Evening star., 1950-12-01
Schools Progressing
In Bi-RaciaI Work,
DR.. Corning Asserts

Vis SVllislIS HSSVtIS
Progress in inter-cultural edu-
cation is being made in the Dis
trict's public schools. according to
School Supt. Hobart M. Corning.
DR.. Corning spoke briefly at the
closing session Of the Community
Conference on Intercultural Edu-
cation yesterday in the Interior
Department auditorium. He pre-
sided over a panel on the respon-
sibility Of school administrations
for inter cultural education.
The two-day conference was
called by a group Of local citizens,
interested in seeing what can be
done to foster understanding Of
different racial, religious and So
cial groups-which is one def1ni-
tion of inter cultural education
In the schools and other commu-
nifty organizations.
DR.. Corning pointed out the
school curriculum today teaches
more than ever the need of under
standing ones neighbors. The In
service training programs for
teachers also are being held bi-
racially for the first time, he said.
The school superintendent cited
the fact that on the administrative
level, all activities in the schools
are bi-racial. City-wide commit
tees of teachers to select text
books, guide curriculum and such
matters are bi-racial, he added.
Stresses Segregation Law.
DR.. Corning pointed out that.
under the law, the District must
maintain separate schools for
white and colored children. how
ever. Inter-cultural education here
must be within that framework.
he said.
Others on the panel were DR..
William Jansen, superintendent OF
the public schools in New York
City, and DR.. Ward I. Miller,
school superintendent Of Whining
ton. Del.
DR.. Jansen, who administers an
unsegregated school system, ad-
vised making inter-cultural edu-
cation definite, conscious objec-
tive underlying the whole .curric-
ulum. The school administrator
has the responsibility Of enlisting
the aid of the community in this
field, he added.
DR.. Miller, whose schools are
segregated by law. described some
Of the things they were doing in
the field of inter- cultural educa-
ton within the framework of
dual school system. Athletic con-
tests are conducted between col
: ored and white schools, for in
stance, he said.
Another panel, directed toward
the role Of the teacher in inter-
cultural education, featured DR..
H. H. Giles, director of the Center
for Human Relations Studies at
New York University.
He advised teachers to face the
'fact and cost of prejudice and
unequal opportunity" intelligently.
He said the teacher should make
sure prejudice does not stem from
ignorance.
Douglass Attacks Newspapers.
Edgar M. Douglass, assistant
superintendent Of schools in Mont
gomery County, took few swipesl
at newspapers. saying that zone of
the problems facing educators is
how to curtail some newspapers"
whose product is more fantasy
than fact. He said educators had
permitted the liberty of the press
to generate into license"
Mr.. Douglas did not expand his
remarks and nothing further was
said about the subject.
The conference discussion was
summed lip by DR.. Martin P.
Chworowsky. professor of inter-
group education at Teachers Col
lege, Columbia University.
He said he hopes small groupsl
will form voluntarily to decide
what can be done.
Other speakers at yesterdays
session included Miss Laurentine
3. Collins, director Of school COM
munity relations of the Detroit
public schools; Mrs. j. Rene Hem
ingway, of the Montgomery County
Community Chest; William E.
Leahy, District Selective Service
director; Mrs. Henry Riblet, of
the Arlington County Council of
PTA; John j. O'Connor. secretary
of the Catholic Inter-racial Coun-
Gil, and Isaac Frank, executive
director of the Jewish Community
Council of Greater Washington.