The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-11-11
ROnlfOrd School Students Impressed With LiUing
BY NEA SERVICE

Washington, Conn, Nov. li-In this quiet country town nearly a dozen leaders of industrial, scientific and political life are trying to help 73 boys reach e new understanding of the complex social and technol- ogical problems of today. If they succeed they may bring about a new approach to education.
 At Ramford School. boys are being trained for life by living. studying, working and talking with such men as Edward R. Stettinius. Jr.. former U. s. Secretary of State; Dr. Quo Tai-Chi. Chinese member of the UN Security Council: industrialiSt Jo- seph w Frazer. publisher William B. Eff. physicist Dr. Karl Compton, Senator Ebert D Thomas of Utah, and others.
 These leaders come to the school for two-week periods during the year and live in intimate association with the boys.
 SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
 The Romford plan was conceived by Eff because he believes that the present orthodox type of schooling. with its academic limitations. takes a boy at the most impressionable years of his life and largely. ignores the conditions which that boy will have to face when he leaves school"
 We must teach these boys to think for themselves and to speak for themselves" Eff says, to de- pend less on memory tests and more on hhe capacity to understand and evaluate life.
 By meeting and mingling with important men from all fields of en- deavor. boys will learn to address themselves to the problems of the times. They will acquire balanced knowledge of all kinds of thinking -conservatice, liberal and radical and by Synthesis go on to achieve point of view entirely their own
 Frazer. who is chairman of the board of trustees of the school, be- heyes that criticism of educational methods in general are justified be- cause schools allow their students 10 live so much in the past that they lose touch with the present; so much in theory that they lose sight of practice"
 ACCEPTS PART OF TRADITION
 Romford. he says. is seeking a working adjustment between the academic and the practical"
 The Romford plan doesn't break completely with academic tradition Its graduates will get basic prepara- ton for entrance into colleges and universities. but in a scientific world it is placing heavier emphasis on the scientific approach to all study including history. economies and sociology.
 The founders believe that to turn a boy out as a citizen rather than simply an educated" individual he must have some concept of the arts and of culture generally. But they feel that t Is just as important for him to be able to ''harangue a crowd or conduct himself well at q board 
 In addition to everything else. 'the boys will be taught to be socially as ease, to dance. to drive an autono- bile and to understand the mechanics of an airplanel
 Instead Of detesting education, the boys will be geared to a world Of tremendous adventure in busi- ness. laboratory and science so ss to make learning interesting" % VETS AMONG STUDENTS
 Its 73 students, selected from over 1000 applications. range in age from B to 2l. from boys just beginning their secondary education l to combat veterans like Wiiliem Wood who served 32 months in the Marine Corps at okinawa and in !