The Sidney herald., 1957-07-04
"MOnl0n0 This Week.

XNO1OO0010W
BY Ernest Immel
Helena - Montana's most con-
troversial problem is education.
1t is a controversy involving tax
alton, administrative formulas,
curricula and, in general, wheth-
er the public educational system
from kindergarten through the
university institutions adequately
trains our young people to mea-
sure up to the responsibilities
and utilize the opportunities of
life in adult society.
There are indications that this
controversy, confusing as many
of its elements are to the aver
age laymsn, will bore through the
fundamentals of the problem.
That would be a wholesome sit
uation and out of it should come
constructive action.
One point on which there can
hardly be any dispute is that
universally the people want their
children to have the best educa-
ton the community is financially
able to provide. Neither you nor
land perhaps even less the edu-
Gators themselves - may ever
agree on what constitutes the best
education. Maybe we can come
closer to agreeing on the funda-
mentals, but from there on
there will probably be wide diff
ferences of opinion as to the ulti-
mate detectives of education
and how these detectives should
be supplemented by classroom me-
chanics.
Recently, on the same day, two
meetings held dealing with
phases of the problem. One was
the Montana taxation = education
committee authorized by the 1857
legislature. The other was the
state board of education.
The taxation = education COM
mittee, appointed by Governor
Aronson and headed by Sen. D.
Manning of Treasure county,
engaged Carlton A. Infanger, an
economist, as its executive sec
and received viewpoints
fro mspokesmen for several or
CARNATIONS and from other per-
sons.
Montana's enrolment in the
education system is grow
ing rapidly. Financial needs are
growing fully as rapidly. The
committees task is to recommend
measures through which the
school system, including higher
education, can fulfill its essential
purposes. l surmise chief en-
will be on the financing
phases. Education is already talk
!ng mor than half of Montana's
AK dollar. But more is required.
How to obtain it is not an easy
answer.
The state board of education.
reversing action taken a few years
lgo, voted to reinstate the Gid
ord and bingham high schools
western Hill county to the ac-
.redited list for the current year.
This means these schools will
gain receive state equalization
unds. To get these funds certain
conditions must be met.
Intent of this law is to raise
chool standards academically
nd to encourage economical op-
ration, such as cosolidation of
istricts. This is a praiseworthy
Effective if it does not go SO
ar as to assume that because it
5 small a school is not good or,
it another way, that a
chool is good merely because it
!; big.
The present day tendency to
idicule the little red school
ouse of American tradition as
relic of a benighted era ignores
ne fact that some of the most
rilliant and successful men and
of today began their edu-
alton in schools of that type.
hose little schools, whether out
l the country or in small towns.
0 appear to have grounded their
upils in the fundamentals and
here is a fierce argument raging
/ the United States today wheth-
: education is now doing that
asic job.
Whether education in Montana
doing the job it should be do
lg is a matter for pertinent in
uiry, and l hope official agencies
nd other groups interested in
iucation will give this foremost
,nsideration. There is a lot of
Dose talk, hearsay and unsupport-
| information" that is entirely
acceptable. Any impulse to
IMP at conclusions should be re-
rained.
Early last year quite a Juror
'ose in Montana when there was
ssed into the lap Of the state