El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-06
SCHOOL
TO BE SOCIAL
CENTER
National Educational Asso-
citation Plans Health Cru
SADIE in the School.
VAST WORK FOR THE
NATIONS EDUCATORS
CBy Frederic J. HaskIn.l


nuaI convention of the National Edu-
cation association is now being held
in Chicago. The annual session Of
this powerful organization constitutes
the eliminating event Of each year in
the educational world. 1t brings to-
gether the men and women who are
the leaders in educational progress,
and they exchange ideas, learn from
one another, and all take home the
sum of their several contributions The
proceedings Of the conventions of the
y. L. A are published in large 1900
page annual volumes, known as the
Addresses and Proceedings of the
National Education association"
The present convention is one of IN
usual interest More than so, 600 edu-
Gators have gathered for the meeting,
and the program laid out for the sew
eral sessions calls for a discussion OF
all the questions foremost in the edu-
cational situation. There will be con-
siderations Of the high school problem,
how to bring the benefits of high
school education within the reach of q
greater number of boys and girls the
problem Of using the public school as
a rallying ground for the public health
crusade will be considered from every
vantage point; rural life and rural ed
ucatiOn, how 70 make the latter fill
the needs Of the former. viii claim
its share of attention; while many
men and women who nave been labor
ing in sac direction Of making the
rural school the social and civic cen
ter of the community viii tell Of the
results achieved ard the prospects OF
the future.
An Era of Expansion.
The past decade has been one Of IN
precedented expansion in educational
lines under the leadership Of the y.
E A Thousands Of teachers now are
making teaching their life work IN
stead of a mere stepping stone to some
~e- II q
building new normal schools and re-
curing higher standards Of teaching
qualifications newer and better
courses are being laid out in both
rural and urban schools, courses ut
ted to the needs of the public who
attend those schools; industrial train
ing is being made possible in hun
dreds of communities where 1T was I'M
heard of a decade ago; the health OF
the children of the country is being
made a prime consideration in their
education; medical inspection IS being
provided, and everywhere one may see
evidences that out of chaotic mix
ture of primitive educational ideas the
American people are evolving sys-
TEN which promises ultimately to meet
the needs of great republic where a
discriminating electorate is the great
est asset It may possibly nave.
And yet one can but look at the
story OF the present status Of education
in the United States to appreciate what
a vast work is before the educators
of the country If the things they de-
sire to bring about shall come 10 pass.
1t is estimated, for instance that
more than half of the million teachers
in the United States are under p
years Of age-Which precludeS the
presence of ripe experience from nan
the schools. Half of the teachers Of
the country have not taught more
than four terms, and at least fourth
of them Will teach their first session
next winter. The average teacher
leaves the profession after four years
Half of all the teachers have only a
high school education, or even less
Furthermore, the statistics Of educa-
ton show that while there are twenty
five million children OF SchooI
age in the United States, less than
twenty million Of them go TO School,
and only fourteen million Of them are
- school on the average day. A.
cording to P P Claxton, United Statea
commissioner Of education, more than
half of the children of the country
must look to the rural school for their
education and training for citizenship.
He considers the problem of adjusting
these schools to the needs OF the coun-
try as the greatest of the educational
world today. He would make these
schools instrumental in awakening the
children who attend them to the posi-
bilities Of farm life He finds that
the child who lives among butter
the plants around him than the child
whose playground at home IS around
an alley stOOp, but who, thanks to
city educational systems, IS able 10
study nature under a competent In
structor. How to change these things
and to make the rural school what It
should be is one OF the problems with
which the National Education assCcla-
ton long has been wrestling DR..
Claxton will be on hand to tell Of his
Toe 1E IA
HAS Il Departments.
The \. Z. A has II departments,
which deal with as many different
classes of educational problems. The
first of these is the Department of
SuDerintendence, a department of such
importance that 1t meets on dlfterent
date from the association ITSELF IN
order that its work may be out OF
the way when the big convention con-
venes 1t is composed of all those
who are directing heads Of education
in their respective communities. The
second department is known as the
National Council Of Education, ( sort
of supreme court Of education This
is a continuing body of l2O members,
20 being chosen each y5ar. the term
Of each being six years. OF the 20
annually selected. 10 are chosen oy TIE
council itself. while the orher 10 are
CHOSEN by the board Of directors q
the " E. A
other departments are devoted to
Bindergarten work, elementary educa-
ton. secondary, higher, normal school,
manual training and art, music, busl-
ness, child hygiene, physical education,
science school administration special
education, school patrons and agricul-
tural and rural schools. Each year all
Of these departments meet and make
reports to the general organization, ana
out Of these there is formulated
series of declarations which const-
tute the annual platform upon which
the y. Z. A. appeals for educational
progress At the last annual meeting
one of these declarations was In favor
of suitable ethical instruction in the
schools, and another for the technical
training of women capable of enter
ing the vocational trades.
DavenpOrt's Case.
Sometimes the sessions Of the asso-
citation furnish illustrations of how
the wings Of budding genius are
cIipped by teachers who have not the
instinct to recognize it The case OF
the late Homer Davenport was men
toned by a speaker at the last con-
ventiOn. He said that Davenport once
said to him that his success as car
tOonist was attained in spite of the
public schools rather than because OF
them. Wien Ic Was in school he was
punished for very funny pictures he