Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-07-05
LESS STRESS ON BOOKS
ISEDUcATOR'SADY|C
Cleveland Instructor Urges So
ciaI Record be Kept OF
Every Pupil.
by Associated Press to Every Evening

pes Moines. Ia. July 5.--Less en-
phasis on mere books, more on the
activities that high school students
organize WAS urged at the National
Education Association convention
here today by Burton p. Fowler, first
assistant principal of the Central High
School at Cleveland, o. He said that
the war had developed an insistent
demand for reorganization in the aims
of secondary education.
~ written social record like that
kept OF scholarship should be made
for every pupil throughout his school
career" MIR. Fowler said. Il venture
the assertion that such a record kept
tor four years would furnish more
reliable information about the efiic-
icncy of Mary's school life. her chanc-
ts OF success in college, in business,
or as a housewife, than would the
es.6 per cent that places her on the
honor roll of the commencement pro-
gram.
Training for work. play, health,
character. and home membership
must be provided for all in the wide
awake high school.
The school group with its diverse
activities of school citizenship serves
as an excellent training field for this
process Of socialization.
Teachers must be open minded
and sympathetic toward these collat-
erai activities.
"Similariy. the social agencies them
s,lvcs should form part of the
pupils regular program, so that the
pupil who has TO work outside ot
school shall not be debarred from
full participation in the debate, the
orchestra, or his favorite club.
Vastly greater opportunities than
now exist for the expression of the
social instincts of children should be
provided. Every pupil should have
at least one or two major social in
ferests. In a school of two thousand
pupils there is room for one hundred
clubs where ten now exist.
"School parties should be under
the control of social director who
by means of games and dances VIII
anord participation by all, in school
social hours. The formal high
school dances are too often cheap
imitation of the disportings of adults.
CLIQUE. decollete, Jazz and toddle are
doubtful educational objectives.
The love OF good reading must be
born in the American people in the
school if at all, according to speakers
before the library department of the
Association today. The nation faces
real danger If this work is not done,
the librarians were told.
I'VE hear much these days in re-
gard to the dangers arising from illit-
crate people, but really the half-edu-
Gated person, who knows many things.
hut who left school at too early an
age TO have learned TO think clearly
and reason well, is far more danger
Gus than the illiterates," said Sher-
man williams. chief of the school IL
hraries division, Albany. n. y. THE
Public Library should continue the
slucation OF these af-educated
people.
"one is not necessarily better of
or a better citizen on account OF be-
ing able to read. He may be worse
for II. That depends upon the kind
Of reading he does This must not
be left 10 chance.
The school through the use Of its
library. and the public library as well
must see to it that children learn 10
love 10 read that which IS worth while.
This is a teaching process and in
most cases viii be done al school or
not at all"