The Washington times., 1922-12-05
DAY
0bSERvED|N
SCHOOLS
Commissioner Tigert Points
Out Nations Need of
Proper Education.

Patriotic exercises marked the
opening of American education week
in the District public schools today.
patriotism day" will be observed In
all schools. teachers giving brief talks
on subjects fitting to the occasion.
United States Commission of Edu
cation John ]. Tigert issued the fol.
lowing statement:
"If nation is to survive. It must
first Of all survive physically. This
means that one of the first duties Of
the public school II to rear genera
ton Of children which shall be physi.
cally strong and healthy.
THE draft burned into our minds
that an appallingly large proportion
of the youth of our land was not
physically fit. This is doubtless go
in large part because of the sweep
ing changes in the conditions of life
under which our children now
grow up.
I'm 1890 only 8 per cent of the
people of this country lived in cities;
In 1920, So per cent lived in cities.
The city Is n menace to the health
of children. Yet the city is doubtless
here to stay.
ut is necessary, therefore, that the
school provide within the city condi.
lions for healthy activity and contact
with nature which a hundred years
ago was provided by the life outside
Of school.
THE school. through Fairgrounds
and physical training. must develop
conditions by which the nation,
through its youth, may constantly
renew its vitality. The playground,
therefore. is of fundamental impor.
lance in public education. No public
school should be erected without a
playground, yet at the present time
innumerable schools are without play
grounds.
Must Study Science.
"In the second place. no nation in
these modern times can endure If
each succeeding generation does not
grow in scientific knowledge. It is q
truism that science Is the foundation
Of all our modern civilization.
recognized that the scientific I'D
vances made by America have been
made by a generation brought up
under conditions in which scientific
experiment was natural and neces
the average CRY thfld fYnds neither
in school nor outside of 1t the oppor.
tunity for scientific experimentation.
i~t irh ~ al hn oh al
dren in the country never reach high
schools, and II is rare that any
science worth the name il taught
two-thirds Of the children in our
nation are growing up with little or
no practical or theoretical knowledge
of modern science.
This is a menace to our national
progress, and II il a great injustice
to our children. since there is no sub
ject which no frees and enlightens
the human spirit a. the study Of
science.
Modern School Needs.
I'm the third place. there is a new
science developing Of which we all
recognize the need-the science of
human relationship. In a country
which 10 the melting pot of all the
nations such a science Is Of funda.
mental importance. 1t Is one of
which we have as yet hardly more
than written the title page.
I'VE still know very little about
the laws Of the human mind, and
little about the art Of social com.
The school. through its
study of the psychology of children
and of intelligence tests, Is only Just
a piece Of work which
should be Of the greatest social value
to the nation.
But for such work research de-
partments are needed In the public
schools, Such departments exist in
any modern business. They exist for
the study of agriculture and Of ami.
mails. Is II too much to ask that
such research should be established
for the more thorough study of the
science of rearing our children
"These kinds of public school eery-