New-York tribune., 1919-06-20
Bolshevism Test i'm
School Denounced
By Teachers Union
Ruse for Spying, Resolu.
ton Declares; Member
Says Boy Lied When He
Wrote sSReds Are B,sms''


"Tildsley's Follies Of 1919" was the
phrase applied by member of the
Teachers Union at its meetinng last
night, denouncing the recent examina-
tion held in the high schools to de.
termine what the students knew about
Bolshevism. By an overwhelming vote
the union supported the report of a
special committee protesting against
the examination. The meeting was held
at the Civic Club, Ia West Twelfth
Street
In the course of the discussion on
the examination one of the teachers
declared:
The teachers are not reporting the
papers, and in many cases the papers
are being destroyed. One answer was
The Bolsheviki are bunch of buns.
These boys lied and gloried in it. I'd
rather see my boy or girl learn nothing
at all in the public schools than to lie
and glory in it,"
Louis Goldman, chairman of a COM
mlttee appointed to make recommends
tlons regarding the examination, which
was instituted by John L. Tildsley, as
soclate superintendent of schools. said
the committee was unanimous in it's
condemnation of the examination.
Feared Further Attacks
Zone group" he said, ''insisted that
it was dangerous to get ourselves fur
ther into the position where we might
be attacked and where our motives
might be construed as Bolshevik. An
other group felt that il we were right
we ought to attack it."
Mr.. Goldman then read the resolu-
tions. They follow:
"The Teachers Union protests
against the inclusion of question No. /
cWho are the Bolsheviki and what are
tnelr aims" as part of the examina-
ton on war facts given to all high
school students on June 12, 1919. ana
against the manner of conducting il
on the ground:
THAT under the guise of test
ing information it represents the in
PRODUCTION of political propaganda
into the schools;
That while ostensibly an in
qulry into the extent of knowledge
on important mattrs, it appears to
spy upon teachers, pupils and the
homes of the people;
Call 1t Undignified
3-That the procedure is undigni-
ned and unprofessional, inasmuch as
1T requires teachers to grade papers
on the basis of officially prescribed
answers that are not scientific and
authentic;
4-Ihat 1T places a premium on
hypocrisy and encourages dishonesty
IN pupils, inasmuch as many students
suspecting a sinister purpose, wrote
what they thought the authorities
would approve;
5-That it is an assault upon the
morale of the schools, inasmuch as
1t orders teachers to spy upon one
another, upon the pupils and upon
the homes, and inasmuch as it forces
pupils to become informers;
6-That the procedure forces
teachers to stultify themselves, in
asmuch as many are compelled for
mally to comply with the official in
structions while in reality defeating
the suspected purpose of the test by
failure to report pupils or fellow
teachers as required;
50 Limitation of Despotism''
7-That it. introduces a dangerous
precedent, inasmuch as it places into
the hands Of the authorities powers
that are easily abused for personal,
sectarian or partisan purposes;
8--That the procedure is in viola
. tion of the best American traditions
and ideals, and clumsy imitation of
the abuses under the autocratic
despotsm of the former Car of
Russia.
The word Insulting" before "undig-
nitied," in paragraph No. 3, and the
word "worst" before "abuses" in the
final paragraph, marked No. s, were
originally reported, but wehre stricken
out following the adoption of an
amendment. One of the woman mem
bers offered the amendment, urging
that the words she objected to "were
exaggerated and were not supported
by data submitted"
Called "Tildsley's Follies"
Speaking of the examination, Joseph
Jablonower, an organizer in the union,
asserted:
at seems to be special function of
Tildsley to keep the Teachers Union
busy and for this the Teachers Union
is thankful. Tildsley's 'Follies of 1919
is what the examination may be called
One member of the union is planning to
give review of the 'Follies of 1917
and 1918 and wind up with the 'Follies
of 1912"
Abraham Lefkowitz, legislative agent
of the union and its delegate to the
Central Federated Union, declared that
the following words were attached to
boys permanent school record because
of his answers:
"The boy asserted in his class (Latin)
that he was Red, that he was proud
of the fact, and that he approved of all
of the Reds in America"
"And that record, shouted Mr. LET
kowitz, may hold up the boy at gradu-
alton time"