The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-10-12
Liberal Viewpoint
BY HARRY ELMER BARNES

OUR schools now are running full blast grinding
~ out their grist of traditional information. Ex-
cept in the better schools particularly private and
progressive schools there is little attempt to classify
students according to their abilities to provide
instruction based upon the probable future of
the pupil.
they are capable financially of paying their way.
The others, certainly the vast majority, never get
beyond high school. Their education program and
their future sacrificed to the silly curric
uum rendered necessary by archaic college
trance examination requirements
AS consequence, the majority of our boys and
girls leave school with real practical preparation
for life lawful occupation. They go to swell
already too extensive ranks of floating and hope
less youth. They natural recruiting ground for
crime and rackets. At the best few of the more
fortunate may pick up trivial and unSkled jobs or
drift into CCC camps In any case, their morale is
bad and there is little possibility for them to be-
come, either economically politically, intelligent
and constructive citizens of country.
livery consideration of common sense and educa-
Il tona logic emphasizes the deSirability of CLASH
flying school children fairly early in their educa-
tional career Those who possess the intellectual at
tainmentS and equipment to justify the expectation
of success in college well may be given a literary
education but by no means the present cramped and
outofdate offering rendered necessary by the die
tatorShip of college entrance boards.
Those who quite obviously are not likely to do
we'll in purely intellectual pursuits should be given
an altogether different type of educational oppor
tunty in large part manual training and other in
dustrial education which would enable the recipient
to qualify for some skilled work at the end OF high
school training.
The necessity for some such revolutionary innova-
ton set forth recently by President Dixon Ryan
Fox of Union College in an address before the new
York State Council of School Superintendent
1T means we shall classify American youth at the
age of ID into prospective headworkerS and hand
workers. that we shall admit the latter are bound to
be vastly more numerous than the former and that
shall suit education to destiny.
Europeans always have done this, but we have
prided ourselves that the Declaration of Independence
vetoed all classification of society for America and
believed that would lead the world to adopt our
benevolent doctrine
CONGREGATION among young ntellects is called
y cruel. Yet no speaks Of the cruelty of
putting the ad-minded boy and hand minded boy
in the same high school class, and the incidental
cruelty to society," which in paying for their education
with school taxes and for time foregoing their pro-
ductive labor is entitled at the end to have each at
his trained best"
President Fox recognizes that in the training of
hand workers must provide also for due ana
proper education in the eN of citizenship and world
affairs In a democracy, whether we work with our
brains or hands, all of us must vote and help
to determine public policy:
1T is proper indeed essential to give every young
American a view of the world outside his own trade
or profession. Each is person and citizen as wen
as an artisan or an artist We need to give eacn
the best and broadcast view that he can actually
understand and enjoy.
President Fox made his suggestions as contriou-
ton to educational theory and practice But they
are relevant equally to another major contemporary
problem namely that of crime prevention
1t was borne in on again and again at the
ALBANY Crime Conference that the greatest number
of convicts received in the penal institutions OF tne
state fall between the ages of Is and ~ NO Single
innovation would do more to remedy this state OF
affairs than realistic and comprehensive industrial
education-that is, provided make 1t possible 1or
those ready to enter upon an industrial career 70
obtain work.