Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-11
EDUCATION mus.
BRANDED DESPOT|C
Basis AssaiIed by Speakers
at Reconstruction Con-
ference.
SHOULD GIVE INSPIRATION

Characterizing the American school
system as despotic archaic and an
anachronism, wholly incapable Of in
terpreting American life and Ameri-
can thought, every orator at last
nights session of the reconstruction
conference, under the auspices of the
National Popular Government League.
laid down barrages against the insti-
tuition. Men in responsible govern
ment positions didn't hesitate to brand
the system as Prussian both in ten
Gency and in policy and in every way
undemocratic.
Herbert c. Quick, chairman of the
federal farm loan board. said the rural
school is a bad imitation of poor
urban school and was responsible
largely for the Contamination of the
United States" He said the schools
were "booky, dry, embarrassing and
totally lacking in inspirational activ-
ity." But Mr.. Quick said in some
isolated instances the schools had been
reformed.
Criticisms by Educator.
Charles B. Stillman. president of the
American Federation of Teachers,
said it was a blessed thing for the
nation that democratic institutions
had sufficient vitality and virility to
survive the public school. DR.. Charles
r. Mann, professor of education in
the Massachusetts Institute of Tech
nology, declared the system of edu-
cation in America is fundamentally
wrong, with false base and an
equally insecure superstructure.
Walter l.. Fisher, former Secretary
of the Interior, agreed that the edu-
cational system lacked virility and
was wanting in inspiration. and he
was supported in this view by DR.. c.
A Prosser of the federal board of
vocational education.
THE evil men do lives after them;
the good is oft inferred with their
bones" Mr.. Quick quoted. He added:
1.-The good is too often inferred with
live after US or will it be buried with
the bones of the war?
The good that will come out of the
war is Intangible, unseen and prob
ably cannot yet be recognized. But
we need something more than un-
organized Impressions, great, but
vague. ideas. if we are to get any
thing substantial out of the terrible
conflict.
"If. however we ere able to get
nothing more than proper system of
education out of the war the conflict
will be paid for. 1t will be paid for
because with the new system of edu-
cation will come such a large vision
of life. such full opening to our
minds of the blessings an RESPONSE
bilities of American citizenship that
all hatreds will be buried and all
petty ideas will give place to nobler
and better thoughts.
Seventy-flve years ago we were as
much rural as Russia is today. But
since that time the farmers have grad
ually gone downward, resulting in the
dangerous decentralization of the
country. The women of the towns
have led their families away from the
farms in search of fuller, richer and
fairer life. A continuation of this
would mean the ruin of the country.
Something must be done to check
1t. Rural life can be made attractive
by educational means.
The rural school of America is
about the poorest of all rural schools.
1t is bad imitation of a poor Amer
lean city school It is booky. dry,
embarrassing, uninspiring.''
Mr.. Quick said it is no use send
ing people back to the land as long
as rural society is left in it's present
unattractive state. He said the de-
struction of rural life in America
would mean the destruction of morale,
and it was largely because the morale
of rural life had been destroyed that
the people of the farms headed to-
ward the towns.