Milford chronicle., 1949-11-11
THE
HOME III y
T0Un Ss55 S!i!iI;l ~~. Z
Rgp0RTER u
IN WASHINGTON - q
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SchooIs ExamIned
IN WASHINGTON

Schools Examined
TE1HAT'S WRONG with your local
w high school? Why is it that
about fifty per cent Of your local
boys and girls do not finish their
high school education, most Of
them dropping out before the end
Of their second year?
Why is it that these is and l7-
year-olds can see nothing in a COM
plete high school education for
them? Are teachers or teaching
methods at fault? Is the high school
curriculum at fault? Are parents
at fault?
Attempting to find out the an-
swers to these questions, more
than 200 educators from all sections
of the nation recently met in
Washington at the US. office Of
education for a four-day seminar.
All agreed present conditions in
the nations high schools comprised
a threat to the nation I'd by turn
ing out thousands of half-educated
young men and women; 90 flood
ing a labor market with youngsters
not yet ready to either make i've
ing for themselves or to face life's
problems in their inevitable roles
as fathers, mothers or good citizens.
The national child labor COM
mittee recently published.
study as to why so many thou
sands of these young people re-
fused to finish their high school
education. Among these reasons
were included; ~ they could
learn more outside, since the
course Of study meant nothing
to them; (2) a desire to work
and make money; 81 they were
not getting along in their stud
les and were wasting their
time; (4) they didn't like a GER
tain subject in their curricu-
Ium or didn't like the teachers.
The study showed that about 20
per cent of the high school enroll
ment intended to enter he profess
sions and for these the curriculum
was probably adequate since they
intended to 60 on to college; an
other 20 per cent were going into
skilled trades, and if they were in
a vocational school the curriculum
was adequate. But for the other SO
per cent their high school educa-
ton meant very little.
Generally, it was agreed that
high school education must mean
something more than study Of the
three RS, which sufficed in grand
fathers day; that high school edu'
cation curricula in scores of in
stances must be brought up to date
to relate it more definitely with
modern-day life. Horse and buggy
curricula must be eliminated
since most of them are based OF
, the assumption the pupil is going
to college when as a matter o1
fact only about 20 per cent evel
even enter college.
What the average high school
youth needs today, say the educa
tors, is a new outlook atomic
/. energy current day happening
: practical guidance on how tt
get a job and hold it how Il
get along with people how t
progress in his own communit.
how to get along with his owl
specific human relations in hi
home, in his neighborhood etc. AM
these conditions vary in each com
munity.
He will not be a professional
man or woman, nor hold down
a skilled job but he must
make a living in a fast-mOving
world and be an outstanding
parent and a good American
citizen.
He won't be if his high schoC
education is geared to grandfather
time in which he is not intereste
in the slightest degree.
This is something for educator
L and parents to think about in ever
l. high school district in the country
D for if that boy or girl can be keT
'r interested in high school for fou
Is years instead Of two, he viii b
'r fitted better for happier life an
ie for a more useful citizen.