Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-02-28
Government Plans CITIZENSHIP Training

= With the cooperation of the National Mun,cipal
League and other organizations long interested in
the problem of education for citizenship the United
States Bureau of Education is undertaking a c0mpre.
hensive study of the whole problem Of civic educa-
ton. The work will be under the immediate d:rec-
ton of Mr.. Arthur W. Dunn, now of New York, who
made for himself a national reputation some years
ago by his work in this subject in the public schools
Of indianapolis.
In this field of activity the government bureau OF
education hopes to do officially and Systematically
what has heretofore been attempted by a number OF
organizations working Independently. Many civic
associations throughout the United States have been
agitating in behalf Of education for citizenship; valr-
able results have been obtained: and. many com
munities have made important experiments In i'm
proving citizenship through the schools and through
other agencies. The bureau will seek to coordinate
these hitherto separate efforts; to bring cooperation
where independent action has prevailed; to make
know verywhere the results of civic education 50
far accomplished, and to formulate a constructive
plan for definite work in this important field. 3"
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. 1t 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 responsible.
tiles and possibilities of direct instruction in citizen.
ship. ": -~'": ID - -.
F." Present methods Of teaching civics, will be care.
fully Investigated. Whether it Is, sufficient that chill.
dren should know how the president is elected. or
that they should be able to recite the constitution:
to what extent modern social and civic questions
clean streets. pure water, milk supply, fire protec.
tion. means of transportation, cooperation, suffrage,
divorce, etc:-are to be considered. These are the
sort of questions to which the new corps of investi-
gators will have to give some attention.
HI Special effort will be made to report the many
attempts on the part of progressive communities to
In Kansas City, Kan, for example. the chemistry
course in the high school is in effect a course in
practical civics-such things as water and milk an
alysis, with their significance in community life, are
emphasized, and high school students serve in the
municipal laboratories. Cleveland teaches municipa!
problems in the biology course. Indianapolis has a
course in community arithmetic" in the elementary
schools. Vocational education and school hygiene,
both, have civic phases of immense Importance.
These and other practical matters in citizenship
training will be carefully xamined.
In announcing the Bureaus new work, Commits
sioner Claxton points out that in the larger sense
all education Is really education for citizenship; that
not only is citizenship training coextensive with
effective education in general, but that "the final
Justification of public taxation for public education
lies in the training of Young people for citizenship