Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-09-15
Student Replies to Ford's
Letter on Public Schools
To the Editor Of The Star:

TO the Editor OF The star:
As q sixteen-year- high school
student attending Western High.
should like to reply to Mr.. @. e. Ford's
attack upon the public school which re-
Gently appeared In The Star. Mr.. Ford
asks whether the public school serves a
useful purpose in our national life and
Is the cost to the American people for
this service in proportion to its value.
He considers the public school In the
same category as q business enterprise,
which we agree Is the right standard
Of value for the appraisal Of the private
school. The public school cannot be
thus appraised. It Is Q social institu-
ton. In the early days of this Nation
wise men with vision and discernment
saw clearly that If a government of the
people, by the people and for the peo-
pie was to survive it could do so only
on the basis Of 2 literate citizenry.
When the good and safety Of our in
stitutions are at stake the value Of the
public school cannot be measured IN
terms of money, but by the statistics Of
illiteracy and the general level Of ma
tional culture.
Mr.. Ford's charge of incompetency on
the part Of teachers and the lack OF
discipline In classes in public schools Is
contrary to my experience. have at
tended public schools In New York City,
Huntington, Long Island; Chicago, st.
Louis, Hagerstown, Atlanta and WASH
ington. I have also attended private
school. I. have found from my attend.
ance at q private school that most OF
the student body came from very we'll
TODD families. and the pampered ele-
ment among them broke down the
school discipline.
Personally, I have found high de.
gree of competency among public school
teachers, at least such as have instruct
ed me- 1t Is not to be expected that
all teachers will be Of equal competency
In either public, parochial, or private
schools, any more than all students WILL
be of equal intelligence.
Mr.. Ford's insinuation that adolescent
criminals are the product OF our pres
ent public school system betrays lack
of reasoning capacity. The same charge
could be made against the parochial
and private school, which common sense
tells us Is untrue. Criminaltty Is pri-
marily the product of vicious social en-
vironment and the inequitable distribu-
ton of opportunity and wealth, and,
II anything, education, public, parochial
or private, Is most likely to minimize, II
not eradicate, criminal propensities IN
boy or girl.
My own suspicion ABOUT eoucatlonal
methods in most schools I have attend
ed is that too much stress is laid on
credits for the ability to master texts
and instruction in q parrotlike fash
ion, rather than judging the student for
his intelligence and capacity to under
stand and make use Of what he has
been taught. Mr.. Ford also attacks the
easy course in community civics instead
Of teaching Latin and Greek. As cul-
tural studies, no one will dispute the
value Of these languages, but that
they should be compulsory is absurd.
It is not every mans destiny to be
cultured, but in a democracy he Is en-
titled to practical education to fit him
for his LIES work. If anything, social
ethics should be compulsory subject,
beginning in the grade schools.
AURELIUS MORGNER.