The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-02-21
GOVERNMENT PLANS CITIZEN.
SHIP TRAINING.

With the cooperation Of the Ma
tional Municipal league and other or
%ganizatlons long Interested in the
problem of education for citizenship.
the United states bureau Of .duca-
tion Is undertaking a comprehensive
study OF the whole problem OF civic
education. The work will be under
the immediate direction of Mr.. Arthur
". Dunn. now Of New York. who
made for himself a national reputa-
ton some years ago by his work on
this subject IN the public schools OF
indianapolis.
In this field Of activity the govern
ment bureau OF education hopes to
do officially and systematically what
has heretofore been attempted by a
number OF organizations working in
dependently. Many c. ic associations
throughout the United States have
been agitating In behalf OF education
for citizenship; valuable results have
been obtained; and many communities
have made important experiments in
Improving citizenship through the
schools md through uti1er aEruciesy
The bureau will seek TO coordinate
these hitherto separate efforts; TO
bring cooperation where Independent
action has prevailed, to make known
everywhere the results OF civic educa-
tion so far accomplished, and to for
mulate a constructive plan FOR def
mite work In his important field.
one OF the most pressing problems
in citizenship education Is that Of
properly equipped teachers. There
are few teachers that have had the
requisite special training. II will be
one Of the vital tasks in the new work
TO find out what can be done TO train
men and women whether already in
the service or just preparing To teach,
for the definite responsibilities and
possibilities OF direct instruction In
citizenship.
Present methods Of teaching civlcs
will be carefully Investigated. Wheth-
er 1t Is sufficient that children should
know how the president Is elected. or
that they should be able to recite the
constitution, 10 what extent modern
social M civic questions-clean
streets, pure water. milk supply. FIRE
protection. means Of transportation.
cooperation, suffrage, divorce. ETC.
are To be considered. These are the
sort Of questions to which the new
corps of investigators will have TO
give some attention.
Special effort viii Toe made TO re-
port the many attempts on the part
of progressive communities 10 give all
school subjects a more definite civic
value In Kansas city. Kan. for ca
ample. the chemistry curse in the
high school ~ In effect a course ia
practical civics-such things as water
and milk analysis, with their signlh-
canoe in community life, are empha-
sized, and high school students serve
in the municipal laboratories Cieve-
land teaches municipal problems Ia
the biology course indianapolis has
a course In community arithmetic
In the elementary schools. Vocation
al education aud school hygiene bafn
aaye civic phases Of immense import
ance. These and other practical mat.
tiers In citizenship training viii be
carefully examined.
In announcing the bureaus new
work Commissioner claxton points.
out that In the larger sense ali edu-
cation Ia really education for citizen
ship; that not only IL citizenship
training co-extensive with effective
education In general but that the
Anal justification Of public taxation.
for public education lies In the train
ms u young people for citizenship.