The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-08-03
ATTACK UPON
EDUCATION
STILL REACTS
Mcintosh. State NYA Dr.
rector, Sees Philosophy
of This as Tyrannous
b. JOHN A. PARIS, JR.
United Press Staff Correspondent

1
of the educational theories of
Charles Eugene Mcintosh. SIS, di-
rector of the North Carolina Ma
tional Youth administration, that
forced enrolment in classes where
subjects are taught which are OBJ
! iectionable to students, existed
today after a speech before a Sc
lected group of educators IN Ra-
leigh was quoted widely.
The address, in which Mcln-
tosh outlined at length his obJec-
tions to and criticism of college
systems which demanded that stu
dents complete courses despite
their objections, was delivered IN
mid-July. But reports of it are
still being published and last week
nationally circulated magazine
interviewed the North Carollnlan,
asking more explicit explanation
of his theory and reasons for his
belief that colleges with rigid cur
riculums rae detrimental to stu
dent welfare.
Mcintosh, a native of CASTOR
! county, and for 20 years closely
allied with the schools of the state,
! adopted his theory perhaps from
his own experience. He once was
forced to take a course IN Ger
man rattle rthan history course
in which he was majoring.
His fight for vocational guild
ance-to helm youth choose his
courses rather than force - has
been fought as an individual. NC
Intosh does not weave this theory
into his work at State NYA di-
rector.
The plan has struck a contro-
versial cord among educators,
some of whom favor it.
Our educational catastropheSs
reflect about our educational
philosophy indication that we
have laid down for all children
and young people virtually a uni
form curriculum Mcintosh said
in an interview with the United
Press.
"Where do school men get such
arbitrary powers as saying what a
student should take? Is not such
scheme a perpetuation of the
blindest sort of tyranny? How
can educators argue against other
forms of autocracy and still claim
the right to kill and make alive m
their own fields?'
Such questions as these Mcln-
foch offppc RI answer
awe shall very likely be told
that conditions have forced this
sort of thing upon educators" ne
said, "that they really do seek to
improve their pupils and students,
but that they are so badly under
paid and overworked that no
change is possible. Those are eX-
cuses but not reasons.
Granted that teachers are
grossly and shamefully overwork-
ed, we still need to ask what 1t is
that we are trying to do. Are we
handing down subject matter or
training young people?"
Mcintosh said his quarrel is not
with curricula nor with persons
charged with administering those
curricula. He said his quarrel IS
with a philosophy and asks sis it
wrong to change our philosophy
when civilization changes"
81 have advanced the theory
that uniform and compulsory re-
uuirements are wrong" he said,
''that no man nor group OF men
should undertake to say what q
given student should or should
not study.
"However, l do not advocate
that a student should be allowed
to make all of his own selections
and to shape his own course of &C.
ton. We need a combination OF
student selection with competent
faculty advice. .,.,.,
sit is a fearful responsibility
to train young people wrong. No
pride of opinion can be pleaded
in justification for so heinous an
offer. Practical ways and means
can and must be found to correct
our errors"
Mcintosh has definite leaning
toward experimental schools, say
ing: Ill
~ realize that to provide all
the courses which all the students
| might desire to study is out of the
question, at any one institution.
| 1 believe that students who al
ready have decided on their life
work should be allowed to talk
over their likes and dislikes with
sympathetic advisors and to take
the courses which are offered at
any institution which appear best
preparatory for the type of work
which later will be followed. :,
81 do not believe that compell-
ing a musical genius to take cours--
es which are boring to him is good
training even as discipline. When
a subject has no appeal except to
bring discipline / believe it needs
careful examination before made
a requirement"
Mcintosh became state director
of the NYA in July, 1885. Pre-.
yiously he had been director OF
education in the CWA and the
ERE. He was graduated at the
University of North Carolina IN
1911, received his masters degree
in 1881. He was assistant dean
of education at the university
| from 1927 until 1913,
Married, he has three sons, two
of them now at the university
where he was graduated and
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