"The first aim of high school education should be the training in character which will fit boys and girls for citizenship in a democracy." The program of the committee, as set forth in the report, involves the following points:

1. The formulation and adoption by students of ethical codes and their use as the sanction of school collective opinion for standards of right.

2. The use of section and general assemblies for instructional and inspirational work in character education and, necessarily, provision in programing for section periods long enough for this purpose.

3. The training of students in responsibility for standards of conduct, manners and taste, through student organizations. 4. The stressing of ethical values in all extra curricular activities and the training of natural leaders to uphold high standards.

5. The use of citizenship or character ratings which record excellences as well as weaknesses of character, and which appear on the permanent records and on the reports to parents.

6. Discipline based on a sympathetic understanding of offenders, and tending to permanent reform through change of the pupil's attitude; the services of experts, such as the

State Board of Education. At the recent session of the Illinois legislature, the question of establishing a state board of education was under consideration. Information on the subject was sought from Supt. Will C. Wood of California. In a letter to Supt. Blair of Illinois, Supt.

Wood said:

I would not advise the Illinois General Assembly to establish a Stated Board of Education to exercise some of the functions of the Superintendent of Public Instruction over the common schools. I know that educational theorists believe in a State Board of Education appointed by the Governor, such board to appoint the Superintendent of Public Instruction. I myself thought this was a good plan until I had some experience in dealing

with state boards of education. I have found that a state board of education

may throw the school system into the whirlpool of politics in case the governor is dominated by a low order of civic ideals. In the light of my experience here in California, I can not indorse any plan which will give the present state board of education an opportunity to appoint a superintendent of public instruction. I have not found it an undignified thing to submit my candidacy to the people of California and I should not urge any state to change to a plan of organization such as now prevails in California.

Innovating Courses. A unique feature of the summer school at the teachers college, Greeley, Colorado, is a series of "innovating courses" which deal with present-day educational problems in a comprehensive and intensive

visiting teacher, the psychologist and the psychiatrist, for the better understanding of abnormal pupils.

7. Sympathetic co-operation with the home and with welfare and social agencies of the community.

8. Requiring elementary schools and junior high schools to furnish to high schools a character record of each graduate, with sufficient analysis to indicate outstanding traits and tendencies.

9. Revision of wording on high school diploma so as to include both character and scholarship qualifications. (Suggested revision indicated in report on Character Requirements for Entrance to Higher Institutions.)

10. Revision of the training school blank so that the candidate's character attainments may be more clearly indicated.

11. Emphasis in the mind of students upon the fact that colleges and other higher institutions have definite character requirements for entrance.

12. Emphasis upon the increasingly insistent demand of business firms that applicants for positions present credentials of good character.

The committee believes that the program as outlined above cannot be well carried out unless the position of dean be established in all high schools.

persons:

a system of schools. This point was especially emphasized by Dr. George A. Coe who made the report. The importance of a proper attitude on the part of teachers is absolutely essential according to the report, and it was made clear that when the merit system ceases to function the administration of a school system takes a downward course. The report has its basis in an investigation of classroom conditions which has been carried on for a long time. One of the striking aspects of the report was the statement that many teachers show an utter indifference to the idea of moral training. In this connection, the report points out:

While we are not disposed to attribute such neglect to all teachers, we are not convinced that character education receives anything like the same amount of technical consideration that is accorded to other phases of teaching and administration. Undoubtedly much of the criticism that is being showered on the schools from outside the ranks of the system is unintentionally unfair. Senof students' misconduct should not be sational and often exaggerated accounts accepted as an index of the schools as a whole. Moreover they should not be held responsible for more than their proper share in the control and guidance of youth. If employers and parents discover faults in our young people it does not follow that the schools are at fault, for the home, the church, a multitude of community agencies and forces, and the whole tone of society are factors which have a part in making the

That vaccinations and serums generally are of controversial value was frankly admitted by numerous leading physicians in testimony presented at a federal hearing last May.

Many leading physicians have directed attention to the tendency toward credulity among even the best physicians and the experimental character of vaccinations and serums in general.

That the public schools of New York City are being used as a vast experimental medical laboratory in which one new medical test after another is being tried out on children is apparent from the startling admissions of physicians of the New York City department of health.

Nutrition Work for Pre-School Children. An investigation was conducted by the children's bureau, United States Department of Labor, for the purpose of discovering and comparing the methods used by the different cities and counties in nutrition work for young children between babyhood and school age. This investigation involved the survey of the nutrition work in ten of the great cities of the country and of that work in several rural communities in Alabama, Arkansas, and Michigan. The Bureau interprets nutrition work as:

Any systematic and concrete instruction given under medical supervision to a child or to its parents that has as its purpose the correction of all the conditions that have interfered with the normal growth and development of the child.

It was found, during the survey, that this kind of work is being carried on by many public and private agencies, while in the rural districts it is largely centered in the schools. For instance, one city agency aims to provide on a city wide plan for periodic medical examination of the 16,000 babies and pre-school children of the city, but no provision is made for corrective care. Four agencies have organized to provide medical supervision and corrective care for children within certain districts. Eight agencies provide medical supervision and corrective care for children brought voluntarily to health centers throughout the city. Twelve agencies provide such care for children brought voluntarily to health center in a limited district. It was found that while mothers return regularly to the centers for examination and advice as to the care of their babies, there is not the same

appreciation of the importance of scientific care of older children. A summary of the report involves the following points:

1. A health center that undertakes the care of pre-school children has three educaprimary responsibilities: (a) tional, (b) supervisory, (c) corrective. 2. A closer study of the factors that influence non-attendance.

3. Food instruction is the type of corrective work most generally provided for pre-school children.

4. The use of a specialized worker for nutrition cases.

5. The nutrition worker is primarily a teacher, and her success will be in proportion to her ability to interest the women with whom she works and to stimulate the formation of good food and health habits.

6. There is need of a demonstration as to the comparative cost and effectiveness of using the home or the center as the place for each type of activity undertaken by a nutrition worker.

7. Group instruction of some kind should be made a definite part of a nutrition program.

8. Carefully taken habit and food histories to give an accurate picture of a child's condition and to show his progress.

9. Health teaching in the schools is an important factor in a health program for rural communities. It should serve not only to encourage the formation of good health habits among the school children but also to create and maintain interest in a broader county or state plan which would provide medical supervision for both school and pre-school pervision for both school and pre-school children in rural districts.

Fundamentals in Community Recreation. Activities which promote community recreation should receive great impetus because of the effort made by the Playground and Recreation Association of America to ascertain what are really the fundamentals which should be attained in such recreation. The experience of the Association, in matters pertaining to organized recreation, covers a period of nearly twenty years. During that time organizations have been formed to promote recreation in 680 cities. The beneficial effects of the work of this great association can not be estimated, and now the Association comes forward with a program of fundamentals which has been approved by 3300 leading American citizens. This program is compre

hensive, definite, and merits consideration by every community in the land. The program sets forth:

1. That in nearly every community with a population of 8,000 or more, there is need of a man or a woman who shall give full time to thinking, planning and working for the best possible use of the leisure hours of men, women and children.

2. That community leisure time programs should continue throughout the entire twelve months of the year.

3. That it is the responsibility of the entire community to maintain recreation opportunity for all the citizens and that there ought, therefore, to be, as early as possible, support of the recreation program through public taxation under some department of the local government.

4. That there should be in every state a home rule bill which will permit the people of any city or town to make provision under their local government for the administrations of their com munity recreation.

5. That there is need in every community, even though the municipal recreation administrative body be most effective, for private organization of citizens in their neighborhoods to make the fullest use of the facilities provided, to make sure that what is being done is meeting the deeper needs of the people of the neighborhood.

6. That the emphasis ought to be not only on maintaining certain activities on playgrounds and in recreation centers but also and definitely on the training of the entire people in leisure time activities, so that within the home, in the church and throughout all natural, human relationships there shall be the best opportunity for wholesome good times.

7. That the purpose in training children and young people in the right use of leisure ought not to be merely to fill up the idle hours but also to create an active, energetic, happy citizenship.

8. That even though the beginning of a city or town recreation program be children's playgrounds, other features ought to be added progressively from year to year until music, dramatic activities and discussion of public questions, training for more intellectual uses of spare time, and other valuable activities have been included, so that all ages and all kinds of people may find vital in

terest.

9. That every boy and every girl in America ought to be trained to know well a certain limited number of games for use outdoors and indoors, so that

any

there will never be occasion for boy or any girl to say that he cannot think of anything to do.

10. That most boys and girls should be taught a few simple songs, so that, if they wish, they may sing as they work or play.

11. That all employed boys and girls should have opportunity in their free hours to enjoy companionship and wholesome social life.

12. That through the community recreation program every boy and girl should come to appreciate the beautiful in life.

13. That adults, through music, drama, games, athletics, social activities, community and special day celebrations, should find in their common interests the opportunity for a common community service.

a

14. That every new school built ought to have certain minimum amount of space around it provided for the play of the children.

15. That nearly every new school building ought to have an auditorium preferably on the ground floor and should be so constructed that it is suited for community uses.

16. That if a suitable meeting place for community groups is not available in the schools or elsewhere, a community building should be provided through community effort.

17. That each child, under ten years of age, living in a city or town should be given an opportunity to play upon a public playground without going more than one-quarter mile from home.

18. That every community should provide space in sufficient area for the boys of the community to play baseball and football.

19. That every community should provide opportunity for the boys and girls to swim in summer and, as far as possible, to skate and coast in winter.

20. That every boy and every girl ought to have opportunity, either on his own home grounds or on land provided by the municipality, to have a small garden where he may watch the growth of plants, springing up from seeds which he has planted.

21. That in new real estate develop ments of five acres or more, not less than one-tenth of the space should be set aside to be used for play just as part of the land is set aside for streets.

Religious Courses in School. In comments upon the public school system of the nation, pertaining to its failure to provide religious instruction

in its curricula, Mrs. Tom Paulding of Huntington, Indiana, urged a campaign for the introduction of subjects which would cover such instruction. Among other things, Mrs. Paulding pointed out that adult Americans believe in the Bible and that it is generally agreed that religion is the chief and main thing in life. Continuing, Mrs. Paulding said:

Our actions as a nation speak louder than our words. We defend religion all religion-as an American institution. But how old does a human being have to be, in America, before he may be considered as having a soul? How old must he be before religion is supposed to play any part in his life? How old must he be before the book of books the Mosaic Bible, one of the nine great books of conduct which all men of the

human race live by-can be safely put

into his hands?

Mrs Paulding referred to a message of greeting which was sent to parents in New York City on New Year's day a year ago. This message, which was signed by a rabbi, a priest, and the president of the New York Federation of Churches, ran in part as follows: We make this fervent appeal to all our citizens to ennoble our native land by giving our children the priceless boon of religious education.

Pointing out that every race has a religion and that religion is the great motive of man, Mrs. Paulding said that, even so, religion is left out of the earliest education of children, and that:

The children in our public schools— so a great clergyman told a group of 150 writers and editors in New York City recently-know more about Abraham Lincoln, whether you like this fact or not, than they do about Jesus Christ. And as for most public schools, he might as well have said, than they do about God.

Mrs. Paulding believes that American fathers and mothers can put a new note in school life within a few years if they act together in this matter of providing religious instruction. She maintained. that this country will soon have a national system of education, a secretary of national education will sit in the

president's cabinet, and that such a system of education must have religion and the teaching of the Bible as one of its dominating aspects.

Project Method Impracticable. Dr. William H. Kilpatrick, Teachers College, Columbia University, in a recent address defined the project method

as "an ideal to be worked toward and not a device to be put into effect overnight." While he praised the project idea he expressed himself as being very doubtful whether it could be adapted successfully to present school organization. He went on to say that education by this method of purposeful activity would develop pupil participation and responsibility and would tend toward the creation of a civilization of selfdirecting principles. He believes, however, that to attain this ideal would be the work of centuries, because the program of re-organizing our educational system to fit the needs of this country would take more than 200 years. Incidentally, Dr. Kilpatrick pointed out that he would not be surprised if this re-organization effort turned out to be one of the permanent problems of civilization. Continuing his comments. upon the curriculum, he said:

One of the greatest defects with the present system is that what is taught in school is not applied in life. Life is the purposeful prosecution of enterprises. When the child will get his or her school learning through purposeful activity then we shall have increased the number of common elements between school and life. It is one thing to teach what is in books; it is quite another thing to make morally sensitive and responsible citizens. The only way to achieve this end is to practice the necessary virtues during childhood and youth. A project is the pursuit of a purpose. In this category I would include extra-curricula activities and student self-government.

Dr. Kilpatrick pointed out that in order to get pupils to learn something well one must get them interested in it in order to make the work purposeful. When this is done, he says that children grasp the project with better understanding and overcome difficulties by themselves. This creates a feeling of success and satisfaction that serves to fix a habit and constitute real learning. Studying merely to stand in an examination is an artificial process, he says, and study should be directed at the understanding of problems. He called attention to the social benefits to be derived from group project, and, summarizing the advantages of the project. method he said: "The project method utilizes the psychology of learning, provides organization, and exercises certain traits of character that otherwise are not exercised."

Outside Organizations

(Continued from page 485)

No bulletin, circular or other publication of any character, whose purpose is to spread propaganda or to foster membership in, or subscriptions to the funds of, any organization not directly under the control of the school authorities, or to be used as the basis of study or recitation or to supplement the regular school studies shall be distributed or suffered to be distributed or shown to the pupils of any public school, on the school premises during school hours or within one hour before the time of opening or within one hour after the time of closing of such school nor shall pupils of the public school be solicited by teachers or others to subscribe to the funds of, or work for, any organization not directly under the control of the school authorities nor shall any instruction be given through lectures or other means, unless the material contained in such bulletin, circular or publication, or the purpose of such subscription or instruction, has been approved by the state board of education or by the county board of education, or by the governing board of the school district in which the school is situated. No prohibition of this section shall apply to bulletins or circulars concerning the meetings of their organizations issued by any parent-teacher association or by any organization of parents formed for the purpose of co-operating with the school authorities in improving school conditions in the district. California School Law, Page 166 Section 167 2a.

Other California superintendents calling attention to this statute and to the fact that it leaves the control of outside organizations practically under the control of the local governing board, are: Supt. C. E. Teach, Bakersfield; Supt. W. C. Conrad, Venice; Supt. John A. Cranston, Santa Ana; and Supt. Elmer L. Cave, Vallejo. The local board is thus given the effective moral and legal backing of the state in controlling these outside organizations.

SOME TYPICAL EXPERIENCES
Supt. W. W. Earnest, Champaign, Ill.,

says:

I cannot remember from how many of these organizations I have had communications. Some of the AntiCigarette League's suggestions are used, so are those of the Playground Association. The Tuberculosis Society, local and national, benefits. about $500.00 from seal sales. The Junior Red Cross has had toys made in school. The Y. M. C. A. provides trainers for physical trainers free in the grade schools. Boy and Girl Scouts receive special permits to be absent for outside service. The G. A. R. gives annual patriotic addresses in the schools. Solicitation of teach

SUPT. B. F. QUIGG, Rome, Georgia.

ers for the Community Chest was permitted. Parent-Teacher Associations work for the schools in various ways. Many other organizations are kindly regarded yet not given any standing in the schools.

At East Hartford, Conn., the board of education has a rule that no agency shall be admitted to the schools without the approval of the superintendent. Supt. Percival S. Barnes, in reporting the working of the rule, writes: "As superintendent I scrutinize every request keenly, and if it will 'contribute' to our work, I approve and give specific directions as to how it is to be used or permitted. If it can give us no service or

has no contribution to make to our work, I deny the request and the matter ends."

After 47 years of continuous service at Americus, Ga., Supt. J. E. Mathis reports: "Possibly this long tenure has given me a freer hand in managing the schools than is given ordinarily. No outside organization works through the schools except in our largest grammar school. There the local women's club operates a soup kitchen for the children but it is under the absolute control of the principal and assistant principal.

AUTHORITIES MUST STAND PAT

The "rules of the game" as he has played it for forty years are given briefly in the statement of Supt. W. H. Richardson who has spent the last 17 years at Cuyahoga Falls, O.: "Whenever an outside agency can render a service in the proper education of our children, I am ready to allow it to do so. But I am going to determine when that can be

done. I have always fought to a finish any organization that disputed my right to decide whether it should work through the schools. If school authorities will just stand up and tell these organizations when and where to get off and see that they do it, there will be little difficulty with them."

Supt. B. F. Quigg, Rome, Ga., reports that the following plan is observed in the schools of that city:

There is a rule of the board of
education which says: "Teachers
shall not give notice of shows in
school, nor permit any of their
time to be occupied by book
agents, lecturers or exhibition
men; nor allow a subscription or
contribution to be solicited or
taken up in the school for any
purpose."

Repeatedly in talks before local
clubs and organizations I have
built a sentiment against bringing
outside matters into the schools.

Persons wishing to enter the
schools as representatives of or-
ganizations are required to have
permission from the superintend-
ent before working through the
schools. This is seldom given.

WORST KICKERS FAVOR EXPLOITATION

The bitterest critics of the public schools-those who are loudest in condemning the schools for attempting too much-are among the first to urge the schools to admit these outside organizations. Supt. G. L. H. Johnson, Staunton, Va., reports that he is "excluding all and sundry except those that make direct contributions to motivated school work." Then he adds:

What is more or less amusing is that so many people who have membership in these organizations and who want the schools to teach this and that as 'profoundly important and vitally related to the security of the country and the health and wellbeing of the people' are among the first and most outspoken to criticise the schools for trying to teach too many things and for not emphasizing the fundamentals. SCHOOLS NOT ADVERTISING AGENCIES With only Red Cross and tuberculosis seals activities admitted to his school system, Supt. F. W. McVay, Canonsburg, Pa., reports his practice and condemns