The Miami times. [volume] (Miami, Fla.) 1923-current, 1951-11-17
EDUCATION FOR
THE LONG PULL
BY B. M. HINDMAN

In the history of our nation the
public school has PLAYED an i'm
portant part in building national
unity and security. 1t has occu-
pied a major role in the molding
of attitudes of our citizenry, and
in developing the Skills which cit
liens need to live efficiently in a
democratic society. The American
public school system has its faults
and shortcomings, and we should
not be blind to them, but we
must recognize that, on the whole
it has done a fairly good job of
carrying out the role which So
ciety has assigned to it. We must
recognize, for example, that our
present leaders are, for the most
part, products of the American
public school.
Our nation has been built in
our schools. In the last fifty
years, two World Wars have
proved that our boys and girls
were educated to meet the chal-
lenge, but how we'll we meet the
challenge in the future depends
on every school board member,
every worker, every factory own
er, every parent, every public Of
ficials and every tax payer in
America. Four million, American
boys and girls of school age not
attending any school whatsoever
right now, or are receiving very
meager training. If the public
school is to meet this challenge,
there are many needs which must
be carefully considered.
Public education must assume
a major share of the responsible
ty for seeing that boys and girls
understand the difference between
democratic and communistic
ideologies. The public school
must make sure that boys and
girls are conscious of the superb
ority of the American way Of
the home, the church, civic or
CARNATIONS, boys and girls clubs
and other community agencies.
We must realize however, that
these agencies outside the school
cannot be expected to do this job
alone. Some boys and girls, for
example, live in homes that can
not, or will not, assume the re-
sponsibility. Others are unfortu-
nate enough to live in homes that
have a negative influence in the
DEVELOPMENT of democratic citi-
zenship. There are agencies In
most communities that have an
influence which must be coun-
teracted by the school, If we are
to develop good citizens Of a
democratic society. Furthermore,
we must recognize that the pub
lie school is the only agency which
reaches all the children. The fu-
ture leaders of our nation - the
statesmen, the inventors, the
doctors, the teachers, the build
ers - are now in our public
schools. This places tremendous
responsibility for the future or
our nation on our public schools.
How well are the schools of
Dade County measuring up to
this responsibility? This question
cannot be answered in a few
words. II probably needs much
careful study on the part of school
people and lay citizens before we
can answer it at all. However,
there are certain activities going
on in all Dade County Schools
today which have as their pur-
pose, a development of respon-
sible, clear thinking, citizens OF
our democratic society. Much OF
our regular class work in which
boys and girls study the history
of our social institutions. and the
ways in which they work, are
developing the necessary under
standings that citizens need. The
democratic procedures used in
our classrooms, where teachers