The Washington herald., 1922-09-26
More Democracy in Education
Nations Great Need, Says Writer
Reactonaries as Dangerous to American Ideals
As Ultra-Radicals, Declares Prof.
Dallas Lore Sharp.

Stating that popular education is
the safeguard OF our American
democratic idea, Prof. Dallas Lore
Sharp. of Boston University, writ
ing in the October HaYper's Maga-
zine. urges q more united support
Of the public school by all elements
of the population. a. wen a. . new
spirit in the national course of
study that shall make IL primarily
an education for democracy.
The American public school,"
writes Prof. Sharp. 'fs a. truly ma
tionai a. the American nag. 1t came
into being before tha rag. It is the
earliest and outermost breastwork
of American defense over which the
nag flies. In 1s47 Massachusetts
Bay Colony passed . law ordering
every town of nfty householder to
provide q public school by public
tax. IL need be, for all the people;
the law further ordering that every
town Of 100 families should set UP
grammar school to prepare stu
dents for the university-for Har-
ward University, founded by the
General Court In 1888. the original
state University. Public educatien
supported and supervised by the
state was the original American
educational program"
Referring to certain tendencies to
against the public
school. and to pursue aristocratic
and exclusive aims in educatier. the
writer says:
Democracy At stake.
Events since the war make some
OF US Americans tremble for tn.
safety Of democracy. We know tina,
its enemies are not ell In the ranks
OF the Reds. The ultra whites are
as dead against Il as the deepest
dyed Reds. the reactionary as much
as the radical. Let one look with
contempt. or suspicion. or inairer-
ence. upon so fundamental an insti-
tuition as the public school; let him
draw off and leave II to the poor
the colored. the foreigner the ur-
holy. and thus divide the house of
democracy-that one is the enemy
Of America"
After pointing out the importance
or the public school in the Amer
icanization of the foreign elements
by social contact with the native
born. Prof. Sharp continues:
The foreigner Is not the only
question in America. or American
ization our only problem. There are
questions many. and problems many:
but al bottom they are all a problem
nm ~
human question. Who Is my neigh
Dor: The fund ndamentals In a de-
mocracy are social. Seek irst de-
mocracy In education. as In every
thing American. Education must
first be social; the American child
must 60 to school In his neiEhbor-
hood, with his neighbors. II is bet
ter for democracy that he 60 to
school with all the children in his
little community than with all the
hsoks in tho wide world: for the
lessons he needs fra. are attitude
in what are the
right feelings and faiths and man
ners OF a democracy.
The social Lenvenins.
How can these things be taught,
BY but one method in a democracy
the simple. single method OF
leavening. There is nothing that
may not help. except aloofness and
segregation (the real ills Of demec-
racy): but when everything else .,
done. our social lump will still need
to be lcaveped-with Anglo Saxon
yeast. and with the yeast Of de-
mocracy'
In this connection the writer re-
plies to the argument Of certain
authorities that the
higher steps OF education are not
for the mass. that all that can be
done is to educate the leaders and
let the remainder follow as best
they can. He says:
TT Is not leaders We need SO much
as leaveners, many pervasive spirits
working In the spirit Of the people.
The leader runs ahead Of his peo-
Pile: the learener meves among
them. The leader 10 part Of the
machinery OF an aristocracy. Au-
tocracies have need of k3isers;
armies Of captains. It 10 different
In democracy. There Is q batter
power even in an army. The las,
war was won by the second lieu
tenants, humble human factors
moving among the men. American
democracy needs 100000 second
and precious few cap
tains OF anything. The leader too
often goes IL blind. and he thinks
he people are blind You csnnot