Evening star., 1935-04-03
.CHARACTERCLASS
PUBLICITY URGED
ASFUND IS VOTED
Witnesses Tell Senate Group
City Is Not Informed
on Work.
LACK OF TIME SEEN
CAUSE OF COMPLAINT
Experiment Is Praised by Officials
in Explaining Aims to
Committee.
BY WILLIAM S. TARVER.


Fall, but the people of washington
should have been taken more into
the confidence of those conducting
it, witnesses testified at a recent Sen
ate hearing.
This was disclosed today with the
report of the Senate Appropriations
Committee recommending that the
item for character education. which
was stricken out by the House, be
restored to the District appropriation
bill.
Testimony before the subcommit-
tee, which held hearing on the
matter March IS, was unanimously
in favor of continuance of the ex-
pertinent, witnesses holding that at
least three years must elapse before
the program can be reasonably ex-
pected to yield returns iE child char
acter development.
Senator Copeland, Democrat, of New
York. at whose instance the expert
ment was begun, acted as chairman
of the subcommittee during the hear
ing. Presentation of testimony was in
the hands of DR.. John A. Randall,
executive secretary of the Education
and Law Conference, which was set
up by Senator Copeland's Subcom-
mittee on Crime and Criminal Prac-
tice to act in an advisory capacity
for the various character education
programs. Dr. Randall is president
of the Rochester Athenaeum and Me-
chanics' Institute of Rochester, N. Y.
Need for Publicity.
1t was he who emphasized the need
for widespread publicity to enlist the
support of the entire city behind the
experiment. He also stressed the in
adequacy in the District of Columbia
for caring for the physical well-being
of the children"
Other important points made by
witnesses included the following:
l. The character education appro-
priation should be a lump sum to
make possible greater administrative
fiexibility.
2. The District lacks sufficient
teachers and facilities to furnish as
wide a variety Of courses as is desir-
able under the system of individual
treatment which is the essence of the
program.
3. Re-training of teachers in char
acter-building methods is a slow and
evolutionary process and cannot be
expected to be achieved overnight.
4. Curricula should be broadened
and their requirements made flexible
to meet individual needs and situa-
tionS.
5. Academic respectability," as
judged by accrediting organizations
which require certain credits" of
graduates, hampers development of
character or social education.
Omission Unavoidable.
Although criticizing the failure here
to enlist the support of Washington's
civic organizations and citizens before
embarking on the character education
program, DR.. Randall termed the
omission unavoidable" because of the
lack of time between authorization of
the experiment and the date for its
beginning.
This lack of public participation in
the preliminary planning for the prof.
ect has left room for misunderstand-
ings. he declared.
THE essential step omitted in WASH
ington was the formulation and adop-
ton, through the cooperation of rep
resentatives from all of our principal
civic units, of current statement OF
results desired from education in the
District Of Columbia, = =" the edu-
Gator asserted.
He disclosed that a committee of
the American Council on Education.
selected to aid in the experiment, has
offered its services to the Board of
Education in calling informal meet
ings of representatives of civic organ
1zations here to secure public under
standing of what is sought, and to aid
N preparing a statement of Goals
of Education in the District of Co.
lumbia." 1t was intended that this
statement should serve as a guide to
the Board of Education in its policies.
and as platform for future public
relations conferences by the board"
he said.
Local school officials said today that
no concerted effort has been made as
yet toward securing the cooperation
of civic bodies
Seen as Constructive.
DR.. Randall said, Congress should
interpret discussions of difficulties at
this time as constructive features of
the demonstration and should con-
tinue to do so unless their volume
grows into a threat of failure" and
concluded with the following state
ment:
After observation of the District
schools I have formed the opinion
that substantial progress has been
made in the direction intended by
the Congress. The Congress asked
the public schools to break deep
seated traditions and habits, think in
new terms, seek new objectiveS, get
new results. In exploring this field
it Is inevitable that there should have
been some differences of opinion and
misunderstanding in an organization
containing upward of 5000 employees,
with a program involving upward of
5000 students and 10000 parents.
These are growing pains.
II find no official or teacher in dis
agreement with, or out of sympathy
with, the basic intent of the Con-
gress."
The program, he told the subcom-
mittee, should be viewed primarily as
a national demonstration.
Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, vice
president Of the Board Of Education,
also stressed the need for publicity.
"T feel strongly that the Washing
ton public should know more about
this experiment." she said.
Although making no direct reply to
the statements that more publicity is
needed, DR.. Frank w. Ballou. super
intendent of schools. submitted a long
- Il L.