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Show Know Your Schools . . . . Schools For The Times ..-.. In the days of the Blue Back Speller, Arithmetic Part Third, and McGuffey's First Reader, young people were prepared in school for life in the kind of society in which they found themselves. them-selves. Many of these schools of a hundred years ago were good schools, too. The concept of free public schools for all children began, in the colonies of the New World and was well established by the time of the American Revolution. The state constitutions provided for educational opportunity as each new territory was admitted to the Union. Children a hundred years ago lived in less complex society than those of today. Agriculture was the principal occupation. Industrial Indus-trial assembly lines were unknown un-known Even books were scarce and newspapers and magazines were never seen in many homes. There were few subjects taught in the schools of long ago. Emphasis Em-phasis was placed upon learning to read rather than reading to learn. The language of the old school readers seems quaint today; to-day; but some of them, like those published by McGuffey, stressed moral values of great importance. The 'chools for other times' performed a great service for our nation. From their classrooms came great American leaders in politics, education, religions, industry in-dustry and science. These schools served a much smaller percentage of children than do the schools of today. School terms were far too brief. Teachers were often poorly prepared. pre-pared. School buildings were often of-ten unsanitary and unsafe. . . All pupils, regardless of ability and interest, were required to pursue the same studies. Education was considered largely a process of acquiring factual information. Complaining voices were often raised against the teachers, the school subjects, and the school- discipline. Many students expressed express-ed their protests by quitting school forever after two or three years of attendance. 'Schools for our times' have many different challenges to meet Education for our times includes thinking as well as knowing. It seeks to build sound ideals and develop useful habits. Its purpose pur-pose is to develop in students the willingness and the ability to do things that contribute to their physical, mental, and spiritual welfare and which are in accord with the best interests of the society so-ciety in which they live. Although the adjustment of the (Continued On Back Page) Know Schools . . . (Continued from page one) educational program .to meet the needs of children began in the schools of yesterday, schools today, to-day, are continuing and intensify- ing their efforts to develop an educational ed-ucational program for all the children of all the people. The most significant development develop-ment in the schools today is the stress on the importance of the individual child. Emphasis upon the individual, requires a study of each child's ability and interest, inter-est, and the adaption of school studies and activities to his needs. For many years the curriculum followed and the methods used were adapted to the average child. This took care of about half of the school enrollment. Schools for our times must provide pro-vide for the one-fourth that are j above average as well as for the one-fourth that are below aver- age. Special opportunities must be available to those who are extremely ex-tremely gifted as well as for those who are seriously handicapped mentally or physically. Schools for our times must conserve con-serve and develop all the talents of all the children. . our most valuable wealth. |