The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-02-01
(Official City, State and County
Newspaper)
Foreign Representatives
SMALL, SPENCER, LEVINGS
& BREWER
Oncorporated)
CHICAGO NEW YORK BOSTO]
Sure Fire Education

OUFe i Ire EQuCdClOU
One reason why children leaving
high school have proud certainty
Of what they know and why they
have to unlearn some Of the things
taught them, Is disclosed by analysis
Of . QUESTIONABLE recently given to
members Of the journalism class at
Bismarck high school.
It was q current events" test to
ascertain how well the students keep
up with the world and how well they
remember what they read. Fifteen
questions were listed and all but two
Of them were such that correct an
swers could be given.
The two were: what governor Of a
southern state recently announced
his candidacy, for the presidency"
and what college football team won
the. national championship"
It so happens that neither of these
are susceptible to accurate answers.
The expected answer to the first
question was Alfalfa Bill'' Murray
Of Oklahoma, but 1t happens to be
in error. Murray IS known to be a
candidate and relatives and friends
have announced his candidacy, but
the record doesn't show that he has
announced himself as such. II the
exigencies Of politics made it ad-
visable he could declare tomorrow
that he is not and never has been
a candidate and nothing which he
has said himself could be quoted to
prove the contrary.
The expected answer to the second
question is university of Southern
California" but that, too, is subject
to argument. The record Of the west
ern schools gridiron machine was no
better than that Of Northwestern,
Purdue, Pittsburgh and several other
fine teams, each Of which lost one
game, just as Southern California
lost one game. It may be that South
ern California has Z strong claim to
the title, but 1t is by no means in
disputable.
A good many Of US envy the stu
dent the fine certainty Of what be
knows, even as we hope that it will
not prove too much OF q mental
shock for him to learn later that
some Of the things he knows are
either untrue or else subject to argu-
ment.
Questions, which puzzle the men
most familiar with them in the out
side world. frequently are given stock
answers in the classroom and these
are accepted as the alpha and omega
Of knowledge on the subject. Doubt
less good many students know this
and give the stock answers because
It Is the expected thing. even though
they understand there is q great deal
more to be said than appears in the
textbooks. Before they leave high
school. some students may learn that
even the writer's Of textbooks dis
agree, so that what a person believes
may depend largely on the authority
he has chosen, or which has been
chosen for him.
School teachers understand this as
well as other folk but dare not give
the juvenile mind more than it can
reasonably absorb. They know, also
that education must be ladled out
With certainty and dispatch and that
to give an uncertain answer Is, In
many cases. worse than to give nc
answer at all.
Perhaps It Is better, after all. te
hand out information on the present
basis and let the student learn latel
Tor himself some Of the modification
and rau3ificatious which have mace
the adult mind humble and qucstillt
rather than sure and certain.
So. Z -.