University of Wisconsin Oshkosh - Quiver Yearbook (Oshkosh, WI)

Page 12 text:

THE PRESIDENT AT WORK 10

Page 11 text:

trade SCHOOLS

Page 13 text:

jidais of Wisconsin TEACHERS COLLEGE OSHKOSH. WISCONSIN As I write this, nearly six months before it will appear in the 1948 QUIVER, the times are normal. It is true that inflation bears heavily on nearly all of us; that partisan politics is losing the outrageous arrows of charge and countercharge ; and that international uneasiness, accentuated by destruction of men and resources, exists. But I say that the times are normal because education is under fire. Apparently the general level of education and the brilliance of the scientists preformed ably to help win the War for us; there are more machines for producing more things, and these machines were designed by men who went to college; and there is as much humanitarianism, and religion, and idealism as ever. But there is still this criticism, and it promises a remedy after investigation. Could it be that education costs too much? Of course it costs much less than certain other questionable— high questionable—and harmful luxuries, but the cost of education is prominently displayed on a pie diagram which everyone can see just as well as he can see a pie. Education is public business, and the public is entitled to the kind of education it wants, even if it is not the best for it in the long run ; and the public is certainly entitled to know the facts about the costs in taxes. I do not defend the status quo but many of the critics of education do defend it ; this is a paradox, but resolved in one short sentence, it means that they defend the old time curriculum : the classics, readin', writin', and 'rithmetic. Great Books, or the type of education which set apart the aristocrats from those who had to make a living by the sweat of their brows. Education is a long way from free, but it is easier for the determined individual of today to go to college, and graduate, than it was fifty years ago. The trouble seems to be that there are so many taking advantage of opportunity to acquire some schooling at the taxpayer's expense; so, the conclusion is: education costs too much. Attacks are made on public education in the name of pressure groups ; I shall not discuss this point futher for that would only add fuel to fire. I cannot refrain from saying, however, that I think these and many other condemnors of education are right in one respect: whether they know it or not, they have a philosophy of education. And so I conclude that what we lack in education is a philosophy. Where do we aim to go and why? Then after that, will the people support the program necessary to carry out such a plan? It doesn't matter so much where we have been; where do we go from here? Every history of education, and every statute book, and the memories of living persons are stored with examples of shortcomings—and some successes. I think we should try to discover a course instead of throwing the helmsman overboard because he just missed catastrophe. This book is dedicated to the future. I hope it is to be a future that you help actively in charting, not just something that happens to you. 11