Evening star., 1933-07-28
Educational Policy Debated
AS Chicago Reduces Budget

National attention Is attracted by the
educational problem in Chicago. where,
after . spectacular experience with un-
paid teachers, the Board Of Education
has slashed several millions from the
school budget. Discussion Is perticu-
larly directed to the ruling against
junior high schools, which have been
widely adopted throughout the country.
Among those journals which deplore
the abandonment Of the Junior high
school system is the Providence Journal,
which, in q discussion of the effect of
the Chicago economies, declares: There
into the educational system In recent
years which might well be eliminated
or sharply curtailed in q community
which Is shockingly In arrears in the
payment Of teachers salaries, but, the
junior high school system Is not q Hrill,
even though in some instances it has
led to the establishment Of extravagant
superhutties. To abandon, even tenn
porartly, the entire system where 1t has
become q well rooted, integral part Of
the scholastic course Is q backward
step deplorable in the extreme. The
result in Chicago Is that 1885 junior
high school pupils and 1885 teachers
will be returned to seventh and eighth
grade and first-year high school classes.
II this means that there will be no re-
curriculum, the effect will not be 80
bad, but it Is difficult to see how there
can be any material economy without
closing the Junior high school build
tngs and crowd1ng the nearly $4,000
teachers and pupils into other school
structures"
"Chicago's tax troubles" In the opin-
ion Of the Yakima Daily Republic, "are
due in no small part to the inordinate
costs Of public education. These are
to be reduced; and one OF the ways
In which economy will be practiced Is
to put the skids under the Junior high
schools. On fads and frills sent to the
discard, Of which the junior highs are
one, Chicago will save millions Of dol
lars . year. A parental school was
abolished; athletic coaches were given
the gate; band leaders were dismissed.
There are lot Of ways to practice this
economy stunt in the schools If school
management cares to look for them"
The budget shows" according to
at least for some time, the city will
have no junior high schools, no school
for backward children, only so per
cent Of its kindergartens, no athletic
coaches, only half Of its former physical
instructors, no lunch room supervisors,
nor swimming courses, nor band leaders,
nor manual training, nor home eco
omics, and that by these eliminations
1t VIII effect an economy in school ad-
ministration Of 5000, 900. So far as
educational values are concerned, this
Is not Chicago's century Of progress;
1t Is its century Of reaction and social
retrenchment."
Teachers organizations, parents
groups and others are protesting" re-
marks the Scranton Times, with the
comment: "The president Of the School
Board, In explaining the economy pro-
gram, said that the board was faced
with three choices eliminating fads
and frills, making heavy cuts In the
salary Of every school employe, or fur
ther shortening the term. To shorten
the term below nine months would
have been in violation Of the State
Law. Teachers have already received q
IS Per cent cut In their basic salary
schedule. Under the circumstances,
the board turned to the elimination Of
fads> and frills and, we are told, pro-
poses to 60 through with the economy
program regardless Of protests"
With commendation for the prac-
tice Of frugal and economical manage
ment," the Omaha World-Herald offers
the general description Of the changes
In Chicago education: THE effect Of
these economies b expected to re-
establish the School Boards credit,
which has been pretty low with bankers
and bond buyers. It Is anticipated that
with this showing that It means to live
within its income, the board can now
sell bonds OF 20 million dollars, pay its
teachers up to date, clean up ifs cur
rent Indebtedness and start with .
clean slate, it, deficit financed IN /
funded debt
Junior high school bsildinGp can nov
b used for senior HIN school WORK,