New Britain herald., 1930-11-11
BURR HITS BACK,
 DEFENDS SCHOOLS
Continued From First Page)

MISS DOrlS NelSOH, ana SonsS ny Miss Yohannan. Little Miss Dolan. pupil in the first grade, was well received by the audience.
 Principal E. E. Weeks explained the plan of the United Parents and Teachers association concerts, two to be given in the Senior High school auditorium on the evenings with two specialtes from each public school in the city. The pro- ceeds from the sale of tickets from these two entertainments will be used in buying eye glasses for chh- dren who need glasses and whose parents are not in a financial posi- ton to buy them.
 Principal Weeks also explained the four weeks musical course to be given in the Senior High school On the evening of Decembr '. Janu ery 14, Fbruary II and March 4, and urged every parent to attend for the talent will be better than has usually come to New Britain. many Of the musicians being world famous.
 Hits at Political Friends
 Mr. Burrs speech was as follows: T am sorry that this school does not possess a hall large enoufih to accommodate all who wanted to come tonight. I hope that New Brit ain will some time provide such large halls in evehy public school. When this school was built we did not realize the need of a large au- ditorum for such a gathering as we have here tonight. AS a member Of the school board, I assure you that 1t is not the wish of the school board not to provide large auditor iums.
 While the school board has wanted to provide suitable audi toriums for the schools. our polltI- cal friends decry our desires, and we are, therefore, not able 10 pro- vide all of the good things we want to provide.
 Except for the weather, the big rost topic of conversation for all people is the school. When I was q young man I heard schools dis cussed. and when I was older, l discussed schools. and it is the same with all of us. We took an even lvelier interect when we had chill dren in school, especially an inter est in the cost of the schools Final ly our political friends take an in terest i1 the schools, for we have all of our teachers with a. salary nf other large expenses, so the school system is nice ripe plum for the political friends.
 When people are interested in schools there are a great many different opinions. We have con- flicting opinions, some being in fla Nor of schools and some being against schools in the neighborhood; i; Some praise our schools and some praise, but we do often hear the adverse criticism. We hear plenty.
 T once told a class of Normal school graduates, where I was the head of the school, that the most useful thing for a teacher to have was skin as thick as that of q hippopotomus so that criticism would not hurt.
 AS a teacher, starting about 30 years ago. and as a school board member of eight years, l have come across much of the criticism. ] think that I will tell you something about the most common form of criticism.
 Schools of Past Always Better
 The commoncst criticism, and the one that crops up constantly, and which is heard inevitably. is the schools are not as good as they when l was a child.
 "I began teaching 30 years ago at time when many of you now had not even started to go to school. Even then 1 heard the same criti- Cism. The schools were then not as good as they used to be. My parents used to say that same thing when ] was boy and we'll known writer in 1850, in solemn tone, said that the schools then were not as good as they used to be 50 years before. So the schools got better and better as we go back. They must have been really wonderful in the time of the Revolutionary period.
 What a silly idea that is. We see things of the past through golden haze. We do not see the worse things. We see only the best things that used to be.
 b1 country schools were like they were for century before. There were no outside interests for the pupils. Part of my job was 10 visit those schools, and if you could see those schools then and visit your schools of today your idea of the old schools being the best would evaporate.
 Supervision in the rural schools Is not as good even today as is de- sired in every place, but for the most part it is very good.
 The business man will say, Oh that is all very well, and perhaps you are right, but you spend a lot Of time doing foolish things instead Of teaching the three Rs, as in the old days You teach the children nonessentials.
 Tn the old fashioned schools the child did not go to school as long as today. There were no state laws compelling 40 weokc Of school life each year. The schools were also not as perfectly graded as they are to- day. There were several classes Tn each room. The teacher had little time to spend on each class, there fore it was impossible to teach any thing except the barest essentials Not that she did not want to teach more. but she couldn't do more.