The Chapel Hill weekly., 1963-01-27
Broader School Curriculum Sought
Continued from Page u

considerably more than many
other school systems in the State,
some Of which spend per STU
dent as little as about 500.
t'But | don't believe the young
sters are getting a fair shake ss
far as Selectivity of program is
concerned, The point I'm argu-
ing over is what the student
wants in a vocational or techni-
cal program.
He advocated high school
courses which will produce medi-
cal, legal and general secretar-
les. He said the schools diStrib-
utive education program was
"one of our redeeming features"
but added that it was not un-
reasonable to contemplate train
ing X-ray or other medical tech
nicians in high school This is
not uncommon. he said. II
think this is what makes a good
comprehensive high school"
DR.. Thompson indicated Chap
el Hill schools need for an in
creased special school tax: There
are now 4,152 students in the
system, taught by six fewer
teachers than last year Next
year there will probably be about
4,5O0 students in the system. A
new junior high school will be
in operation. The School Board
cannot raise more money, but
the State requires the presence
of guidance couSelOrs before a
school can be accredited. The
necessity for guidance counselors
will eliminate three teaching po-
sitions on the school staff, de-
spite the fact that next year the
school system will have in it
almost 800 more students than it
did two years ago.
Il think we're missing a strong
point by not taking care Of the
people who don't 60 to college, y
said DR.. Thompson, leaving the
question of needed additional
school funds conspicuously I'M
mentioned. Because most stu
dents who 90 to college leave to
live elsewhere, while those who
do not go to college remain to
work in Chapel Hill and Carr
boro, the burden of carrying
the schools falls on the latter,
He emphasized this fact by
pointing out, with a smile, that
while he was principal of Wilkes
High School in WilkeSboro, per
haps we should have taught them
how to make better liquor.~
Il think it was borne out in
the last tax election that we are
not taking care of the 80 per
cent who do not go on to college.
Other school needs Clerical
help. Il think it's a shame for
the State to pay a principal to
do a lot of clerical work
I've seen a principal stamping
books, filling out a report when
a yomgSter loses his coat, =.
g. BY 1875 they say we'll
have to have two librarians in
every School. Librarians are fun
ny people. They say they need
more space, so you give them
more space, then they say they
need more books, so you give
them more books, then they fill
up all the space with the new
books and say they need more
space. -.
He moved back to the question
of the neglected non-academic
student with another tentative
reference to tax increases: IF
you look back at the issue of the
paper of May % and look at the
areas which voted down the tax
increases, you see that the peO-
pie who voted it down are the
people who aren't being served
by the schools.
Il think we're missing the boat
by not providing all VIC Can with
the facilities we have, because
we have an awful lot of them.
| do believe we've squeezed as
much as VIC can out of the al
mighty dollar, if you'll pardon
the expression, but l also be-
lieve we are not providing all
we can for the people who are
providing the dollar"
DR.. Thompson said he was ad-
vocating the program designed
for the non-college-bound stu
dent for two reasons: Il want
to do it because | want to do
it. And ! want to do it because
want to pass a supplementary
tax increase.
I'm making a personal plea
to you AAUW young ladies to
help us out curriculum-wise,
and one of these days I'm going
to be making a plea to you for
more supplementary tax"
He asked if any of the audi
ence had any qualms about what
he had said.
One lady pointed out that the