Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-03-07
NEWS
BEHIND
The NEWS
BY Paul
Mallon

progressive education which /
say has inspired juvenile delin--
aucncA- and threatened the fH-
ture Of this republic has been
presented by an old friend Mr.
Don Ewing. associate editor OF
The Shreveport Times.
He is not a pearl vest social
educator or Gideon pianist lie
is not bowed down by any politi-
cal school board interested in
selling newer textbooks for what
there is in them but not neceS-
.Sarily what is between the COW
erS. He is an intelligent. sincere
believer and his main cha4leHg-
inc point 10 me can be boiled
down 10 this
children must. not he forced
into subject until they are
ready for II mentally. To read,
speak and write English. the
child must he fully AZ ease in
parSing grammar
Does "A child not better un-
der>tand the value Of a cotton
gin by seeing II in operation
than by mem0rizing the date Of
the inventor: Wouldn't YOU pre-
p fer in every subject - except
spelling and mathematics - 10
teach by demonstrating and oh
serving ill., hant, instead OF
memoriLing >"
Your theory is that the child
merely be exposed to education,
that 1t must not be hard or dii-
-licult II assumes that every
child IS aust dying 10 b : o r b
education If merely exposed IN a
kindly way and If II is made
easy for him.
NOV YOU and |. and every
y one else who ever went TO
school, knows this is not true.
Human beings are not made
that way. child or adult School
Is Child-S work There may
he a few in every class who will
work whether or not II is re-
Quired, but not the average
human being.
Would your progressive edu-
Gators train football team not
10 tax It's energies Or urge 1t
to use It's utmost energies
DO YOU think our army and
navy would be Facing victory
today If merely exposed 10 train
ing IN a kindly way instead Of
going through the difficult grind
of thoroughly absorbing every
detail OF every fighting weapon
and method better than our
enemies hape-iearrcd -tner1 = =
Which lessons OF life have you
learned best, the hard ones or
the easy ones?
What business could succeed
under that theory?
What anything?
Where did anyone ever get
the idea That a child S mind is
any different from an adult in
It's eagerneSs for work
Physicians and mothers Will
tell you the average SIX months
old baby can outsmart the
average mother (knows when to
cry and how 10 get what he
wants by trickery and other
wise).
THESE PROGRESSIVE edu-
Gators, therefore, are not
moderniStS hut old fogeyS be
cause they do not know ne hui
man mind or human nature.
Their premise Is wrong Their
basic theory Is unWorkablc
Education is simply teaching
people how 10 think The Spe-
cihC information you receive IN
school is generally of little value
in after life probably OF less
personal value than what you
learn outside the class rooms
by personal association which
contributes more TO developing
your way OF life).
The only way 10 teach our
youngsters 10 think is TO require
them 10 improve their minds,
not 10 accept them AS they are
MemorlZng is something that
no one can clrcumVent by bully
ing ms way through in school.
You haze lo-leapp- - or you do
not pass
Now do not tell me. Don. that
you and Your progressive edu.
Callers never buifcd your way
through subjects with teacher.
Personally, | found | could talk
myself around practically every
subject except Latin That was
the one which | could not get
easily / was required 10 keep
at II by my own fear shame OF
quitting That was the standard
then.
'tndcr Your theory. there
would have been no shame. and
! would have quit. Now | know
that MY required application on
that subject taught me more
r. 4i'tfttt- row 70 think than the
subjects l learned more easily.
EHlS- S-a--hslHd - e.4-lltii bon
Inc way 10 prepare A per-
son OF 2 nation 10 survive m II
Is not by encouraging lalinesS.
Nothing worthwhile m life has
ever been achieved the easy way
education success. victory in
wars
DO YOU think the Russians are