Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-25
Schooling Isn't Fun

All Americans should be SObered by
the growing number of persuasive at
tacks being made on the deficiencies of
the Nations educational system. The
latest of these attacks has taken the
form Of three speeches delivered here
the other day at the ST. Adams School
for Boys. The speeches have left no room
for doubt that far-reaching reforms are
sorely needed. particularly at the ele-
mentary and secondary levels
The three speakers have been Ad-
miral Rickover, the man in charge of our
naval nuclear development; DR.. Tuve,
director of the Department of Terrestrial
Magnetism at the Carnegie Institution
of Washington; and Dr. Killian, head
of the Massachusetts, Institute of Tech
nology and chief scientific adviser to the
President. Although each of these dis
tinguished Americans has put differing
degrees of emphasis and shades of in
depreciation on the faults involved, all
of them have made clear that they are
OF one mind in believing that our present
school system is woefully inadequate
and crying for reorganization of sort
that has become imperative in our revo-
lutionary new age.
In effect, along with many another
critic of similar caliber, these men have
taken the position that the progressive"
educational philosophy of the late John
Dewey has had a baneful influence
on American schooling. Among other
things, what they want is to do away
with the current excess of optional
courses and "frills" (such as dancing
lessons and cooking classes for maleS)
and to restore certain flxed minimum
Of strict mental disciplines and training
In science, mathematics and languages.
What they want, too, are specific reforms
calculated () to use economic and re-
lated incentives to promote the develop
ment of large numbers of superior
teachers; (2) to enable bright students
to move ahead as fast as they can, in
stead of being held back by the billiards;
and (3) to make all high school gradu-
ateS meet higher standards for their
diplomas, in keeping with the fact that
education, far from being lark, should
be viewed as a very serious process of
preparing for the responsibilities of
adult life In a challenging world Thus,
in Admiral Rickover's words:
Nothing can really make it [educa-
toni fun" If we try to spare our chill
dren mental effort :. We send them ILL
prepared into a competitive world. -.
Our elementary and secondary education
must provide first. for the average and
below-average student sufficiently broad
terminal education to flt him into mod
ern chronological society; and second.
for the talented student it must provide
a solid underpinning for subsequent pro-
fessional education Neither of these two
detectives is achieved in the majority of
American public school systems. j have
made some calculations to compare the
curricula Of the Dutch secondary schools
with our own six-year junior-Senior high
schools. The Dutch school day is 10 per
cent longer than ours: the school week
lasts six days or 20 per cent longer. The
school year lasts 240 days or 80 per cent
longer. The Dutch class period is so min
utes and the homework required is
minimum of four hours daily Further.
no subjects but academic ones are taught.
except GYM art and music.
This comparison, which is fairly
typical of the difference between our
schooling and the kind that prevails in
Europe on both sides of the Iron Curtain,
speaks pretty much for ITSELF Plainly,
the teaching and learning process in
America is in need of major tough
ening-up overhaul-and the sooner the
better-to save us from entering upon a
grave power decline in the years ahead.