Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-26
SCHOOL EXECUTIVE
ASKS COOPERATION
Charges Home, School and
Public With Duties Toward
Child Guidance.

Charging the home. the school and
uttflic opinion with individual duties
toward child guidance. Stephen Z. Kra-
mef, first assistant superintendent OF
Dtsarict public schools, urged closer co.
operation upon these three agencies In
an address to the Cooperative Educa-
ton Association of Virginia at Rich
mond last night.
Guidance, or the direction of pupils,
Is desirable, Mr.. Kramer told his audi
erce, because I've believe in the crea-
ton of socially efficient individuals, we
believe that the greatest asset is
physically sound body, we believe that
the education of a child should be well
chosen and that he should select wise
" those studies which are suited to his,
ability. we believe that training and in
telligence are positive dangers unless
guided and dominated by sound moral
being, we believe that happy life can
be lived only by that man or woman
who has found his proper place in the
work of the world. and We believe that
education at public expense can be
justified by the production of good citi-
Zens as the result Of that education"
Must Form Guidance Programs.
To attain these ends, the District
educator declared, the school must
vide counselors who have both in
dividual and group contact with the
pupils; the home, the standards Of
which are the standards of the child,
must provide attitudes, ideals and aims
which will be in keeping with those
set forth by the school; and public
opinion, which is a composite express
sion of the opinion and interests Of
the homes of the community, must
guide itself to status which will not
tolerate emphasis upon the sensa-
tional and undue publicity Of the reck-
less. the lawless and the undesirable
phases of life"
Declaring that the selection Of life
occupation Is the most important choice
confronting a person, Mr.. Kramer said
that too often this selection Is made
without serious thought so that the
history of the work-lives Of many Is one
of drifting aimleSsly, and adjusting
their sails to the winds Of chance"
Aimless choice of work can be
eliminated, Kramer contended, "by in
telligent study, by carefully considered
procedure, and by sympathetic CO.
operative relation Of all who have con-
tact with the child"
THE child Is educated by the home,
by the school and by his social con-
facts" Mr.. Kramer declared.
MuSt DC true Nome
Discussing the responsibilities of the
home, Mr.. Kramer said first 1t must be
a true home" He said it must be adj
mitted that the "old-fashioned home"
has passed and the home Of the radio
and the electric light has arrived"
II believe that the chief need Of to-
day Is an adjustment Of the modern
home on the eternal principles upon
which the old home was established.
These principles, believe, are the be-
lief that our children are the sole elm
and purpose Of our existence in chs
world. Parental authority and guild
ance must be restored in the dominance
Of the lives OF our childresA on a basis
OF mutual respect between the parent
and the child"
Asking for sympathetic understand
ing Of children, Mr.. Kramer said the
day has arrived when we should lay
less stress upon parental authority and
more upon parental wisdom"
The schools share in the responsible
tie steward children includes the estab-
ltshment of a happy place for the boys
and girls who enter It.
Public opinion, Mr.. Kramer told the
Virginia educators is a potent force in
the shaping Of the minds and inspira-
tons of children.
when the public attention and in
terest Is conferred upon the undesirable
outbreaks Of lawless youth and when
the public press exploits the bizarre
and reckless, what can be expected
from public opinion as q constructive
guidance force for the youth of our
land?" Kramer asked. Continuing he
said:
Might Have Different Meaning.
Flaming youth" is a phrase we
often hear. Why must this picturesque
phrase mean the excuses, the reckless
ness, the eXtravaganceS, the lawleSsneSs
and the sensual? Might 1t not better
come to mean In press and public mind
the courage and the dauntlessness of
the lad who slipped alone into dark
ness of sky and sea to achieve the con-
quest of air and ocean, or the spirit
OF the boy who dared venture between
heaven and sea upon the guiding plane
Of the Graf Zeppelin to repair damage
which threatened the success Of his
fathers craft?"
Commenting upon the prominence
given youths lawleSsneSs in the news
papers, Mr.. Kramer declared that the
public and not the press is to blame
for this sort Of news handling. Like
Objectionable motion pictures which
would cease when there were no audi
ences to witness them, emphasis upon
the undesirable phases of life in the
papers would end when the public, COM
posed largely of the very parents of
the school children, would make 1t
known 1t is not interested in this phase
of life, he asserted.