The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1921-01-28
PaysOn Smith Attacks
School Propaganda
Continued from page y

MIA ~ BAN ~ WV VI az Wa 49,
this generation and at the same time
take away the scnool training the
children should have and are entitled
to. We ought to get 100 cents on
a dollar in our school expenditures
but we ought not to talk or think Of
r-etrenchment in school expenditures.
There is a growing tendency to
look upon the schools as the only me-
dunn of public, education. There
should be education in the churches,
by associations of the street, in the
public library, education in the home
and in the motion picture theater If
this potential power is properly
exercised. The public school has the
pupil but five hours a day, five days
a week. The schools task is a limit
ed one. But so much is being loaded
upon the public school that it is in
danger of breaking down.
Two committees have recently
waited upon me urging that the
10000 teachers of the public schools
give 10 minutes a day TO teach the
100000 a certain subject. There Is
a great misunderstanding of educa-
ton. | protest against teaching chill
dren what to think. Thew should be
taught how to think. There is 50
much propaganda in the schools that
there IS not time to teach the funIa-
mentals. There has grown up an end
less succession of special days-fre
prevention day, back alley day, front
alley day, and about everything but
fathers day. That may come yet.
| look forward to the time when |
can name some certain days for the
schools. | would name them Geog-
raphy day, History day, Spelling day,
Arithmetic day.
A committee of d woman's club re-
Gently called upon a principal of a
Massachusetts, school. They wanted
to know how they could aid the
school. They were willing to do any
tElng, hold meetings, wash the school
floors, or anything to be Of service.
The principal finally told them that
the greatest service that they could
do for the school was to keep the
boys and girls at home, off the streets
and out of the theaters and dance
halls, at least five nights of the week.
One OF the most serious problems
of the day is the thousands and mil
lions of youths of the country without
proper religious education. It is one
of the great shortcomings of the
Protestant church that the GREAT
stress and time of the church is
spent in service TO GROWN n~oonln
They are not the ones to make the
religious appeal to. It is the children
of adolescent o that should he
brought into the church
Another very great notentiaI OWL
to the school children is tho nation
picture theater and the dance hail
Unless the program of the motion
picture house is carefully arranged
the Young people get verv wrono I'M
prcssions Of life. The injury to the
child in these wrong imDressions can-
not 20 without their having the cost
What ought the public schools 70
10 during the next ten voarso
The first Important THING is 10 rive
the child in the clcmcntarv ecbool. |
between the ares of J and G vea1s the
Of education" that is a mas
tcrv Of reading. w~,iting and ari+hre-
tic. would impress unon teachers
more than ANYTHING else. thorouoh-
ness. The teacher ALWAYS takes the
theory that there will be a chance 70
review. They should teach t~horouohl,.
every dav and not wait for an onnof-
to review.