Evening star., 1941-01-21
School Systems
NotDoingSha
Educator Says
Preparedness Plan
Will Be Developed,
w. P. A. Session Told


w. P. A. Session Told
Charging that the school system
OF the country is not doing its full
snare In preparing youth for the
national emergency, DR.. A. J. Stod-
dard Of Philadelphia, chairman of
the Educational Policies Commis-
sion of the National Education
Association, today announced in
auguration of a program here today
to lay down set of practical steps
by which the school system could
more nearly approach the efficiency
OF industry.
Nine young men from school sys-
TENS and colleges throughout the
country, he said, started work today
at headquarters Of the N. E. A. to
build this new program
They will have before them a
mass of data. including a recent
survey of 80 outstanding high
schools of the country made by the
Educational Policies Commission.
Sees Challenge to Schools.
Speaking to a conference of Su-
perintendents of schools at the
Washington Hotel under auspices
of the educational section of the
Works Progress Administration DR..
Stoddard declared that the PreSi-
dents inaugural address yesterday
hurled a challenge not only to the
present educational system of the
country, but to Americans yet un-
born.
The challenge, he declared, was
"to step up the preparation of
American youth to meet the threat
of totalitarianism against the de-
mocracies."
1t would be very well, he said to
Say many good things about the
school system Of America, but. he
declared, that is not what William
S. Knudsen of the Office of Produc-
ton Management is doing about
industrial production. Mr.. Knudsen,
the speaker explained. is looking
critically at industry with a view
to increased production in the
emergency.
Preparedness Better Word.
The boys who may have to fight
will need to know more clearly and
definitely what it is they are called
on to defend. the speaker declared.
I'm getting a little fed up with
that word defense" he said. 1t
indicates too much of hanging
back. Preparedness is better
word. Democracy is dynamic, it is
not sitting back on its launches. 1t
is preparing for action
The Educational Policies Com
mission. DR.. Stoddard declared, was
approaching the problem of ma
tional preparedness among the
schools on basis so that the people
back of the Army and the Navy and
the airplanes will do their part in
the emergency, and know why they
are doing it-not just for good old
democracy-that kind of stuff
doesn't go any more.
I'VE must make the concepts on
which this country was founded
clear to our people, we must make
them real"
100000 Taught to Read.
During the progress of adult edu-
cation under auspices of the Work
Projects Administration, 100000
men and women have been taught
to read and write, L. R. Alderman,
director of the w. P. A. education
section. told the conference earlier.
Mr.. Alderman said there prob
ably still are about 100000 litter
ate adults in the United States. In
cooperation with public schools, he
said, the w. P. A. already had at
tackled this problem and was making
successful progress. Public school
money, he said, had tripled in the
last 10 years.
Citing an official report recently
published, Mr.. Alderman said it
showed that 253 per cent of the
young men of America could not
read newspaper nor write letter
home.
Mrs. Roosevelt to Speak.
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt
planned to address the w. P. A.
conference this afternoon, when the
two sections in session separately
during the morning were to meet
In joint session.
Presiding was to be Mrs Florence
Kerr, assistant commissioner in
charge of professional and service
projects of the w P. A.
The second section of the con-
ference, devoted to recreation, had
a brief session yesterday afternoon
and got under way this morning
with keynoote by G. OFT Rom
ney, director of recreation of the
w. P A.
Discussing fundamental policies
of the w. P. A. in a brief analy-
sis, he turned the meeting over to
delegates from all parts of the
country representing cities of
100000 or over for a discussion of
relations between sponsors of rec
reation projects and the w. P. A.
Leaders Being Trained.
AS part of the white collar pro-
gram of the w. P. A. he declared
that the recreation policy had re-
suited in the establishment of 10000
recreation leaders in 48 States, in
cluding about tWo-thirds of all the
counties of the country. He stressed
the importance of doing good and
useful work at the same time that
recreational leaders are being
trained for still more efficient lead
ership.' At the conference were
delegates from about 95 larger
cities.
Listed from the District was Lewis
r. Barrett, co-ordinator of recre-
alton for the District.
Chairman of the recreation ses-
sion this morning was George
Hjelte of Los Angeles, Calf.
The conference will continue
through tomorrow.
Pickett Will Address