Evening star., 1948-08-04
HOWARD W. SMITH
House, Democratic

VIRGINIA PRIMARY WINNERS
maries and the Arlington Coun
Parent t-TeacherPa ar|ey
Al Rockville Splits on
importance Of '3Rs'
The question whether schools are
intended primarily to teach the
fundamentals of learning, such as
the three Rs" or whether they
should place emphasis on "how to
live together" appears slated for a
thorough going-over at parent
teacher conferences in Montgomery
County this month.
This was evident as a result of
the discussion at the first of series
of six parent-teacher sessions yes
terday in Richard Montgomery High
School, Rockville.
The conferences are part of
month-long workshop conducted by
school officials to study curriculum
changes.
Yesterdays meeting started off
calmly with four educators, headed
by DR.. Edwin w. Broome, superin-
tendeit of county schools, explaining
the purpose of the workshop.
Debate Develops.
Henry Hiser, Bethesda, president
of the newly organized Parents
League for Curriculum Improve
ment in Montgomery County, took
this stand:
IT send my, children to school
principally to learn to read. write
and spell, not to learn to live to-
gether."
Declaring that 80 per cent of the
members of his Rotary Club had
decided to take their children out
of county schools and enroll them
elsewhere, Mr.. Hiser said:
There is something wrong when
such a thing is happening, largely
because children aren't getting
proper instruction in reading and
spelling. Schools shouldn't try to
take the place of the home or
church"
Expressing the opposite view was
Mrs. Stella Werner, Chevy Chase,
who contended children should be
taught to love thya neighbor as
thyself"
"Our past educational system" :"
she asserted, didn't produce people
who have learned to live together
and our present system should
remedy that. Our children should
learn how to live together in peace
and understanding and to have a
reverence for Supreme Being"
She also scolded parents who
'let their children know they are
disgruntled with the school system.
The children pick it up and get the
wrong attitude"
This threatened to precipitate a
general argument until DIR. Broome
said the problem should be worked
out in future meetings.
Earlier DR.. Broome's statement
that we're going to use textbooks
in each subject" met with loud ap-
plause. He hastened to add that
textbooks are used now, but that
I'VE haven't been limited to them"
AS a result of the improvement OF
i textbook material, he said, teachers
will use more of them in heir
classes.
Several parents asked whether
the same books would be used in
all schools One parent said this
was essential because his son had
received high grades in one school,,
but was forced to repeat a grade
in another school, presumably be-
cause different textbooks were used.
DR.. Broome said there was in
sufficient time to go into the matter
fully and advised the parents to
take it up at subsequent confer
enceS.
Break Down of Subjects.
He also said it was planned to
break down social studies into its
component subjects, such as his
tory, geography and civics, and to
identify subjects by grades.
For example, he said, there would
be first grade arithmetic, second
grade arithmetic, and so on, instead
Of primary and intermediate arith-
metic. The proposed system would
promote uniformity among the
various schools and make for better
continuity from grade to grade, he
explained.
He also proposed that parents be
advised in advance Of the study pro-
gram in each class so they would
know what their children are SCH
eduled to take up in the next two
or three weeks.
In addition, ne suggested estab-
lishment of a principals advisory
committee in each school, consisting
of parents, school trustees, faculty
members and upper grade students.
For those who were unable to
attend yesterdays meeting, a similar
session will be held at 8 o'clock to-
night at Richard Montgomery High
! Coh1o1