The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1932-05-13
School Curriculum
Needs Readjusting
High School Principals at Hartford Meeting Express
Viewpoint


In response to an invitation sent
out by the state commissioner OF
education, D. u. ". Butterheid,
some 30 superintendents met In the
Office OF the state board In the new
state building In Hartford to dis
ctiag the problem: What Changes
In High school Curricula Should
10 Made In View of the Fact that
High school Enrolment has I'M
creased from 20 TO 30 per cent
During the Last Three Years?
some time before the meeting DR.
Butterficid had sent out a ciccular
letter to the superintendent IN
yltcd from which the following
quotation In made:
who are In our secondary
schools ?--In general It may be SAID
that all youth IL TO 10 years OF
age In now entering our academic
or vocational secondary schools ana
these schools have quadrupled IN
enrolment In 20 years. \,
or these pupils one-fourth Will
enter college and ultimately the
professions, semi-rpofessions. ana
literary or academic occupations.
Th0y will be lawyers, educators,
doctors, editors and men ana wo-
mon OF tn hguotand opinion.
Ont. fourth Of these pupils. upon
graduation, will Immediately enter
skilled occupations which require
prolonged and specific training.
rhey will BIO printers. auto mecha-
les, silver.smiths. nurses, teachers,
dictitians. stenographers, ana once
workers.
one.haif Of these pupils. az they b, =
leave school, will enter directly the
occupations which require prler
training and no prolonged expert
en0e. They will be sales girls, walt
reares. house and homo workers,
machine operators, chain store
managers. and roadside servers or
gas and other necessities.
What do secondary schools OF
fer?---Tor the first group our high
schools make admirable provision
and have done 10 from tho begin.
ming. They give the subject matter
which the colleges require and give
II in the manneh which the colleges
.sitror the second group our high
achoola and trade schools mako
good provision, and have done no
for 10 to 20 years. The high schools
in their commercial department.!
train directly and with general
success, stenographcrB and workers
with commercial skills. Tho trade
schools give extended and empha-
slzed training for tho skilled trades.
We have however, set UP IN our
high schools no specific program
for pupils Of this third group. They
have some In numbers only In the
last decade and they are now per-
inanently In our schools. Thoy are
misplaced IN either academic or
commercial courses az neither CUR
riculum gives the educational train.
Ing needed for the life when u
before them.
why il this 80 pcr cent on our
Hchooia We need TO recognize
lint this great group In In the Sec
tndary sahola not because or any
new law or new leadership. but
TINT the reason In n social ana eco
nomic one. In n republic the ambi.
tlon or one generation becomes the
objective OF the next. Most parents
today, thought they do not have
n hirh school education, are 90.
termined that their children shall
have this opportunity. Moreover,
tho European families who came
over In the great immigration wave
nj tho end or the century have not
pnsaed into the second generation
and arc keen for every educational
advantage that America offers.
These young people stay IN our
schools because there H. no work
for them 10 do. Depression. alone
IA not responsible. When II IN over
there will still DO little work for
F. tho i0-year-old. Industry hnh Pc
como 40 merehandixcd that II has
little use for child labor. We may
wei understand that, except 70 q
limited extent In farm ana nome
work. there will BIO hereafter nut
little employment for youth below
the age Of Is. These young people
arc 10 BIO permanently IN our
schools, or, II denied admission.
thcy are TO BIO idle and unemployed.
FURTHER down In the circular Dr
Buttcrfeld said:
what are the characteristics OF
these pupils 1.-The new 30 per cent
a. not characterized BY high psyche
logical intelligence. The intelliEence
auotient Will commonly DO under
100 and may be m low M 10. The
majority OF the pupils will be In
inc fourth or third schoiarFhip
auartiles. There will be n very wide
variation In manual Intelligence
and In social interests and apti-
tudcs. In this group will be superior
hall players. clever actors, artists
, and musicians and there VIII %
many highly favored In social
graccs, with pleasing personalities,
Industrious habits and the genius
FOR cooperative work. This means
TIM the social intelligence OF tho
group will BIO fully M high M that
OF those preparing for college. !.
FOR thea pupils the junior high
school offers much. Tho senior high
school offers very little. The com.
mon method has been the 'orEnni-
yation OF high school collage CURE
ruculum and q commercial curric-
uIum and then the introduction for
pupils not psyeholoRicall minded
OF n general curriculum that mas
no cienr objective. but whic hper.
mits pupils 10 take In doluted form
certain courses required OF those
who are In college or once prepare.
lion, The new 30 per cent does net
mead abstract science and fnathe.
mntlcs Of the formulated tyne. u
,,eeda courses designed for the
form OF intelligence which II DOS.
aesses and for the life which u
n going 10 live.