Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1924-08-08
SCHOOL TEST
WOULD REVIVE
CASTE SYSTEM

NHtAssAss1H =AAaksa sANtf ANaAtN| NA
called intelligence tests" in tae pub.
lie schools Of tbs city are applying
the principles Of the Hindu ca~te Sys-
TEN, declares the Chicago federation
of labor. Opposition 10 the platoon
system and the Junior high2 school
is also recorded.
In opposing TIE intelligence tests,
the unionists refer 10 rCpor, ON
this subject issued by the local board
of education.
The results Of the test given
in the army indicate that the
amount OF mental ability required
for the various voeations, highest
to lowest, Is as follows; Frofes
sional and business, clerical,
skilled trades, semi-skillcd trades,
unskilled labor"
THE alleged mental levels, repre-
senting natural ability. il Will be seen,
corresponds IN a most startling way
to the social levels --et the group
named the trade uniouists say,
ut is as though the relative social
positions Of each group are deter
mined by an irresistible natural law.
The report is evidently designed to
furnish evidence of the existence Of
such natural law. The report asserts
that The Intelligence tests applied 10
pupils in the Chicago high schools
show that the pupils of higher mental
ability select the more difficult
courses in school, while the pupils Of
lower mental ability select the techni-
cal and commercial courses, and those
selecting the two-year vocational
course show lowest ability.
THE selection of courses is natu-
rally determined very largely by the
social and economic status OF the
pupil. The boy whose family requires
his services as a wage Garner at the
age of 10 will, probably, select two
year commercial or industrial course.
The girl whoes family can afford 10
keep her in school until site Is ap-
proXimately Is years of age, win most
likely select a four-year commercial
course, while the pupil whose econo.
mic status permits will prepare to en-
ter college or university Here
again the so-called mental Level,
ascertained by the Intelligence tests
corresponds in am astonishing exact
ness with the social and economic
status of the family.
Has a new natural law been dis
covered which birds each individual
to a place in society and against
which protest or struggle is hopeless
Are the intelligence testers offering
something new
''rhe fact is that they have brought
into America the ancient doctrine ai
caste and are advocating, under the
authority of public school boards, pre-
cisely the same philosophy OF lie a.
governs the Hindu caste system, un-
der which, by alleged divine or ma
tural law, the people are organized
according to the occupations for which
they are supposed to be titted-ihe
merchant in the merchant caste, the
teamstef in the caste Of the teamster
the carpenter I'm the carpenters caste.
and so on through the long list Of
vacations. Thus they are challenging
the political philosophy Of the Ameri-
can nation and defying the basic prin-
ciples of every religion of the western
world. Do they know what they are
doing? The answer may be found in
the following quotation from a state
ment by DIR. G. b. Cutten, president,
Colgate university, Hamilton, New
York:
at may be interesting to specu-
late concerning the effect Of mental |
tests upon the pr blem Of democracy. /
Those of high intelligence will be di- |
rected into lines OF occupation when |
call for leadership. Those persons |
will naturally be placed in the pro-
fsssions, and in leading positions in |
industry, commerce and politics. Each |
person will then be directed on a scale /
Of intelligence down to those whose |
work is Of the Most routine character |
of which an imbecile is capable. Bull
what effect will this have on our So |
called democracy Ii must inevitably |
destroy universal adult suffrage b. |
cutting off at least 25 per cent of the |
whose intelligence is so /
low as to be incapable Of comprehend |
ing the significance of the ballot. On |
the other hand, Il viii throw the bur
don and responsibility of the govern |
ment where it belongs, those Of high |
and We come back again |
10 the rule of the afistocracy-this |
time the real and total aristocracy. |
For its own salvation the state must |
assume the obligation and RESPONSE
Dility of selecting this intellectual
aristocracy, and, having selected il, II
see that it is properly trained
Thus it is apparent" continued the 4
Chicago federation of labor, chat the
principles Of the Hindu caste system /
are consciously and deliberately being /
lrged for application in American 1
life by the advocates of the so-called
intelligence tests
The trade unionists point out that
he army test Is greatly over-rated. /.
It was first presumed to have asceT- Il
tanned the natural mental levels Of the
groups tested Later it was found
that this assumption j. erroneous and I
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