Evening star., 1936-04-26

seem to dispose of the matter: the role
of the school is what the American
people, at any particular moment in
history, want it to be. But is the
solution Of the problem so simple? The
answer to this question leads the
inquirer to an examination Of Ameri-
can society-to a study Of pressure
politics and all those processes and
agencies involved in the formation
of effective public opionion.
The American electorate is not
composed Of equals, nor are the men,
bers of that electorate engaged in a
disinterested search for abstract truth.
On the contrary, the citizens of the
Nation range from the homeless va
grant, wandering over the land in
search of employment, to the great
automobile manufacturer with his un-
counted millions of wealth, his tens
of thousands of employees and de-
pendents, and his far-flung economic
operations. Also the point should be
made that every community, as well
as the Nation, is an arena for con-
tending groups and forces, each bent
on advancing its own interests and
purposes.
In the light of these contributions
it appears that in contemporary
American society the role of the
school is determined not by the SOW
| ereign voters exercising their rights
as free and independent citizens
of a democracy, but rather by some
momentary balance of those forces
which are effective in mobilizing SEN
timent, molding opinion and by one
means or another influencing official
action. Under such circumstances
the voice of the people can scarcely
be called their own. Indeed. it may
be the vote of faction. organized mi
nority and powerful vested interest.
Limits are Variable.
"Yet there are limits to this shaping
of the public mind and will. In days
Of prosperity or Of relative prosperity,
these limits can be pushed back so
far that the people may seem to be
but clay in the hands of the expert
manipulation and creator of opinion.
But in days Of adversely the course
of events itself, bringing unwonted
misery and privation to millions, be-
comese a powerful educator, arous-
ing men to question inherited modes
Of doing and thinking and to venture
along untried paths. Thus during the
past six years the American people
have changed their social, economic
and political ideas considerably. And
they did not do this under the tutelage
of those SO persons who. according
to former Ambassador Gerard, are
the real rulers of the country. In
fact, the change in popular mood must
have been extremely unwelcome te
most Of these meE-a change thai
went on, for the most part, in spite
of all they could do.
THE role of the school in Ameri.
can society. however, is not deter.
mined entirely by these externa
forces. In addition to the well or.
ganized minority and the relatively
inarticulate mass OF voters, there !!
the educational profession itself-a
force that has been growing rapidly
in power during the past two genera.
tions and that may be expected tt
become much more influential in tht
future. Moreover, because of the
complexity and scope of the schoo
program and the advance of profes.
sional knowledge. the actual respon.
sibility for shaping educational polio!
and practice must devolve more ane
more upon the trained teaching ane
administrative staff.
while the extent Of this respon.
sibility will reflect the fortunes of tn,
struggles for power among the variou!
groups in society, even under condi.
tions of strict censorship, teacher!
and administrators will inevitabl!
leave their positive stamp upon th'
schools. Ir the very nature Of th'