Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-22
SCHOOL MUST DRIVE
JAZZ FROM NATION,
T|GERT TELLSN. T. A.
Clash of Culture With Modern
Mental Attitude Inevitable,
Educators Here Say.
WOMAN SCORES FATHERS
FOR INDIFFERENT VIEWS
Former Gov. Lowden Says Rural
Education Is Equipping Farms
With Unfit Types.

Dethrorement of America g present
day Partially for Jazz. sex novels and
salacious shows by instilling worthy
citizenship, culture and character in
the hearts of elementary school child
plea of United States Commissioner Of
Education John J. Tigert before 900
educators, charged with moulding the
minds of the millions Of pupils, who
taxed the capacity of the Washington
Auditorium this morning at the open
ing session of the f1fty-sixth annual
convention of the Department Of
Superintendent, National Education
Association.
Obviously determined to impress
the educators that in his belief "a
real invasion Of culture" is imperative
in the first six grades of elementary
schools, Mr.. Tigert said
"1lliteracy is such a serious tragedy
that one hesitates 10 suggest that it
could have any possible virtue. but a
sampling of some of the popular
literary pabulum that is now being
swallowed by the American people
would lead one 10 surmise that IL
literacy may have some compensation
and at least serves as literary vac
cination which renders one immune
to mental pollution.
Outlines General Aims.
Five general purposes of the ele-
mentary schools We're outlined by Mr..
Tigert, whose address on What Is
Elementary Education for2" sounded
the keynote of the convention.
The first of these, he said, is health.
The second, better grasp of the three
Rs upon which a broader superstruc-
ture of formal education may be
erected. The third, intoxicating Of
good, practical. common sense and
skill in action. The fourth. character
building, and the fifth. worthy citizen
ship.
American fathers were f1ayed as
very remotely interested in the edu-
"a ton Of their own children" by Miss
Mary McSkimmon, president Of the
National Education, the second speak
er. Her subject was characteristic
of an Efficient Elementary School
PRINCIPAL"
Landing the Parent-Teacher Or
ganiZation as ''one of the greatest as
sets In America today" Miss McSkim.
mon said that when the school princi-
pal yearns for contact he seems to be
in world where fathers are no more
and begins to wonder II the entire
population of his school are the chill
dren of widows"
Says Profession Suffers.
Our entire profession she CON
tinued, lis suffering today because
those who earn the money for the
| taxes by which education is main
tanned are only very remotely inter
ested in the education of thir own
,r-1 +{,n ft,% 10
ponds in large measure on what we
are doing 10 those same children to-
day. The principal must leave the
walls of his own profession and all
| its activities If he is to get into touch
with those whose ignorance of the
| aims and attitudes of education today
! Is costing us so much
/ Former Gov. Frank O. Lowden of
! Illinois. the third speaker. discussing
| Problems of Rural Life and Rural
! Education" deplored the decline of
| the little red schoolhouse on the hill.
which he declared has fallen into
neglect and usually found only "a
mela nCholy memorial of better DAYS"
! Warning that unless educational
! facilities in rural districts are speedily
! improved that the next generation
will witness q farm population largely
composed of the physically and meli-
r.
| Lowden.
Efficiency and culture should not
he antagonistic, they are allies in our
| educational scheme" Commissioner
! Tigert maintained in continuing his
i speech outlining the five principal OBJ
! iectives of an elementary education
! The impractical scholar has too
! long been a byword in the world.
| One of the greatest scholars In a
! ,i1-nr 80 14I +,-;o -
cut a plank to make a shelf. He
| wanted to shorten 1t feet and went
through two operations, cutting of
/ 1 foot at each end.
Are Not Contrary.
! Good practical common sense and
skill in action has sometimes been lost
+, in scholarship. We are not inveighlng
against learning, but are pointing out
! that knowing much and doing we'll
| are not contradictory.
Higher living implies culture and
also implies character. Character ed
ucation certainly should be a funda-
| mental objective of the present-day
elementary school. The horrible sta
tistics of increasing homicides, di-
vorces and crime are shocking and
alarming thoughtful persons. The
number of honiCides in the United
states has trebled in the last 25 years.
In 90 years we have had, 17o,00oi of
these "a 900 have since died $4,000
are still in prison and $4,000 walk
orr streets free and unmolested. In
1921 we had 1884 burglaries. 49,46o
robberies and 10000 murders.
In England and Wales during the
same year. 211 robberies were report
ed to the police and less than 100
| murders. In all of France, there
f~r frio