The Prescott daily news., 1916-11-27
SOCIAL STUDIES IN HIGH ' SCHOOLS.

,.r citizenship ana Iile iie0'
 , .irls as growing citizens is told
 'l' 7 !, Ie report on the Social Studies e: in
 .darv % Education just published
 '''I Snllstin of the United States Blu
 ',,p s of the Department Of the h.
 'ir rs;. report is the first to appear or
 .,. final reports of the Commission on
 V, V. poorganization of Secondary Edu-
 .,;or which was appointed in 1912
 sa ,' ,he National Education Associa-
 ~, The commission, organized in
 ', committees which include in their
 ,nbersbip more than POO superin-
 ,,ndents, principals and teachers rep
 ,,.pntrg nearly all the States of the
 lr,ion has been at work continuously
 srce it's appointment. The report on
 ,,eia studies comprises a six-year
 ,ngram, embracing the work of the
 .svsntb and eighth grades and that of
 ,hs Dresent four-year high school.
 While the eivic-educational value of
 .n the social studies (such as his
 ,Orv government, economies, and geo.
 caphy) is kept in the foreground of
 the report especial emphasis is given
 h organized civics instruction, of the
 community civics" type, in the eighth
 and ninth years The fact is empha- sized, however, that the pupil is d member not only of a local commun- iy, but also of a national community. 1t would be ineXpresslbly unfortunate f the study of local community life and relations should supplant study of national life and national civic re- ations, The two aspects of civic life should clearly supplement each other.
 Questions of health, of edu- cation, of industry can no longer be considered in their local bearings alone but must be dealt with in the light of national policy and to the end Of national efficiency "
 Other topics dealt with in Part II oi the report are the civic relations of vocational life, the adaptation of civ 
 lcs to rural conditions, and the rela- ton of clvics to history. In connec- ton with the first of these topics it is said that the chief purpose should be 'the development of an appreciation or the social significance of all work; 0l the social value and interdepend- ence Of all occupations; of the social responsibility of the worker, not only TOT the character of his work, but for 'ne use of its fruits; of the opportuni- ues and necessity for good citizenship III vocational life; of the duty of the community to the worker; of the ne- 'eSSl'y Tor social control, government 'i ana otherwise, of the economic ac- '''''es or the community; and of the f''' that government actually plays Ill regulating the economic life of the 'Oumuhlty and of the individual"
 , For the last year of the high school Ie report proposes a concrete study VI Wi. problems of democracy" "These r.' r,OO'ems Will naturally vary from t'ar i to year, and from class to class o' a@' 'ney should be selected on the :, s'VuHu ~ U of their immediate interest w :" lie class, and (2) of their vital i'm. pS''Snce ~ to society,"" "The purpose <, ;a. secondary education and not the If t '' value of any particular body ;n. ""0"ledge should be the determin- Ds consideration * r. ;s for ,on., w important that the adolescent Oa'., ,0asu Shocld acquire a comprehensive ,.;. use or any or all of the social ,i,' S'ences than it is that he shonld he ,bsor,. experience and practice in the ,e on.oh "''oh Of social phenomena as ron'l, 1o0nters them; that he should be oo;a1 s"' to understand that every Isr' Ss,aI problem is many-sided and com. ,Ia, sbi, and !, that he should acquire the DIr ol forming social judgments Ids,eti i5s oa the basis of dispassionate con bis ','On of all the facts available. ' do,r can best be accomplished s.v psalng with actual situations as ,s iee ,s Uecur and by drafting into ser ,ieDaa' Dae materials of all the socin, IOronah as occasion demands for a on, a'ish ie understanding of the situa. apda,d, s " of the report deals with le us nrau by which to test methods, ,aiIshap.a Ipihtparatlon of teachers. and the
 'y or text materials.