Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-12
Too Much Conformity

The story of the Shut case,
in which a young private
of outstanding mathematical
ability was assigned to a
clerk-typist job by the Army,
has been in the news COL
umns, the editorial pages. on
radio and television. 1t was
wrong of the Army to do
that. and the error has been
corrected.
There are thousands of
little recruits in our schools.
through the length and
breadth of our country,
who have exceptional talents.
Yet they are kept working
out arithmetic problems on
paper that they can do in
their heads, and they must
compile and copy into note
books information that they
have already learned; they
are prevented from showing
any personal interest or ini-
tiative in mathematics be-
cause that would bring them
out ahead of the other chill
dren. In the seventh and
eighth grades of our elemen-
tary schools all must stay
in line.
1t may seem a harsh thing
to say. but it's a fact: The
school system of Washington,
D. c., has something to learn
from the Army.
If these little conscripts
move out of line they are
punished by being given poor
marks. I know that for a fact.
I have seen examination
papers in which every answer
was correct, yet because only
the answers were given the
whole thing was marked zero.
This, in something that calls
itself a school! 1t happened
to my youngest son. who
has taught himself the rudi-
ments of differential and in
tegral calculus, and has gone
on from there to topology
and symbolic logic. All / ever
asked the school system of
the District to do was to put
the boy into an algebra class
when he entered the eighth
grade. and this was refused.
Now he is going to a
private school where he is
getting algebra in the eighth
grade, and Latin and science
too, and he is very happy
about it all. Why? Because
he doesn't have to compile
and copy those notebooks.
He actually has more time of
his own, despite the advanced
work-time for still other in
terests.
The only person who is
unhappy about this. ap-
parently, is myself. I have
to pay for his education
twice-once to the District in
taxes. and a second time to
his school, when the bill for
the semester arrives. But
again. this is a personal mat
ter. I can do without the
new car. What concerns me
more is that if we. as a ma
ton. keep doing this sort Of
thing-keep using our schools
as adjustment centers and
custodial institutions - we
will find that we have
adjusted our children to a
way Of life that will perish
because we have plenty of
conformity but too few of the
brains with which to de-
fend it.
Asher Brynes.
You may cut this up, hack
1t. chop it, rewrite it, or smirk
at it-but don't ignore it!
Look at our schools, with
emphasis on conformity"
and social adjustment"
ii a Nation geared to the
idea that no man is limited
or restrained from personal
progress. in a nation where
a man m a log cabin can
aspire to the presidency, you
will find that the ''individ-
ual"-the child who does not
want to plod along, the child
who wants to learn more and
faSter-is held back by an
educational philosophy that
demands conformation to a
lower and slower majority
standard. And when he re-
bells through sheer boredom,
he is accused Of lack of So
cial adjustment"
At a time when our Ma
ton needs talent. and has it.
the emphasis is on medioc-
rity. We tend to emphasize
the need for schools for the
mentally retarded, while we
accuse the mentally gifted Of
being nonconformists.
AS only one of l70.000,000
Americans. l am willing TO
60 on record as saying I'll
be delighted to pay more
taxes; Ill be delighted TO