Evening star., 1932-05-24
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
/. C. NJ.
DARE THE SCHOOLS BUILD A NEW
SOCIAL ORDER? BY George s.
Counts. author of the American
Road to Culture, etc. New York:

OountS, autnOr OF tne AIleIlcan
Road to Culture, etc. New York:
The John Day Co.
A little book of prime significance,
The body Of it derives from important
pronOuncementS, made within the cur
rent year, by authority Of education it
self. BY the Progressive Education
Association, the Department OF Super
intendence, the National Council of
Education.
The primary importance Of this study
rises from the fact that education as an
institution now recognizes the immi-
nence Of new social order. In theory,
at least 1t accepts itself as proper CO.
operative agency in the movement 1t
realizes fully the unreadiness of the
commonalty to meet and to support the
impending change. by reason OF its own
essential ignorance Of the situation.
Tacitly, education admits its own culpa-
bility toward such general incapacity to
meet the revolution that is already well
upon its way.
Political notions imported from revo-
lutionary Europe by the colonEtS have
worn pretty we'll upon the foundation
of democratic theory, tinkered through
the years to suit the ultimate party di-
vergenceS of free trade and state tights
on the one hand, of protective tariff and
Federal supremacy on the other. But
government by politics has moved cut.
In its stead science IS imposing an
economic world to take its place. Under
science time has gone. Distance has
gone. Needs are common the world
over. The earth itself, under the search
ings of science and its uncanny con-
trivances of invention, is proving TO be
an inexhaustible source Cf supply for
mankind everywhere. Industry. manu-
facture, distribution, finance are now
ruling the world mlSmanaglng 1t at
many q point, while the confusion OF
fundamental and unrealized change
goes on. The people remain In lgno-
rance of the primary lesson set out
every day. They spend themselves IN
condemnation Of an outmoded polltlcal
rule whose leaders are as untaught, IN
effect, as the people themselves are.
1t is upon the new day that educa-
ton, by way Of this book, fronts in con-
sideration of its own part in the amazing
change OF its own obligation toward
a common clearing of the present, and
the future. by way Of the distinct re-
shaping Of its own forces and activities:
The school. sourced in home and
church. is, with these, the prime con-
servative force of society. Cautious,
like It's two progenitors, education Is
not ardent toward change till change
has proved itself. And, indubltably,
this is right. up to a certain point. NOT
to the point however. where inertia
and routine take the place OF con-
structive march along the line OF prog
ress. And the school has Jagged, That
is beyond question. Here the fact Is
recognized by the authors Of this study,
who, under "fallacies," define the trend
nf
turned to a self-satiSted following In
the rear of events.
Let US. for a minute, look at the
"fallacies" named and deprecated by
awakened leaders OF educational
thought.
There is the fallacy that man is
born free As matter OF fact, he is born
helpless He achieves freedom as race
and as an individual through culture
A most illuminating paragraph that.
Another mistake that the child is born
good by nature"-and SO on. Again,
the wrong notion that the child lives
in separate world of his own" Once
more, the gross error that education Is
some pure and mystical essence that
remains unchanged from everlasting to
everlasting That it must be divorced
from politics. must live apart from the
play of social forces" Here is a point
to bear down upon for Immediate use
in this outlook upon an important matter
of immediate and daily concern. There
is the fallacy that the school is an all
powerful educational agency" Not so
as even the teacher out of the lessen
hour itself readily admits. Again. there
is the mistake that Ignorance rather
than knowledge is the way of wisdom"
A reference, as it turns out. 10 the IA
miliar hocuS-pocus of method and proc-
eSS that so commonly obScures the
open, and Joyous. approach to some new
fact. or facts. calculated to open the
earth little wider to the questing and
eager youth Everybody who knows
schools at all knows well this withhold
ing of knowledge in the interest of aca-
demic performance. So, in running
mention. the confession of authentic
education stands Not a summation of
serious weight and portent. That is. it
is not in any sense given out in the
spirit of hopeless condemnation Rather,
an inventory of material on hand for
the setting out upon new venture
Upon the venture Of preparing educa-
tion to be distinct, conscious. prepared
instrument for meeting a social change
that is inevitable, that is already on its
way, that is calculated to make de-
fashioned in the various institutions of
learning throughout the country and
the world.
That changes are not taking place
in the school, that advances are not
being made. is no part of the declara-
ton of this study. There are advances.
There Is progress. But. upon the whole.
these are sporadic in character. They
are, in the main. not headed upon the
essential idea of the world in its present
direction and rate of advance. En-
thuSiasm ON the part of teachers IS
abOunding. New methods, new free
doms, are in common evidence. But
these do not reach the long objective,
do not inform the daily outlook of the
teacher in the school room, or the in
spring superintendent in the main
office. radiating spirit and world knowl-
edge translated into terms of the school
hours. of the street. of the home, of
small social units-all expanding in
personal seizure and personal reSpOn-
Slbility from kindergarten to university.
There is still too much of idolatry of
OLD cultures. too much of a passion for
the huskS of learning. SO these author
tiles tell US in effect, while the great
and important drama of the day Is un-
regarded, unrealized.
Much the larger part OF this study
is engaged with the open and obvious
mistakes of education. At the last,
however, short outlook upon current
matters in their obvious charge upon
schools generally contains tentative
points of departure and hope for the
future of those who are dependent upon
our system of education for an intelli-
gent readiness to that which is before
them. They must be taught that
democracy as political theory is pass
ing. But that a democracy of eco
nomics, the forthcoming power. must
ensue. To understand such equality is
the first business of the people and of
the schools in their educative mission.
Just now economies partakes of the
nature of ancient political tyrannies.
The few against the many, in great
accumulations of wealth. But the next
point OF understanding must be the
system of accommodations. of equitable
adjustments that will in good measure