Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1915-07-23
Every Child n Citizen.

How one community trains its chill
dren for the responsibilities of citi-
zenship is described in bulletin Just
issued by the U. S. Bureau of Educa-
ton on Civic Education in Elemen-
tary Schools as Illustrated in India
napolis."
"Ihc practice in the Indianapolis
schools" says Arthur w. Dunn, au-
thor of the bulletin, ais to help the
pupil to understand the nature of his
own community life, his dependence
upon it, and his responsibility for it,;
to develop Il right attitude toward
government as means by which all
members of the community may Co
operate for the common interest; and
to cultivate habits OF right action as
Il member Of the commln. y."
The bulletin emphasize the fact
that "civics is not laugh. . = sepa-
rate subject until the eiyl Il Grade.
but that civic education is :; rhase of
all work of the school. The nj 3 seems
to be to make of education. not a pro
cess of instruction in Il variety Of sab
Jects, but process of growth, dur
ing which the various relations Of life
are unfolded."
incidentally it is pointcG 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-
e1t t,.ut h.. A.
this term, nor even any organized
form of vocational guidance never
thclcss the fact is always taken into
account that the citizen must be a
worker and the worker Il citizen"
instruction through the course of
study is, however. only Il part of the
training for citizenship given i'm these
schools. "An understanding of com
munity life and of government" de
clares Mr.. Dunn, ais fruitless without
the cultivation of qualities and habits
of good citizenship. instruction and
training must 20 hand in hand. The
latter is largely Il matter of prac-
tice." Pupil participation in school
management is Il very real thing in
indianapolis, and in some schools it
is carried to a high degree of effect
iveness. 1t manifests itself in the
method of preparing and conducting
rccitations; in the care of school prop
erty; in protecting the rights of the
younger children; in maintaining the
sanitary conditions of the building
and grounds; in identifying school
grounds; in the making of repairs and
equipment for "our school," in fact.
in every aspect of the school life.
In indianapolis pupil participation
in the government OF the school leads
naturally into pupil participation in
the larger civic life of the community
of which the school itself is a part.
Maintaining order on the playground
naturally extends to maintaining or
der on the streets in the vicinity OF
the school. 1t is common for commit
tees of older boys to look after the
safety of younger children in crossing
streets near the school. Solicitude fol
the cleanliness and beauty of adjoin-
ing streets, alleys, and vacant lots
School gardening quickly stimulate,
home gardening, and whole ncighbor,
| iioNN' navy 'ttii u liCNl
the influence of the schools.
Whether the children who are now
undergoing this training for citizen
ship will in reality he efficient citi
zcnS ~ or 20 years hence cannot b,
ifcrc;o.d. according to Mr.. Dunn. Bu
he adds: There is apparently ampl,
evidence that they are better citi
zens now; and, moreover, that tn,
present civic life Of the city is appre
ciably affected by it. Where immc
diate results are so apparent and $,
far-reaching, the effect upon futur,
citiznship should certainly he appre
cable