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'SUMMER NEBRASKAN
Thursday, July 21, 1955
oreoseess . . .
Last week an all-Teachers College conference con
sidered the function of education in any community.
Several speakers discussed various facets of the confer
ence's theme: "Strengthening Community Life Through
Education." Their consensus was that education should
take upon itself the responsibility of setting up a group of
community leaders, of civic-minded citizens, to consider
ways of "strengthening community life." 4
Two days of thorough discussion raised this all-important
question: What is the role of education in a
changing society ?
The conference recognized that education is only
one of many social institutions. Teaching is one of, five
learned professions, each with its own specialized respon
sibility to society. Medicine safeguards and promotes hu
man physical and mental well-being. Engineering applies
the results of basic scientific research for human benefit
and comfort. Relisrion is chareed with ministering to
man's spiritual ailments and maintaining the moral order
And law, or government, protects and regulates indivi
duals in the manner willed bv the maioritv of them. And
education too has its function.
What is it?
Education has the primary and sole responsibility for
passing on the race s accumulated wisdom and knowledge
An important and implicit duty is the development of the
character of children , and adolescents. But other social
institutions also share this responsibility. Religion, medi
cine, and to some extent government play their parts. But
above all it is the home which in any community has the
primary duty of shaping young people's characters.
The development of that aspect of the young person's
, character regarded as rational, mental, or intellectual, is
the sole function of education. Traditionally, the method
of performing this function has been to pass on the cul
tural heritage of the civilization.
Former Chancellor Robert Hutchins of the Univer
sity of Chicago once observed that "since in a democracy
all men are rulers, all men must have the education ap
propriate to rulers." Classical education was regarded as
the most appropriate education for the rulers, the aristo
crats. The founders of the American public school system,
including the illustrious Horace Mann, contended that
classical education was also the most appropriate one for
all citizens. In the Twentieth Century, however, this con
cept has come into aucational disrepute. This fact has
been bemoaned by many sincere and intelligent critics of
current trends in public education. Albert L.ynd deplored
it vociferously. Mortimer Smith took professors of edu
cation to task for their "anti-intellectualism." And a
University of Illinois professor of history, Dr. Arthur E.
Bestor, traced the historical development of U.S. educa
tion and set forth his Excellent educational philosophy in
"Educational Wastelands." ,
These critics raise a highly fundamental question:
What ought to be the role of public education in modern
American communities?
As has been stated earlier, that role is to inculcate
in the nation's children the knowledge, wisdom and cul
tural heiritage accumulated over the years.
These critics, who are not lightly to be disregarded,
contend that public education today is not doing nearly
as effective a job as it should do, as it once did in the
not-so-distant past. They charge that public education
has lost a sense of unity and of singleness of purpose.
A clinic was recently held on "Religion and the Public
Schools," sponsored by the department of philosophy. A
professor of one of the humane letters asked a panel con
sisting of school superintendents, a professor secondary
education, an American Legion official and a rabbi what
they thought was the purpose of education. No one an
swered him; there was a long silence. The rabbi later con
fided to us that he had an answer but did not give it be
cause he had just finished a lengthy presentation of his
opposition to religion in public education.
That panel's failure to give the professor an answer
is, to be sure, only one isolated instance, but nevertheless
it is significant.
If it has no coherent sense of purpose, how can public
education perform its function effectively?
Once public education becomes re-oriented to its
proper function, it will be doing its part to strengthen
community life. R. W.
.it
Little man on campus
by Dick Bibler
"Is it true that you recently gave
an unassigned material?"
a class a test over Irrelevant
The Changing Role
Community , Project
New fn Education
The Summer Nebraskan
Member: Associated Collegiate Press
Intercollegiate Press
Representative: National Advertising Service,
Incorporated
Editorial Staff
The Nebraskan is published by students' of the University of Ne
braska under the authorization of the Committee on Student Affairs
as n expression of student opinion. Publication under the Jurisdic
tion of the Subcommittee on Student Publications shall be free from
editorial censorship on the part of the Subcommittee, or on the
part of any member of the faculty of the U:!ve-sity, or on the part
of any person outside the University. The members of the Nebras
kan staff are personally responsible for what they say, or do or
cause to be printed. e
ditor . Sam Jensen
Assistant Editor Roger Wait
Business Staff
Business Manager Barbara Eicke
By KAY NOSKY
It has been astonishing to dis
cover what lies behind doors of the
summer session classes and behind
the somewhat ordinary wording of
summer sessions pamphlets. This
week, it is the seminar on "meth
ods and materials for Experiment
al Community Education Programs
designed to "study recommended
nation-wide programs of commuhity
education and to develop methods
and materials appropriate for use
in Nebraska communities . . ."
But tnis is
no , ordinary
project. The
work being
done in this
seminar re
volves around
Com munity
E d u c ation
Project, the
organization of
which was set
.,,, Courtesy Sunday
Up in January. Jmirnal and Star
The purpose of the project is: 1. to
provide resources for members of
communities, so that they can im
prove their community (and the
key words are "they" and "their";
and 2. to make a research report
on progress in action and on the
conceptual image people hold of
the community and its needs.
The project was set up with
Walter K. Beggs a Administrator
and Dale Hayes as associate ad
ministrator. The project personnel
includes the superintendent of
schools to each of four communities
to serve as co ordinator and an
associate co-ordinator jointly se
lected by the four boards of edu
cation and the administration or
ganization of the project.
These four communities York,
"Sidney, Mullen and Syracuse were
selected for the project at their
own request when they heard that
it was in existence. The person
nel of project staff make up the
summer workshop, and members
of each community are working
with the seminar for the purposes
of orientation.
What business do educators have
in something that should be handled
through the mayor's office or across
the city council table? What do
the personnel have in mind for
each of these communities? And
why don't they stick to educating
the kids?
which
faced,
stress
These are the questions
the project personnel have
The project administrators
that they do not have a specific
design for any of. the communities
for they are not sure what the
needs of an individual community
are. But they are sure that each
community has some needs and
that community members can and
should meet, discuss the problems
and take action.
For example, perhaps the appear
anc of the community needs im
proving. Perhaps entertainment
is available for only limited age
groups. Or perhaps a cultural
development program is needed in
the community.
The program has a legitimate
place within education, the admin
istrators of the project feel, be
cause to them education has broad
ened to mean much more than
teachers, students and classrooms.
The community school board" is
more fully representative of all
citizens than the city council par
ticularly those outside the city
limits.
ine project personnel are fac
ing many problems, some of which
are being worked out in this sum
mer's seminar. Tbey must, first
of all, impress It upon the minds
of community members that the
project has no design for specific
action in each community. They
must develop ways of getting citi
zens together to study problems
and needs of the community. They
must find a way to involve all
age groups and to use all human
resources, partly to acMeve con
tinuity of leadership. They must
help people to recognize all re
sources that are available in the
community, and in Nebraska.
Understanding of the project,
which was set up for two years
with the possibility of extension
to five years, depends upon un
derstanding of the broader mean
ing of education which is difficult
to define and the realization that
small communities can be strength
ened and revitalized.
The well-being of the community
depends on the efforts and well
being of the citizens. And a good
community will improve the well
being of each of the citizens. Per
haps the purpose of the project
is to start the ball rolling from
within.
From-rvM '
The Editor's Deslf
Undergraduate politicians and le
gal experts, often react in a rather
strange and unpredictable way to
announcements' issued by the Uni
versity. Several members of this par
ticular species say that they will
not pay the additional $10 tuition
which the Regents recently ap
proved. These campus barristers
say that they registered in the
spring when the cost was $80 and
they will be standing on their Con
stitutional rights when they refuse
to pay the added fee this fall.
The Square Dance Fun Roundup
now in session at the University
should be a success since all the
participants are interested in the
sport (I call it a sport since it
could hardly be termed social,
ballroom dancing) and there should
be little problem in getting enough
squares (groups of eight).-
But, I wonder how many teach
ers or former phys ed. students
remember the practice that is used
in many -high schools which is
based upon Darwin's theory of na
tural selection.
The process involves two physi
cal education classes, one boys
group and one class ot girls., The
next step Is to place a partition
in the middle of the gym and then
line the girls up on one side of
the room and the boys on the
other.
At the command "forward
march" both groups march toward
the partition and move in a 90
degree angle when they reach the
obstacles. When the student reaches
the end of the partition ho, or she,
sticks out his hand and there, sure
enough, is his, or her, very own
partner for the Dance Thf. first
four couples compose the first
square and so forth.
This process is very ingenious
and almost foolproof. The couple
is joined together for the remaind
er of the festivities and the stu
dents have a chance to become
acquainted with the opposite sex
which seems to be one of the
aims of education these days,
any way.
Probably the only other " sure
fire plan for selecting couples (this
will also work at a YWCA dance,
is to have what is Known as "la
dies' choice." This is really quite
heartless since it eliminates the
small element ot chance that was
contained in the natural selection
process.
Excessive speed was 'the prin
cipal cause of traffic accidents, in
1954.
Quality
Greeting Cards
for every occasion
GOLDEOOOO
Stationery Stars
215 North 14
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