Evening star., 1932-02-25
WILBUR ASSALS
'SENTRAL' CONTROL
Calls for More Local Govern
ment-HutchinS Asks New
School Scheme.
Continued From First Page.)

(COnJlnueQ from F1rSC FdBe.D
October. Dr. Cooper told the super.n-
tendents also that the House bill which
would create a department Of educa-
tion with a secretary In the Presidents
cabinet, would transfer from the In
terror Department the Office of educa-
tion, authority over land-grant colleges,
the Columbian Institution for the Deaf
and Howard University
The convention, which has brought
$4,000 educators to Washington in its
own sessions and those of allied educa-
tional organizations, will be closed this
afternoon. Tonight, the department of
superintendent will witness a special
presentation of the folk masque
Wakefield in Constitution Hall. The
1nasque, designed and written for the
United States George Washington
Bicentennial Commission, will be pre-
sented for the educators through the
courtesy of the national bicentennial
commission.
Want No Such Mastery.
In his denunciation of over CEN
tralization, Secretary Wilbur compared
a completely centralized government
with the human body. So complete
is the mastery of the nervous system,
he pointed out, that the prick of a
knitting needle in one place in the
upper spinal cord means death.
I'VE want no such mastery of our
central government over the welfare
of the people of the continent" he
declared.
Discussing the place Of education in
said the school teacher writes the in
surance policy of democracy" Refer
ring to the teachers work, he said:
ITO him or her must come democ-
racy's new recruits, a motely group,
but each one charged with potential
tiles for good or evil. What. re-
sponsibility to take large share Of
that time which Is life of all our youth
to about 18 years of age and use it in
such way that democracy will be
safe. For each child must go through
the process Of unfolding, or developing
personality, of making a success"
Or. Wilbur charged the schools with
caring not only for the normal child
but also for the handicapped. The
school. with its broad functions, he
said. must deal with children in such
way that they will acquire a sense
OF service to their fellow men and to
society In general; there must grow
d
country to serve, not q government
upon which to fatten."
Must EvaIuate Child.
"The most unfortunate person."
Secretary Wilbur contended, sis the
one who is dressed up educationally
and has no place to go. To have been
prepared and then not wanted is
tragedy. The duty Of the school is to
evaluate the child, to study society's
needs, and, through education, to make
the child fit in somewhere. Devotion
to curriculae instead of preparation for
the activities of life makes many mis-
fits"
The Secretary of the Interior said
every child must fight his way through
the ripening of the mind and the de-
velopment of the body, contending
"over- protected children are apt to be-
come poor citizens"
While some may escape the fight
against poverty. he said. all must strug-
gle against disease. dirt, drugs, bad
social contacts, faulty habits, and all
must seek to achieve a rounded
citizenship. He added that there can
be no safety for democracy without
the religious or spiritual impulse"
Change" DR.. Wilbur continued, ''is
part of growth, and democracy must
grow to survive, but education should
give us some insurance that these
changes will be based upon the use
OF the intellect rather than of the pas
sions and emotions. The teacher, as
the guardian and trainer of the mind
of the child, must share with the
parent the responsibility of secure and
stable government. Education must be
motivated by high patriotism"
Democracy. the cabinet member con-
cluded, can be kept safe by making the
most Of opportunities to build in the
schools strong, self-reliant, independ-
ent men and women united in sound
small units Of self-support and self
government"
Units Interdependent.
Except in temporary emergency or
war" DR.. Wilbur concluded, I'VE can
never keep democracy safe by initiating
autocracy and the tryant, even though
that tyranny be a grant of democracy
itself"
In his address on Education as
National Enterprise" DR.. Hutchins
contended that the public schools and
the universities are interdependent
The financial interests of the two
educational groups, he said, are
identical.
IF the schools are cut to pieces
this year." he said, "the State uni
versities will be next year. If the
schools are crippled now the colleges
will be later, either through reductions
in their funds or through gross defects
in the preparation of their students.
II our work is interdependent, the uni
versities cannot, without protest, watch
major operation performed on the
schools which, TO judge by its present
rate and direction, seems more likely
to kill the patient than to profit him
or the community"
During the hysteria of imitation, Dr.
Eutchins continued, the schools did
some things they cannot now do with
out. But, he said, the things that
communities propose to do to them in
the hysteria of economy far surpass
.'-e widest alterations of bull-market
Eays.
we hear a great deal about frills,'"
tJr HutchinS said: What are frills'?
Teachers salaries appear to be frills
In some cities. The health of the
school children is a frill in others.
Since night schools are frills in one
SPECIAL NOTICES.
INCOME TAX sERVICE-COLLECTIO
zeal estate conveyancing.