The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-23
R a dical Expert
nent by General
EducationBoard
Permits Self-De-
termination by
Children and
Omits Latin and
Greek

l. HACTLY two years ago DR.. Abra-
L. ham Flexner, as secretary
of the Rockefeller Funded Cen
eral Education Board. announced
the boards plans for school
to illustrate radical reforms in the edu-
cation OF the young between and 10.
Latin and Greek as languages were not
to be taught. Mathematics were TO be
given in conjunction with Significant"
modern subjects in which mathematics
play a part. The old fashion OF rub
bling child's nose in paradigms and
formula and such distractions for men
tai discipline was to give place to some
thing better. The ideas OF President
Emeritus Eliot of Harvard on educa-
tional reform had been consulted.
The announcement raised consider
able dust in educational circles. Most
local authorities approved or would
watch with interest. But classicists the
country over rallied behind the bulwarks
of the dead languages and the tradi-
lions. Then in the excitement of going
to war the country lost track OF the
project.
The school is in being in its second
year with 1877 pupils and thirty edu-
Gators on its faculty and stan. Its
home Is at GAG Park avenue. an eight
story modern building, which formerly
housed a private school. The director.
as DIR. Flexner announced, is DR.. Otis
w. Caldwell. Among the pupils are a
son of Dr. Simon Flexner. the bacteri-
ologist and pathologist and brother OF
DR.. Abraham F1eXner. and a grandson
of Elihu Root, whose New York city
home is not many blocks from the
school.
With Chicago University.
DR.. Caldwell before he undertook this
work was head OF the department OF
natural science in the school Of educa-
ton of Chicago University and earlier
was a teacher and supervisor In elemen-
tary. high and State normal schools
and in colleges. He is the author OF
books on science and OF a textbook on
agriculture. He participated in the Gary
survey.
The Lincoln school. he says, is an eX-
pertinent, by which II Is attempted to
work out theories OF the educational
needs of modern democracy that have
existed for some years but have not
been practically applied. In general
educational philosophy in America is far
ahead OF educational practice.
It's easy to make a destructive criti-
struct an embodiment OF improvements.
observed DR.. Caldwell to THE
Sun man, that there's been a rumpus
and somebody has been hurt
You can go out and discover what hap
pened and write story telling about
1t. But now the thing cat~~1p1 happen
the undercurrents and motives-are TO
be worked out later in court. with palms.
taking research and due deliberation."
1t is true that Latin and Greek as lam
guages are not being taught in the Lin
coin school, and will not be, according
TO present plans. after the contemplated
more grades, which Will make gradua-
ton correspond with graduation from
the ordinary high school. But the Lin
coin school people are chary of over
emphasis on the omission of the dead
languages.
Had SIX Years of Latin.
II myself had six years of Latin in
high school and college," said DIR. CaId-
well, land in college I took all could
get Of It, qualifying for what would
now be called seminar course in ad-
vanced Latin during my senor year.
| liked 1t, and I am far from making
any sweeping statement now to the ef-
feet that Latin should be everywhere
so that young people who
want 1t can't obtain IT, Greek, you
know, has virtually eliminated itself.
But here at the school the facilities of
our experiment are limited, and we pre-
fer devoting our time and space to work
with subjects of general modern utility.
Except in a few special branches of
science Latin as language is no longer
used. 1t isn't the language OF diplo-
macy any more. international docu-
ments are not drawn up in Latin, or
when they are 1t is TRANSACTIONS that
actually convey the message"
AS to mathematics, DR.. Caldwell gave
concrete illustration. backing It later
by pointing out work in the classrooms
and shops OF the school.
by significant work." he said, i've
mean work that means something to the