Edison High School - Edisonian Yearbook (Lake Station, IN)

Page 13 text:

ADMINISTRATION VIRGIL I. BAILEY, A.B., M.S. REEDER STROUBE, A.B., M.S. Superintendent of East Gary Sohoole Principal of Edison High School BOARD OF EDUCATION EARL C. KLINE Secretary JOHN P. KIMMELL President

Page 15 text:

THE SCHOOLS AND THE WAR Today American schools face the greatest challenge in their history. America ' s educators are now in the fore- front of the battle for freedom, providing important support for our armed forces and the workers in our war industries. They can .in this war by making full use of the tools of good citizenship. Our concept of frec- dom--the very thing we arc nov; fighting for--takcs form in the nation ' s classrooms. A sound understanding of democracy is the best guar- antee that this democracy will survive. The classrooms can play an important part in building that understand- ing and faith in democracy which will lead us through the upsets and defeats that may precede our ultimate victory. Donald 15. Nelson, Chairman ..hr Production Board During the present crisis it is especially urgent that the boys and girls in high school be safeguarded against a regiment- ation such as that which has overwhelmed the youth of Germany, Italy, and Japan, while they should he well-formed as to world events, and even do their bit for victory, we must not forgot that these adults of tomorrow will face a world not less chal- lenging than that which no confronts their fathers and mothers. In times of economic stress and strain, and especially in war, it is easy to emphasize the practical values of education, but difficult to maintain many of the; spiritual, intellectual, and aesthetic values. The Federal Government, with good inten- tions and perhaps of . necessity, has given subsidies for the sup- port of programs in industrial and occupational training; also certain foundations under the leadership of specialists have giv- en much financial aid for the promotion of vocational training. However noble may be the motives of these agencies, the fact re- mains that the objectives and values of secondary education have been thrown out of balance in many instances. The East Gary Schools, however, have not been able, because of limited space and equipment, even to participate in this program. Education in America is concerned with the democratic way of life. In a democracy the individual is supreme and the in- dividuals constitute the state. Every man has the right to life, liberty, an the pursuit of happiness, but not without the obligation to respect the rights of others. Since the welfare of the individual is our chief concern, the high school fulfills its obligation to democracy when it provides the opportunities for every individual of high school age to develop his whole life — intellectual , moral, aesthetic.