Evening star., 1939-06-11

porter in Chicago and Nashville.
He and Mrs. Damman haze
traUeled 1Cidely.
BY TOM and HARLE DAMMANN.
MILAN-"B Believe, obey fight"
This is the motto which Mussolini
has given Italian youth. To make
the motto live is principle aim of
education. and the youth movement
The process of learning to believe,
obey and fight begins early in
the life of modern Italians-at an
age not later than E for the majority.
Under the present system every
youngster is compelled to have at
least five years of education. These
are generally spent at the public ele-
mentary schools. though a large
minority of children attend private
schools run by Catholics, ProtestantS
and Jews tJeWS must attend only
Jewish schools.
We visited school in Florence
where about 1900 boys and girls are
taught the three RS, history, geog-
raphy. painting and natural science
1t could easily be any American pub
lie school except that the girls wear
white uniforms and the boys black
and classes are not CO-educatiOnal.
The pupils are divided into groups
OF 80 and assigned to teachers with
whom they remain for the entire five
years. School is held six days a
week from October until June. start
Ing a 8:3O in the morning and end
ing at 1910. A simple, healthy
lunch of soup, bread, cheese, milk
and fruit is provided for children of
poor families. Saturday is bath day
and when parents request it-all are
urged to-children are given a thor
ough scrubbing in modern. sanitary
showers. There are regular medical
examinations.
Military Air Prevails.
A rather informal but, nonetheless.
military atmosphere prevails 1t is
amusing to see the students moving
about, always marching in units.
using the official PaSSo Romano. a
sort OF German gOOSe-Step the only
thing which Italy has obtained from
the Rome-Berlin axis, according to
Italian humoristS. who maintain
that Hitler gave the goose-step to
MuSSOllnl as present after Ger
many took AuStriD. Further mil
itary atmosphere is created bv the
group singing of lusty Fascist march,
ing songs.
Though they are free to, few chill
dren complete their formal eduCa-
ton at the end of the compulsory
f1Ve years. Large numbers go to
the various trade and industrial
schools. Still more go TO an inter-
meolary school for two years and
then into the Liceo. This last is
a combination of our American high
school and college. emphasizing
Classical education. After five years
In the Llceo the student is given
some l8 comprehensive oral and
written examinations by a state
board OF examiners. Successful pas
sage of the tests brings a diploma
and permission to attend the uni
verSities
University study is generally con-
sldered easy after the five difficult
years in the Liceo. But there is
none of our college atmosphere
about the Italian university, which
is more like the graduate depart
ment OF our university, consisting of
a conglomeration of colleges. When
q StnHorot
tour years depending on the sub
Ject studied his degree signifies
that he is an expert in the field he
has studied.
New Decree Issued.
However the. existing educational
program apparently does not sufi-
clently fulfill the aims of believe.
Obey, Fight" for last February
new decree ito be effective in 1940)
was issued which will change the
system quite radically. Chief pur-
pose OF the change is to combine
training in politics and war with
scholarship. 1t is expected that in
the new Scheme-the details and
working of which have not vet
been mpleted-education will be
better able to form the human
and political conscience of the new
generatlon,' since it recognizes that
the scholastic age and political age
coincide'
Youth is still, after almost 20
years OF Fasclsm, not sufficiently
educated to use all its capabilities
for the benefit of the Fascist state.
the genius of Italy. 1t is argued
that too much emphasis is placed
on classical education. too few bows
and girls have been equipped by
practical studies to face the battle
OF life. So this decree also aims to
make youth specialize while still
being educated.
Accordingly. following the first
three years in elementary school,
every youngSter will be required to
attend a SO-called labor school,"
In reality this innovation is merely
the last two years of the old school.
but great emphasis will be placed
on learning and understanding the
dignity and meaning of all types
OF manual labor. After these two
years students may continue more
or less as they do now. However.
there will be added incentives for
going into technical and scientific
schools rather than the classical
Liceo.'
The great sports program alone
remains unaffected-if anything, its
Importance is increased-by the new
decree. This phase of education is
perhaps the greatest contribution
the Fascists have made to the gen.
eral scheme of youth development
in Italy. Certainly the Fascists
consider it the most important fac
tor, for through sports they are
able not ONLY to improve the health