Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-05-23
REHIND
THE NEWS
BY Paul
MaIIon

birmingham leacnerS Assn.
poll showed, in provable, spe-
cific instance, the condition OF
affairs inside the schools of the
country condition confirmed
by my mail from teachers in
many cities. II helpfully points
a direct way for improvement.
The teachers realize the pro-
gressive education theory will
not work either with a big p or
a little p. The high school
teachers, seeing the pupils the
grammar schools are sending up
to them. ungrounded in funda-
mental figures-and-facts educa-
ton, are almost unanimously
against the progressive educa-
ton theory in any of the vary
ing degrees which the educa-
tional trust has imposed upon
them.
So also are the top half of the
elementary grades teachers.
They see what the first, second
and third grades are sending up
to them in the way of uneduca-
table children.
Among the teachers, only
those in the first few grades
like the idea of turning school
into a kindergarten. There,
then, is where the primary fault
lies. There is where correction
must start.
TNHE fundamentals of educa-
l. ton, leading up to both
scholarship and discipline, must
be restored to the lowest
grades; otherwise, we will con-
tinue to turn out children who
have developed only a fraction
of their wits. Unless they are
started right, the rest of their
schooling is a waste of time.
But another part of the poll
suggests how difficult that SIM
pie solution may be to accom-
plish. Among the principals
polled - the administrators in
charge of each Birmingham
school - only one principal
agreed with Mr.. Mallon" las
the BTA bulletin puts it,, 10
disagreed, and three were on
middle ground"
There Is certainly something
significant I'm the almost unani-
nous opposition to the princi-
pals of Mr.. MallOn's contentious,
while such a high percentage of
the classroom teachers agrees
with the columnist," the BTA
says, then tells what it thinks
this significance is:
Progressive education has
gone over big with the admins
traitors, many believe, because 1t
Its snowy; IL can be pictured
and advertised i'm the papers and
magazines. A pupil who has
made an elaborate scrap book
will get more attention than
one who has mastered the BIZ
nominal theOrem or learned the
underlying causes of the Civil
War. The scrap book goes over
big at the PTA-Fathers' night,
state fairs, and educational con-
ventions."
THIS is true, but l wonder if
Il there is an additional ex-
PLANTATION. The progressive edu-
cational group has attempted 10
break up my business of column
ing because l got into this ques-
ton as a sideline public service.
They have induced few editors
to quit; others TO leave my
column out when it speaks on
this subject.
They have spread intellectu-
ally dishonest miSrepresenta-
tons about my stand around the
country (where they thought l
would not detect them, though
teachers and parents hasten TO
give me the evidence by first
maiD which would make a
Philadelphia ward heller blush.
Judging from this, / would
say they have their invisible
yoke on the principals and the
school administrators also and
it in the same way to
keep themselves in their jobs, TO
sell their own special textbooks,
to line up with the local city
councils and school cards
where they can.
IN SHORT, ! think they have
L corrupt political machine
but even so they cannot down
the teachers who know their
basic principle is wrong.
/ say the teachers will not
stand for it much longer, and
the parents will not. Villifying
me will do them no good. Not
until they abandon their wrong
principle will they be safe.
Distributed by King Features synd.. Inc.
Reproduction In whole or In part
strictly prohibited.
------------
Knnmledna Lest