The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-10-02
EDUCATION

President Robert VI. Hutchlns o.
the University of Chicago may have
known earlier that young men Were
being inadequately prepared for
good Jobs, but he seems only nov
TO have started saying much about
it. During the celebration Of the
fftieth anniversary Of the uniyersi-
" he told 1000 scientists assembl-
ed in Chicago that scientists and
educators were TO blame for much
Of what he called failure in educd-
ton.
Educators, be said. believed stu
dents did not want and could not
assimilate a liberal education and
persisted in teaching according 10
18th century customs and stand
ards.
It's reflection on modern meta
DDS, he added, that at the time
when practical education was at
its climax thousands OF young mea
and women were graduated and
could not obtain jobs.
1T is paradoxical." Hutchins
continued, that now when We need
rTsTuEd tsChuiciaffs- and ssiiiiieai n =
chanics for national defense we
cannot find them though millions
were, We thought, trained for just
such work in the last ten years
He said this was because stu
dents have been roaming the fields
of education like "rudderless rab-
bits" nipping and sometimes chew
ing a bit OF knowledge but seldom
digesting it and still less making
use OF IT,
Institutions Of higher learning,
he said. have substituted "prac-
teal courses which do not supple
ment but supplant that instruction
which might prepare the young to
rule and be ruled like freemen for
the good life Of the whole
As an example i6s colleges and
universities IN the United States
and Canada offer courses in radio
announcing.
Much can be accomplished to-
ward correcting the condition with.
in the existing educational setup.
il the need for practical results
is recognized. Educators OF to-
day should remember that barely
1,5Q0 years ago their ancestors
were roaming northern Europe,
interested only in self satisfaction.
drinking and gambling II is only a
little more than 50 years ago that
the average man began to have the
chance 70 get an education. Mea
Of today will respond TO the de-
mands Of education for freedom "
given the opportunity, but they
must have practical inspiration A
man cannot be taught through the
years Of his early life that the
world owes and will provide him
living and then be expected 10
suddenly plunge into the business
OF earning IL for himself He can
not be moilycoddled through school
on a political goodwill basis and
then be ready to meet the hard
knocks Of later life.
A good many teachers seem to
have gone of on an unbalanced tan
gent Of personality development,
keeping up interest, guarding
against breaking down spirit. with
bad results. The personality de-
velopment turns into selfshness.
Interest is maintained az such cost
that initiative. essential in any
business success. becomes almost
negligible. The teachers struggle to
avoid breaking spirit seems 10 lead
In a good many cases 10 arrogance
not in keeping with the enterprise
and broad view Of public relations
imperative in good living.
President Hutchlns cites the
thousands OF young men and WON.
en- unable 10 find good Jobs while
practical education was a. its
height II he had been in business
at that time he would have realized
that in spite OF the great numbers
out Of employment there we're very
few competent people available
for responsible positions. He real.
ICES that phase OF the education
problem now, II seems, for he
notes the present need for we'll
trained men and women together
with the fact that they do not
exist.
From the cruel indlyidualism Of
the old log school we have gone 10
the extreme OF collective pamper
ing just as cruel Neither is right
Between these two evils there must
be a practical course. The idea
Of work should be a part Of the
teaching The idea Of rights fol
the other fellow. cooperation. prac
tical relationship, generosity IA
temper natural greed must have Il,
place. And the fact that TO liy,
most people must produce mus
come again into prominence Il ",
are to continue prosperous ant
free.
The first English teapofg upr,