New-York tribune., 1918-01-04

70 the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: The teachers in the high schools of
New York City are loyal public servants hold
irg right beliefs and teaching these beliefs
courageously. They have made their beliefs
effective moreover, by translatng them into
deeds. Teachers and pupils alike In each one
Of New York's high schools have dedicated
themselves whole -heartedly to war service,
and have thus constituted themselves pow
erful unit on our first line Of civic defence.
This war service has become a habit-it finds
expression in almost every phase of prepara-
tory war work-farm cadet employment, food
conservation, Liberty bond and war saving
stamp sales, Red Cross membership donation
of ambuances, care of orphans, military
training, and even to notable degree in
actual enlistment of teachers and pupils in
the military service The outgoing Board of
Education has declared emphaticaly that only
the highest ideals of good citizenship can be
tolerated in the schools-ideals that count as
most worth while, the spirit of personal self
cffacement and sacrifice and determination to
help the government win the war
Has the time not come for the high schools
of New York to mobilize their efforts? Under
the enlightened leadership Of the newly
appointed Board Of Education let them adopt
and make effective forthwith consistent and
unified programme of practical war work, in
which initiative from within and without shall
be encouraged and organized and in which
there shall be standardized methods and CEN
tralized supervision. Our high schools must
FIRST Of all remain true to themselves-ther
teaching programme must continue to run
smoothly, with minimum Of nterferences.
But with work properly co0rdinated with
teaching each school might extend its influ-
ence into the community, bringing its advsn-
tages to adults we'll to children. A
strongly centralized educational and creative
activity such as this that shall develop and
keep alive among all people an adequate pub
lie opinion for the war and determined
will to win it in this sober hour is Americas
greatest need.
Lessons on the War
The high schools can be mustered into war
service with slight departure from accustomed
routine. Let the daily programme be arranged
to provide time for lessons on the war. Let
some part of each general assembly be de-
voted to inspiring talks by principal, teachers
and pupils, and by persons in public service
ard especially by uniformed members of our
military forces. Let facts, unclaborated,
be received regularly and made available in
written printed form. Information may be
obtained from the National Security League,
the American Defence Society, the Vigilantes,
newspaper and magazine correspondence and
from governmental bureaus. This material
not only should be presented to the pupils,
but should be read by parents and others
ir the home circle. Location and personnel
of land and sea forces (in far as such infor-
rnation may be authorized), organization and
progress of war and relief activities, and gov
ernment procamatlons should be portrayed
on maps and charts and should be fully illu1k
trated by reproductions of photographs. In
each schoolhouse there should be war
bulletin board centrally located, where all
may and read.
Through the pupils and through business
channels the community should be informed
that each high school building has become
clearing house for war information, medium
for regular communications from the city,
state and national government to the people
The school officials should extend to all citi-
zcns an invitation to come to the high school
buildings at convenient times to consult
teachers, and should declare it to be the duty
OF every teacher to visit citizens in their
homes and places of business to relieve
mental or physical distress, renew confidence
and promote cooperation. The high school
teachers of New York by their work on the
state census already have shown an aptitude
for advising citizens. To- day local exemp-
ton boards are using school buildings as
Headquarters, and teachers are helping
drafted men fill out the questionable. The
public lecture bureau in New York City for
many years has accustomed adults to go to
the schoolhouses for instruction and refined
recreation. In reorganizing this bureau as a
coordinate part of the school system the
newly appointed Board of Education may we'll
consider whether or not the war activities
: Of the schools in their broad community rele-