The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-01-10

$40 WeSG-UI, WOOQTu1 PldC6.
Mrs. George A. Rafert, Fortville,
Congress of Parents and Teachers pl
Mrs. John H. Waldo and Mrs.
Horace A. Shople conducted an I'M
usual panel discussion before the
Clio Club today on Education in
Relation to Social and Economic
Changes" Given the same speaking
subject, Mrs. Waldo and Mrs. Shon-
lie arranged a discussion in which
both took part, later throwing the
discussion open to other r embers.
Stresses Scholarship
Mrs. Rafert, presenting a talk
prepared by her daughter, Mrs.
Robert Thomas, Pendleton, who is
i'll, discussed two phases of Indiana
school conditions. One dealt with
the question of how many present
high school courses should be cleo
tive, while the other considered ele-
waiting schola.thip above physical
proves.
mo movement has contributed SO
helpfully to present-day teaching
methods as that started when teach
ers came out of the school room,
and parents left their homes to
study together their common inter-
est-the child" Mrs. Hughes said,
speaking on PIT. A. progress.
mo institution alone can carry
full responsibility of education.
Children are educated by great
variety of influences, agencies and
institutions. Education, itself, has
become complex problem. 1t is
clear that the child will suffer I'M
less all factors responsible for edu-
cation work in harmony.
Home, School Important
each institution must have an
understanding and a sympathy for
the work of others. Of all the fac
tors, it is obvious that the two most
important are home and school.
From the day the child enters the
primary grade to that of graduation
there must be constant contact be-
| tween home and school,"
Most important of all training,
Mrs. Hughes said, is that for pros
pective parents.
GAS soon as psychologists pointed
out that the child's most impress
sionable years ere the early years
of his life, from birth until school
age" she continued, parents
recognized the need of training to
prepare them for this responsibility
Fathers and mothers both need
parent education; it is not for
mothers alone.
Education for Parents
New and changing perplexities
of modern life require education for
parenthood Three hundred mar
ried alumnae were asked in what
subjects they felt themselves least
prepared for family life. Three
fourths replied In child training
Education for parenthood is truly
as broad as education for life, since
it requires fundamentally the de.
velopment of the whole personality"
Four major changes in education
were introduced in Mrs. Waldo's
| and Mrs. Shonle's discussion. They
dealt with nursery schools, changes
in grade school curriculum because
of lack of funds; increased interest
in extension work, and the probable
extension of the compulsory age
for school attendance.
TN Indianapolis schools. studies
all are carried on as projects" Mrs.
Waldo explained. I'm former years,
no attempt was made to make work
interesting for children. They were
given certain studies and that was
the extent CT the arrangement.
Regeneration Opposed
Grade schools now are against
RECOMMENDATION, and more attention
is given the individual"
Mrs Waldo discussed the change
in college education and in religious
courses in colleges and universities.
THE idea formerly was that when
you were graduated from college,
you were sure to get job" Mrs.
Waldo said. THAT was the reason
for going to college We have been
disillusioned about that, but young
people are encouraged to go to COL
lege now more for the cultural adj
vantage.
Religion, too, Is studied from a
cultural standpoint, rather than
spiritual It is course now deal
ing with history and questioning"
Problem Children Aided
Directly in line with the modern
trend away from RECOMMENDATION is
the drastic change in school courses
for problem children, much of which
has been done in Indianapolis" Mrs.
Shonle said.
Flaws in modern education were
stressed by Mrs Shonle, who said
that although American schools had
sought to make people literate, and
had accomplished that, they had
not succeeded at all in real educa-
ton.
1--WE teach our young people a
smattering of this and that" she
explained. Even when out of COL
lege, they are not trained to think
nor to take over social responsible
ties. We have become so largely
urbanized and indusJrialized that
children no longer, as they once
did, learn by hard facts of life.
Things are made too easy for our
children.
The problem is to teach children
without matchmaking them. We
want to train them to think for
themselves"
1HTCO DEATTCIJ To ITO