Evening star., 1925-05-03
BY DREW PEARSON.

A BOUT year ago the city of Chicago got
~ tired of being maligned by the press
~ the most criminal and immoral city
in the country and decided that there
must be some relation between it's public school
system and the training of its children for good
or bad citizenship.
So Chicago looked around for the best pub
lie school man in the country and selected
William McAndrew, then associate superin-
tendent of schools in New York City. Mean
drew had had long career in public school
work, having organized the Washington Irving
School in New York and having served
principal of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, the
Hyde Park High School in Chicago and
superintendent of the public schools of st.
Clair. Mich.
During his short year and a half in Chi
cago McAndrew already has done big
things. and when 1 was commissioned to in
terview the greatest educators of the country
the subject: us Education Responsible for
the Jazz Age Of YOUTH" promptly sought out
McAndrew.
The great educator is a willy Scotsman, who
answered my questions with the blunt frank
ness of his race, and seemed to enjoy inject
ing bit of picturesque humor into the inter.
view. His replies to my questions follow:
@. Mr.. McAndrew, what do you consider
the greatest fault in our present system of
public school education?
A. The tendency to teach students how to
make money.
That seems to be the chief aim in our
SCnoOiS lOudS- we SupeflHtSnQentS USED TO IN
duce our teachers to emphasize the fact that
a high school education helps boy or girl to
get ahead in life. Every June, before the
students were to leave the last grade Of the
elementary schools they were given lectures
on: why Go to High School," the chief ar
gument being that high school graduate
made more money than elementary school
graduate. This money business constantly was
being drummed into their heads.
Education Is State Duty
But we are changing that One of our best
teachers now gives a weeks course of instruc.
ton to elementary students in June emphasiz-
ing the idea that the whole purpose of schools
is better citizenship. TO go to high school is a
duty to the State and for the purpose of
benefltlng the individual boy or girl. The en-
tire city pays the bill.
q. Why isn't it a good thing for students
to learn to get ahead in life?
A. / can best answer that question by ask
ing you another. Why should Jones, over here
be paying taxes so that Smiths boy, there,
can get ahead in life and make more money?
Why should some, who are childless, who
do not have as many children the others,
spend money to help their neighbors' children
make more money? It's against the whole
theory of public school education.
Plea for Public Schools.
Go back to the first public school laws
Take the one passed in 1885 in the State Of
ferISylVanla 1tS promoter, InaddeuS stew
ems. had the devils time putting it across.
1t had been turned down time and time again.
Finally the word went round that Stevens was
going to stage one last grand plea for the bill.
The Senate, which had already rejected it.
came down to the lower house and crowded
the window sills and aisles to see the fun.
l wasn't there myself, so 1 can't quote Stew
ems verbatim, but the cnching argument he
used like this: why should you you
ask, pay for the education of your neighbor's
boy? Let each man pay for his children,
according to his ability. you say. But | say
that the education of your neghbor's boy, and
every boy in the State of Pennsylvania is
necessary, not for them, but for the safety of
the Commonwealth and for the maintenance
of good government" Stevens said lot more.
The Senate went back to its own chamber and
passed the bill.
The same motive was behind the public
school laws of every State in the Union. The