that li not the complete picture. Men like Doctor Studcbaker would have this group of basic studies required of all students, stu-dents, not just made available to them. And thereby, say the traditionalists, tradition-alists, hangs a threat to the elective system under which many Institutions Institu-tions of learning have been comfortably comfort-ably educating students. Under the system of free choice, College Joe and College Jane could pick the courses their hearts desired. If their hearts desired a little extra sleep in the morning, they could pick classes that would not require early rising. 4 If extra-curricular activities were particularly heavy one semester, they did not have to take economics which was hard when Turkish architecture archi-tecture was a snap. Too many students have been coming com-ing out of our Institutions of learning learn-ing without a basic concept of what our democracy is all about, say the educators who are crying for reconversion. recon-version. If they don't select the courses that will give them that concept, con-cept, they must be required to take them, these same men say the future fu-ture of our way of life is at stake. Education Vital Force in Stat It Is a well-known fact that before the Nazis ever dreamed of world conquest they first restrained by force, those who were too old or too wise to accept Nazi Indoctrination. The more malleable minds of the young were filled with the false doctrines doc-trines of subordination to the state, race hatred and exaltation of might. Their other anti-democratic and antl Christian principles were poured Into the youth until there was produced a state in which the controlling element of the population was fanatically loyal to Naziism. Democracy and Christian principles princi-ples once lnstllted can produce just 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 everyonemore ev-eryonemore than that, that should be required study of everyone who would be a good citizen. This Is the first way In which the destructive destruc-tive forces which are working gainst democracy can be arrested. And so Doctor Studcbaker presents pre-sents the Idea of a "core" around which can be built an understanding understand-ing of the whole democratic system; how Its parts can be fitted Into one another and Into a world which must either be closely integrated or explosively ex-plosively antagonistic. There Is not space here to consider consid-er the details of the composition of this core. Two examples of the type of studies which Doctor Studcbaker feels are essential, and which must be taught much more comprehensively comprehen-sively and for a longer period than they are now, was given in the first article. They are economics and geography. There must be basic understandings and skills in the field of language. By that the commissioner com-missioner means the channels by which we communicate and are communicated with reading, writ ing, listening, speaking. Since radio broadcasts are heard daily by multiplied multi-plied millions, critical listening should be a vital part of the basic educational program. Since freedom of expression Is an essential attribute of a democracy, citizens need to develop critical thinking in order to evaluate the powerful influence of communication communica-tion and propaganda constantly brought to bear on them. War Exposes Academic Weaknesses During the war, certain major weaknesses in our educational system sys-tem were bluntly exposed. Total rejections re-jections In the war for physical, psychiatric and educational reasons have becnl almost as numerous as the number of men who served in the army overseas. We may or may not need our young men to fight another war, but regardless of this, we need to Improve school programs pro-grams of health and physical education. educa-tion. Including the early discovery of remediable defects to be corrected by family physicians and public health agencies. A nation that would be strong, must be strung physically. physi-cally. Military authorities have also found a major weakness in the work of the schools in the failure to require re-quire older students to carry mathematics mathe-matics to the point of practical mastery. mas-tery. The natural sciences gained a larger place In the field of education educa-tion during the war, and they should continue to do so, according to Commissioner Com-missioner Studcbaker. No adequate understanding of our civilization Is possible without considerable knowledge knowl-edge of them. Moreover, rrrny c ulcers In trade, technical, professional profes-sional and scientific pui'mius, .. er of industry, business or agriculture, agricul-ture, are handicapped without a thorough thor-ough scientific groundwork, laid In the elementary and secondary schools and for many, continued in the colleges and universities. Out one of the most basic segments seg-ments of the core, in the opinion of Dr. Studcbaker, 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-tinue. History and the other social studies are essential to the grounding ground-ing of our citizens In the American tradition of political liberty, a knowledge of the structure of our republican form of government, and a firm attachment to the democratic faith, Doctor Studcbaker says. I said that it Is the belief of important im-portant educators that a core of this type must become a "must" in 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 ap-proach is emphasized in one of the most widely quoted documents of recent re-cent publication, the Harvard study entitled, "General Education in a Free Society." This work has startled a number of people coming as It docs from the Institution that saw the elective system reach its most extreme form, for It recommends recom-mends the abandonment of that system. sys-tem. In this document, the chief priest of the elective system points out the weaknesses of that long-cherished method. Of course, it Is one thing to set 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 all. Is it possible to produce and democratically distribute dis-tribute this basic core to all America? Amer-ica? Not yet. That Is another must in the new reconversion. The expenditures ex-penditures now made on this priceless price-less commodity are Inadequate. Dut I am not dealing here with the finances fi-nances of education. That is a subject In Itself. Suffice it to say that even with greater funds this product, as blue-printed by the experts, ex-perts, cannot be produced in the existing plants any more than the j peacetime models and types of in-! dustrlal commodities can be produced pro-duced by machines equipped for war ' production. Nor Is the personnel and the training of that personnel adequate. |