Evening journal., 1916-03-09
Overlooked reason
FOR Education
Interesting Article on the
Subject by DR.. Wagner,
Commissioner
THE FUTURE HOLDS
BRIGH T PROSPECTS

In the current number of The Op-
timist there appears an interesting
article on "An Overlooked Reason
For Education" written by DR..
Charles A. Wagner. State Commits
sioner OF Education. of Delaware.
The article follows:
"The Optimist. by reason Of its L
name, is not only under obligation to
express desire and hope for the best,
but also under compulsion to search
out and TO secure the declaration OF
means for the attainment OF better
and best. With the feeling OF this
constraint upon me. ! undertake the
task Of giving expression to an idea
that has been vaguely glimpsed and
incidentally incorporated in our
scheme Of democratic education. but
which at this time seems TO admit Of
more explicit formulation and eX-
preston.
The eXpounders of theories OF edu-
cation for a democracy are all per-
fectly clear IN their demands and ex- !
plicit I'm their statements that educa- /
tion shall ht for citizenship. They |
enumerate with sufficient defniteness |
the interests TO which the citizen must !
be able to respond. the activities in /
which he must be able to participate. /
Any OF the books or magazine arti- |
cles typify such treatment OF the /
problem.
The actual conditions and necessi- !
ties OF life however. enforce need |
and emphasize a demand upon the
democratic citizen which has not been
so fully acknowledged as it might have
been. and has only partly been ad-
mitted and incorporated into the edu-
cational system. The contrast can
probably be definitely pointel out by
reminding readers that some years
ago one of the newest and best books
on educational philosophy appeared
under the title, Education as Adjust
ment" Now by this title, as in most
Of the current discussion OF the prob
lem. il is assumed that i'm passing
through the educative process, the
learner acquires. once for all, that
power to adjust himself to conditions,
or to adapt conditions to himself
which constitutes the PREPARATION for
life Just to state the contrasted
proposition is the purpose Of this con-
tribution TO your columns.
One OF the indisputable and incon-
trovcrtible facts of our life today is
the social and industrial fact that for
many a man and wiman there is the
possibility. and all too often the ac-
tuality, of being destined for the scrap
heap with much OF life still unlived.
The democracy with its free invitation
to invention, free competition to better
oh ~
production. is inducing constant en-
deavor al high pressure TO find shorter
ways newer means, cheaper process
ses. and generally for better products
This effort to heighten speed and TO
shorten time, otherwise known as
progress" or enterprise requires
of anv who would continue useful, not
mere ability 10 be able to make nee
osgarv adjustments when he is ready
20 begin his life work. but il means
also that he hold himself in readiness
all his life long to retain the capacity
10 readiust himself TO new conditions,
as the spirit Of progress comes on
with its irresistible demand. Hence
two reouirements must be met. First,
tbe learner must be put into the at
titude of understanding the fact and
Of putting himself into the spirit OF
readiness to conform. Second edu-
cation and the productive enterprises
must afford means to the worker 10
learn the processes which constitute
the .'improvement' with minimum
loss or inconvenience.
When we correlate these needs and
obligations, we shall see that contin-
nation education is not nearly so
necessary for the person who has ne
elected his chances and now realizes
that fact as it is for the person who
has become dependent upon a ma
chine or process. or a practice that
is being abandoned, to learn the new
way that is taking the place OF the
old Night schools, continuation
schools. extension lectures and
sundry other forms of partial rec
ogpition Of this truth exist. OF course
hut the reason urged in defense ol
them is for the smaller function ol
serving the few rather than the larger
one OF serving the many Although
the illustration has here been made
with industry. it is equally true OF th'
problems OF all kinds that arise in
democracy. where each is continual.
10 form judgments and express them
Not education for life" but "edu
cation during all ones life must b'
the obligation imposed upon the goo'
citizen. The former so-called "edu
Gated classes" recognized this obi
cation, and tried to live up to II