Education: Sweepings

A sweeping view of U. S. Education, a cumbersome wasteful monster which has grown up without plan or authority, was presented last week by Director Charles Hubbard Judd of University of Chicago’s School of Education in Education and Social Progress.* Into his book Director Judd swept the following opinions:

Elementary Schools: The eight-year elementary school in the U. S. . . . is the source of enormous, unwarranted waste. The waste in money . . . is of insignificant consequence as compared with the waste in the time and energy of children. . . . It is easily possible for all normal children to complete rudimentary education in six well-organized years of schooling.

Teachers: Whenever one reads public criticisms of teachers as a class, one ought to recognize clearly that these criticisms mean that society has failed to make teaching attractive to people who are socially and culturally above criticism.

Superintendents: The most timid of public officials.

Professors: Leadership for the whole educational system is not being supplied by the members of university faculties. These scholars are absorbed in their specialties. They seem to be altogether complacent to let the situation drift. . . .

* Harcourt, Brace ($2).