New Britain herald., 1915-07-14
TRAIN CHILDREN
FOR CITIZENSHIP
s.n +s
Work in indianapolis Described
by U. S. Bureau

How one community trains its chill
dren for the responsibilities Of citizen
ship is described in a bulletin just
| issued by the u S. Bureau of Edu-
cation on Civic Education in Ele-
mentary Schools as Illustrated in
| Indianapolis" M
The practice in the Indiana polls
schools" says Arthur w. Dunn, author
of the bulletin, lis to help the pupil
to understand the nature of his own
community life, his dependence upon
it, and his responsibility for it: to
develop right attitude toward gov
eminent as the means by which all
members of the community may co.
operate for the common interest; and
to cultivate habits of right action as
mem Der of the community.
!, Civics Not Taught.
The bulletin emphasizes the fact
that 'tcivics is not taught as a sep
arate subject until the eighth grade,
but that civic education is a phase
Of all the work CT the school. The
aim seems to be to make Of educa-
ton, not process Of instruction in
"a variety Of subjects, but process OF
growth, during which the various re-
lations Of life are unfolded.''
Incidentally it is. pointed out that
there is no subject of ethics or
moral education in the Indianapolis
schools, but the direct moral training
afforded by the course here outlined
is peculiarly virile. So, also. while
there is no attempt to give direct vo-
cation training in the strict sense of
this term nor even any organized
form Of vocational guidance never
theless the fact is always taken into
account that the citizen must be a
worker and the worker citizen
Good Citizenship.
Instruction through the course of
study is, however only part Of the
training for citizenship given in these
schools. An understanding of com
munity life and Of governme de-
clares Mr.. Dunn, rs fruitless without
the cultivation of qualities and habits
of good citizenship. Instruction and
training must go hand in hand. The
latter is largely matter of practice. ! i
Pupil participation in school manage
ment is a very real thing III Indian
apolis, and in some schools it is car
ried to high degree Of effectiveness.
It manifests itself in the method Of
and conducting recitations:
in the care Of school property; in pro-
tecting rights of younger children; in
maintaining the sanitary conditions Of 1
the building and grounds; in beautify-
ing school grounds; in the making or |
repairs and equipment for .tour
school," in fact, in every aspect of the
school life.
Participate INK Civic Life.
In Indianapolis pupil participation
In the government Of the scf1oof leads
into pupil participation in /
the larger civic life Of the community I
OF which the school itself is a part.
Maintaining order on the playground
naturally extends to maintaining orr
der on the streets in the vicinity Of
the school It is common for COM
mittees of older boys to look after
the safety of younger children in
streets near the school So
licitude for the cleanliness and beauty
IF school grounds develops equal
for the cleanliness and
beauty of adjoining streets, all
legs, and vacant lots. School gard
ening quickly stimulates home garden
ing, and whole neighborhoods have
been transformed through the in
fuence of the schools.
Whether the children who are now
undergoing this training for citizen
ship will in reality be efficient citi-
Gems 10 or 20 years hence can not be
foretold, according to Mr.. Dunn. But
he adds: There is apparently ample
evidence that they are better citizens
now: and, moreover, that the present
civic life of the city is appreciabIy
affected by it. Where immediate re-
suits are SO apparent and 50 far
reaching, the effect upon future citi-
zenship should certainly be apprecia-
bIe.''