The American Educational Digest is a member of the Educational Press Association of America and is published in accordance with the standards of that organization. Copyright 1924 by the Educational Digest Company. TA RUE, the fact that American Schools have bought more than 4,000,000 of our Tubu lar Steel Desks is, of itself, no adequate rea son why our desk should be selected by you. But such popularity means to the man who does buy it that his judgment of fine and enduring workmanship has been adequately substantiated. Think of the scrutiny to which this desk must have been subjected! Month in and month out AMERICAN craftsmen have been building desks in anticipation of the greatly accelerated demand that seems inevitable through the summer and fall. The result is that our distributors' warehouses throughout the country are stocked with school merchandise that has been fashioned to carefully studied standards. There has been no necessity to sacrifice care and quality to the rush of a ruthless production program. And now, fifty-one branches and distributing organizations are ready to supply your needs on time-quickly but UNHURRIED. American Seating Company 6 East Jackson Boulevard, Chicago Fifteen models for classroom and auditorium—each designed to serve a particular The factory is in Michigan AST but the service is local to you! What Is The Public Thinking About Its Schools? Opinions of more than Four Hundred Persons, Educators, Laymen, Journalists, as Reflected in Magazines, Newspapers and Other Periodicals During the Past Five Years- A Review of an Extended Study made by E. R. Edwards, Formerly State High School Inspector for North Dakota. |RITICISMS of and comments on Education, appearing in newspapers and magazines are, without doubt, potent factors in determining public sentiment regarding this branch of public service. This mass of material including the press opinions should reveal what the public thinks about public education as it exists in our country today. It is also suspected that school authorities have been slow to react favorably to the criticisms both favorable and otherwise of the schools. Schools may be insisting on a procedure and curricula that are unacceptable to the public which supports the schools. It is a part of the business of this study to determine if possible if such is the case. SE Procedure EVERAL excellent questionnaire studies being available there was not much hope to gain anything by repeating approach to the problem. It was thought advisable for the reason stated above to discover what were the the opinions of the people who thought deeply and keenly enough on the subject to write and publish their ideas in magazines and papers. Such opinions. if studied over a sufficiently long period should give a sound basis from which conclusions could be drawn. In order that the approach to this field might be systematic The Readers' Guide was used and the articles there listed were selected for reading. The period covered was five years. The magazines selected were not the more prominent educational periodicals as this would have made the task insuperable, and it was also desired to get the more popular sort of opinion. Special care was taken to select articles written by non-educators. Opinions of professional educators were, however, not excluded, as these were desired for purposes of comparison. In addition to the above such periodicals as contain current comment and criticisms of education were consulted. The study made by Dr. Edsulted. The study made by Dr. Edward Stitt, New York City, which appeared in the American Educational Digest, and the remarkable One Thousand Questionnaire Study conducted by E. R. EDWARDS the American Educational Digest were consulted for comparisons. In all over 125 magazines and periodicals were used, and the opinions of over four hundred different persons were tabulated. Exclusive of the two studies mentioned above 642 professional opinions and 1100 non-professional opin ions were listed. About one-sixth of the source material was newspaper editorial and similar comment on educational practice. The average number of usable comments per writer was four. This will indicate that the opinions were well distributed. Having listed the opinions the next step was to group them so that they could be used. The opinions of the professional educators were very widely scattered. The most liberal editing and loose grouping of these finally brought them under seventy-two headings. There was no marked agreement among the educators as to what is wrong or worst in our schools. The largest part of this criticism was destructive in character. The non-educators were much better agreed, and their opinions came readily under about thirty-four headings. THE TREND OF PROFESSIONAL OPINIONS earning a living in industry and for industrial leadership. A goodly number considered finances the most serious school problem and felt that the public was chaffing under the load of taxes for schools. Thirteen said that the school program from beginning to end lacked directive force. The other hundreds of opinions were so much at variance as to be interesting rather than valuable. THE OPINIONS OF THE NON-EDUCATORS minister to the real needs of the many now neglected children, the jails will continue to be the continuation schools. for an increasing number of boys and girls. The majority favored special schools and special classes for these particular children. SCHO SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION CHOOL administration received a severe drubbing at the hands of the laity. Adverse criticisms aimed at the supervisory and administrative of HE greater part of the criticisms EACHERS, their methods, ideals, ficers of the schools numbered 448 in THE of the educators were aimed at the school programs, curricula, the preparation of teachers, the attitude of teachers, the work of colleges and universities, and their professors. Such opinions, 168 in number, were tabulated. Twenty-five came to the defence of proand curricula, but no one venturgrams ed to defend the attitude of teachers and professors, their preparation, or general fitness for their work. Thirty-four contended for more at tention to the social sciences, and all were unmistakably in favor of making these studies practical in character including study of actual conditions as to finance, co-operative management, marketing, and actual political problems. Thirteen urged more attention to history especially current history. Thirty indicated that training for citizenship through participation was being neg lected. A few contended that civic and sociology should be commenced in the kindergarten and continued through the universities. In all seventy opinions were favorable to greater stress on the social studies.. Forty educators considered the "by products" of education more important than the products. In this expression was included such things as character, personality, capacity for work, musical enjoyment, patriotism, power to estimate values, individuality, ideals, respect for law, ethics, art. It was evident that these were being more or less seriously neglected in public school education. Ten thought that the fundamentals were being neglected. Sixteen favored special arrangements for unusual children, whether bright or dull. As to the subjects of Latin, Greek, and mathematics an even dozen were found strongly contending for these while thirteen opposed with equal vigor. Forty-two urged better training for moral influence, etc. were criticised 120 times. Education in more general terms received 282 criticisms. Twentyeight others made still more general criticisms of educational procedure. These opinions ranged all the way from the mild mannered individual who said "that schools should connect education with life," to a man who averred that the average college graduate is like the Sunday supplement.' Like their professional brethren the laymen were also strong contenders for the value of the "by products" of education, or "the mastery of the arts of living." Opinions of their character, to the number of 224, were expressed. From this it is evident that the public is thinking more about the effects of education than about the subjects taught. This is an encouraging sign. Thirty-seven contended for more emphasis on fundamentals, while fifty-one were strongly in favor of more vocational training and allied work including vocational guidance. Forty bluntly stated that vocational training to date was unsuccessful or even a farce. Twenty-two criticised more or less severely the plans, course, methods, etc. of the elementary schools. Fifteen held that work than the high schools and colthe elementary schools were doing better leges. Only three saw fit to defend the higher institutions, while thirty-three found serious fault with them. The adverse criticisms were mostly aimed at the product of the colleges. Very pronounced sentiment against the manner in which the school authorities enforce attendance law was found. It was the opinion of fifty-seven writers, including social workers, juvenile court judges, and parents, that the crying need is for the schools to substitute the trained social worker, the trained nurse, or someone specially fitted for the task, for the usual attendance of ficer. All of these felt that unless the public school can retain and specially cluding school boards and university regents. Such an array of opinion indicates clearly that a new plan of school administration is being demanded. This group of ideas, and those expressed about the attitude of the teachers, school programs, and curricula disclose the real storm centers in public opinion regarding school matters. School finance was discussed by eighty-nine, and only eleven felt that schools imposed too great a burden or that serious curtailment was necessary. Parsimony rather than extravagance seemed to be blamed for educational troubles. More and better attention to the social group of studies was unmistakably favored by 226. Special emphasis was placed on the need for better teaching of civics and economics and more attention to these subjects. History and sociology, while often mentioned, were not stressed like the others. On this topic the minority opinion was that "voters from the elementary schools and governors from the colleges and university have nearly wrecked civilization." One hundred other opinions while rather vague were indicative of distrust of the efficiency of the schools zenship. as agencies for promoting reliable citi TH MEN TEACHERS HERE was strong contention for men teachers. The feeling among both the laymen and the edu more cators was prevalent that the social group of subjects cannot be effectively taught unless we get the better type of men into teaching more permanently. This opinion coupled with the opinions adverse to administration indicate that young men will be safe in education if they avoid the supervisory and administrative positions. It was disappointing to find in the entire compilation of opinions no mention of training for leadership for its own sake. Conclusions HERE can be no doubt as to the TH sincerity and candor of the persons who furnished the opinions from which this study was made. Nothing im passioned or pedantic was allowed to enter into the study. Therefore the opinions cannot be disregarded by those immediately interested in the public schools. Fully five-sixths of the material was rather constructive in character. There was very little pessimism as such expressed. The educators were far more gloomy over the financial side of the school problem than the laymen. Two groups of writers had a good deal in common. These points in the main were: Faulty administration of schools and colleges. The need for a different and better preparation of teachers and a better attitude on the part of teachers toward their work, the pupils, and the public. CE Lessons to be Drawn ERTAIN lessons can be drawn from the study. In the first place the wide variation of opinion among the educators reveals the great weakness about which the lay public complains. The system seems to lack consistent leadership and administration. Unless these lacks can be remedied education seems likely to continue to be a continuous experiment. If administration is as faulty as fortyeight opinions seem to indicate that it is, it must be time for those institutions that make a business of training people for such positions to get a new program and begin to turn out a more acceptable product. It seems that the public is de recognize that the public desires a change in present procedure. The publicis certainly far from satisfied with present results. Things that do not appeal to the public as worth while may have been emphasized. The public at any rate is openly making accusation that those who teach are failing to make those who pass through school different in character, ability, citizenship, etc. from those who have not had high school or college opportunities. Accusation is also made that the schools are not developing young people to use their powers independently. The laymen feel that school procedure is subject to too many and too frequent changes, and 100 professional opinions suggest more or less radical changes in the curricula, the programs, and the mechanics of education. There is here evidence to warrant the continuance of serious study of the curriculum. There is a strong feeling that school training THE public seems to be putting the matter squarely up to the educators. That is why the ad- School programs, curricula, and the mechanics of education all need serious revision and modification. Educational results are very disappointing and must be greatly improved. Much more and much better attention must be given to the social sciences. For this work, especially, more men teach ers must be employed. More vocational education and vocational guidance is needed. Some more attention is probably needed on the fundamentals in the first six grades. The public can and should spend more money on education but should see that it is wisely expended. manding that administrators no longer does not result in dependability or the need of improving and extending |