USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Ipswich > Town annual report of Ipswich 1932 > Part 10
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First of all we are suffering from an obsession of bigness. To the ordinary mind this is synonymous with strength, security, and safety. Under certain conditions these words would convey the proper meaning, but not always. It all depends upon the use to which this big power is put. If it is used for the amelioration of human suffering, or to raise the general level of humanity, then it is great. But if it is used despotically and as the agent of grinding oppression, then it is not great, but danger- ously big.
It will hardly be necessary to elaborate this point any farther. Those of us who may be painfully familiar with the Krueger and Toll, or the Insull corporations will get my meaning. They had the power to ruin thousands of innocent people, and intentionally or not, they exer- cised that power. "The big financial interests of the country," so testified the secretary-treasurer of one of our big labor organizations before a senate-judiciary commit- tee recently, "have a strangle-hold on the business and labor conditions throughout the country. He made the statement that 855 interlocking directorates were cen-
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tered in the directorate of a single bank." Here is a power that makes or breaks at will. Is it any wonder that socialism should gain strength under such conditions ? A subsidised press and subsidised colleges, and pulpits oven, do the bidding of this powerful octopus. The list could be extended almost indefinitely. But should such things be permitted in a democracy ? If not, where lies the cure ?
This is a machine age, and its efficiency has dis- placed millions of workers and reduced them to a con- dition of beggary. Crime is increasing at an unprece- dented rate, and both life and property were never more open and exposed to its violence. Unemployment has added millions to the ranks of the unfortunates, and the rigors of the law have made thousands homeless. The moral fiber of the nation is being weakened among all classes and conditions. Agitators and propagandists are received by increasing audiences of our youth. What is the remedy ?
That I have already pointed out. But what are the agencies by which this work is to be accomplished ? It is no time for experimentation. We must rely upon those moral forces that have served us so well through a long, long past : the church, the home, and the school.
With the first I can do but little except to give it my moral and financial support, and to acknwledge my affili- ation with it by my upright walk and conduct before men.
The home, the mightiest of the nighty, sits between the two as the mistress of the whole world. No other word, in any language, can awaken such a host of blessed memories nor bind together so securely the scattered families of the earth. From no place have come nobler influences for good, from no place have greater sacrifi-
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cies been offered upon the altars of the world. Unques- tionably the home has fallen from its former high es- tate; but she must redeem herself, and take again her proud position among the beneficent agencies of the world. The world is looking to her for help in our time of need.
But what of the schools? Are they to take their place among the rational forces of reconstruction and progress, or are they to serve as lubricants to the over- reaching financial and industrial machinery of the world. Our schools are not responsible for this intolerable situ- ation, neither should they be involved in the general ca- lamity.
The schools have always given a good account of themselves, and have proven their reason for being. "The child with no schooling has one chance in 150,000 of performing distinguished service; with elementary ed- ucation, his chances are increased four-fold ; with a high school his chances are 87 times as great; with college ed- ucation, 800 times larger." It costs $384 a year to keep a man in prison ; it costs $100 to educate him ..
MASSACHUSETTS TEACHERS' FEDERATION 15 Ashburton Place, Boston
PRESIDENT HOOVER ON SCHOOLS
On January 5, 1933, President Hoover, speaking at the opening session of the Citizens' Conference on the Crisis in Education, said as follows :
"Our nation faces the acute responsibility of provid-
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ing a right-of-way for the American child. In spite of our economic, social and governmental difficulties, our future citizens must be built up now. We may delay other problems, but we cannot delay the day-to-day care and instruction of our children
"Our governmental forces have grown unevenly and along with our astounding national development. We are now forced to make decisions on the merits of the various expenditures. But in the rigid governmental economies that are requisite everywhere we must not encroach upon the schools or reduce the opportunity of the child through the school to develop adequate citi- zenship.
"There is no safety for our republic without the ed- ucation of our youth. That is the first charge upon all citizens and local governments
"Above all, may I ask that throughout your delib- erations you bear in mind that the proper care and train- ing of our children is more important than any other pro- cess that is carried on by our government. If we are to continue to educate our children, we must keep and sus- tain our teachers and our schools."
Now, who are to be our Mentors ?
"God give us men! The time demands Strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and willing hands ; Men whom the lust of office does not kill ; Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy ; Men who possess opinions and a will; Men who have honor; men who will not lie; Men who can stand before a demagogue And damn his treacherous flatteries without winking; Tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog In public duty and in private thinking."
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The schools should provide equal opportunities to all, if possible. This will require some drastic changes if the adjustment is to succeed. Instead of laying all the stress upon classical and commercial subjects, etc., more emphasis must be given to the vocational, including the agricultural side of schooling. It is to these boys who have no taste for academic work that our attention should first be given. What is to be done with the 300,000 boys who have left home and school and are today leading a vagabond life, getting their living off the country, and engaging in all sorts of criminal pratices.
A considerable movement of back to the land would help to relieve our cities of their quotas of the unem- ployed and make for better citizenry. But these must be taught the elementary principles of one or more branch- es of scientific farming, and this is today the work of the schools. Without this training, the last state would be worse than the first.
In confirmation of this theory, let me say that the waiting-lists of our vocational and agricultural schools far exceeds their enrollments. Italy and Germany are sending whole families back to the land by the hundreds of thousands, and those New England towns, and States too, that are numerically agricultural in their vocations, have no unemployment, no welfare department, and no deficits.
All these schools should become larger factors in our systems of common school education. The Essex County Training School at Lawrence, Mass. is one of our best representatives of this new type of school. The op- portunities for adjustment to a half-dozen lines of self- supporting industry are here presented. We need more of these schools to assist not only boys, but adults as well. We need to teach avocations as well as vocations
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if the fluctuations of industrial haz ards are to be re- duced. This is imperative if we are to avoid these major business disturbances in the future.
Not only does such training conduce to self-support and self-respect, but it breeds a love of home. Small home building is advocated by our best statesmen everywhere, and many of our states, especially New York State, are spending vast sums in furtherance of this plan.
Perhaps it has never occurred to us that life in the country is a great character builder. Here is what our ex- President has to say on this point. "Life in the open is a great character builder. From such life much of the American spirit of freedom springs."
The best men of all times have shown a deep and abiding love for the land.
Anything that promotes or develops a knowledge or a skill that will help to relieve the financial burdens of the home and the family and thereby multiply the op- portunities for worthy leisure and the pursuit of happi- ness is a legitimate function of the school and it should be so recognized. Under this heading, simple home nurs- ing should have a place. Ipswich is conveniently located for such a worth while undertaking and we hope under more favorable conditions this work may receive the con- sideration it deserves.
The manual training and domestic science depart- ments are doing a necessary work along these most use- ful and practical lines. They should be expanded, not eliminated.
"It is cheaper to buy bread than it is to make it," so say those who are living in three-room apartments and so say those who cannot make it. But if we are to place any economic, social and ethical value on the home as a desirable and outstanding factor in our community life,
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or in our civilization even, then let us, by all means, turn our attention and our every intelligent effort to the re- building of our broken homes. Show me a community of good homes and I will show you a desirable place in which to live.
Ipswich has received 950 bags of flour from the Red Cross Society, part of which, I am told, is still on hand. It also received 350 yards of cloth to be made into gar- ments for the needy. If any part of this contribution is still unused, as I understand it is, it may be a competent question to ask why it is so ?
But let us drop this question, and ask another. Who were and who are the individuals who took this raw ma- terial and transformed it into those usable and useful products that are filling present needs and still remain as the sure promise for time to come. Their is but one answer to this question : Those who know how and were willing to put that knowledge to immediate use. These you find in every church and social organization; they are the builders of human society ; they are the few and the fit.
Our Home Making Department is doing its best to increase the number of these "fit."
I am writing too much, but I connot resist the temp- tation to cite this single incident: A girl in high school asked permission to take an additional period in this course. When asked f she made the request for the sake of gaining an extra credit without much effort? she re- plied, "No, we have a large family at home and I can be of more help to my mother by taking the extra period."
Needless to say that the principal, who is humane on occasion, granted her request. The school is a blessing to that home.
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The manual training department is giving a good ac- count of itself in these times of stress. Many a home has been brightened and cheered by the advent of an old heirloom that has been renovated here at the school and then returned to its place of honor in the family home.
It would be impossible to enumerate all the practi- cal things that are undertaken by this department. They all come within the scope of home economy, and will be more prized by these pupils later on when they realize what a power this course has given them in caring for their own homes.
The work in mechanical drawing is another import- ant work of this department. It is well done and is com- mendable of teacher and pupil alike.
These two departments are the hardest worked in the whole system. Their hours are the longest-from eight in the morning until one-thirty in the afternoon and from two until four.
These are elective courses and so many of our high school pupils have chosen them that we were obliged to deny this privilege to the entire sixth grade. With more room and better facilities for handling more classes in these departments, the sixth grade might come into its own again.
I cannot emphasize too strongly the practical use of these courses to each and every one of our pupils ; and had I the means and the power, I would require a full course in one or the other of these departments as a requisite for graduation and a diploma.
In view of the wide spread hysteria caused by the extended depression and it is not imaginary-it is very real and pushes itself into every condition and walk of life,-it behooves each of us who cares to assist in the work of redemption to do some individual thinking. Co-
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operation and charity must be our attendants ; but before we are capable of doing any effective work either singly or unitedly, we must decide on the way out. The serious- ness of the situation is recognized by the brightest and. best minds throughout the whole world. The consensus of opinion seems to be that our attention should be direct- ed along the lines of our intellectual and moral and spiri- itual development, rather than to the material things of life. This, of course, should not be understood as ignor- ing the necessities upon which our lives depend, but to bring to the front once more those principles of righteous living and doing to the end that the coming generation may be able to meet the problems of a society that is be- coming more and more complex and confused as time goes on. Their task will not be an easy one, and no more important nor solemn obligation rests upon the present generation than to give the best possible preparation to the next. They should not be asked to restore what they did not ruin. If our children are the seed corn of the nation, the character of the harvest is dependent upon what we do for them. H. G. Wells says, "It's a race between catastrophe and education." Many will agree with him; many will go farther and admit that Democ- racy itself is on trial with the chances overwhelmingly against her. This may or may not be true; but surely this is no time for optimistic drivel or drift. It means work.
Prosperity may be just around the corner, but the corner will not come to us. Mahommed found that the mountain would not come to him, neither will prosperity come to us. We must not wait for capitalism, nor indus- trialism nor legislation to work their imperfect work. Each and all of these have failed and betrayed us in
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turn. Mass production is not the panacea we supposed it to be; so wherein lies our hope ?
In the return from the captivity each man built the portion of wall directly in front of him and the whole wall was restored and renewed.
This report could have no more fitting close than these two quotations,-one from the French Director of Education made while the World War was in progress, the other from an American who visited that stricken country to observe how the schools of France would car- ry on in the midst of that terrible carnage.
First :
"We admire, not without reason, the serenity of the farmer who two steps from the battle line is sowing for the future his grain on the bloody furrows. *** Let us admire none the less these teachers who all along the line of fire hold their classes within the sound of can- non ; they also are sowing for the future."
Second :
"Do not let the needs of the hour however demand- ing, or its burdens however heavy, or its perils however threatening, or its sorrows however heartbreaking, make you unmindful of the defense of tomorrow, of those dis- ciplines through which an efficient democracy is possible, through which the institutions of civilization can be per- petuated and strengthened. Conserve, endure taxation and privation, suffer and sacrifice, to assure to those whom you have brought into the world that it shall be not only a safe but also a happy place for them."
The above is of general or universal application ; but in addition to this Ipswich has a personal responsi- bility. By reason of our historic background and our
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geographic position, this town holds exceptional possibili - ties of becoming a splendid educational center. She has been warned; her obligations are admitted; upon whom will the reproach and penalty of our neglect fall ?
Acknowledgments
This is no perfunctory task. On the contrary, it is with feelings of sincere gratitude and thankfulness that I note the many evidences of a better understanding and a friendlier relationship between the community and our schools. The unity of purpose and the growing desire of integration by so many of our civic associations and departments are gratifying evidence of a growing com- munity interest and spirit. These are the things that make for real progress, and we salute and welcome them. May their tribe increase.
And so without acknowledging individually and specifically all the many favors and kindnesses the schools have received from so many sources, but still mindful of my obligations to individuals and officials alike, may I conclude in the words of Tiny Tim, "God bless us every one."
Respectfully submitted, JOSEPH I. HORTON,
Superintendent of Schools.
1
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LN : -
r
MANNING HIGH SCHOOL
Ipswich, Mass., Dec. 1932.
Mr. Joseph I. Horton,
Superintendent of Schools,
Ipswich, Mass.
Dear Sir:
I herewith submit my thirteenth annual report as- principal of your high school.
I can well go on from where I left off in my report of last year, for conditions have continued to become more complicated. Last year we had an enrollment of 345 pupils. This year the enrollment has reached 370. I will simply call your attention to the table of enroll- ments for the whole school system where you will see that the numbers in the two upper classes are remaining large and the number of post graduates has increased slightly. Ipswich is no exception. Enrollment in the high school has increased everywhere very rapidly in the last ten years, and the problem of providing work adaptable to the new type of pupil has become more serious.
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It is clear that the proportion in our high school has changed from a majority of those with intentions of pre- paring for higher institutions of learning to a large ma- jority of those hoping to get something tangible for their immedate future. In other words many of those subjects that have always served as a foundation in mental dis- cipline and educational structure for the individual do not present evidence enough of immediate transfer value to appeal to the mass of our present student body. The pupil is not wholly to blame for there are many in the field of education who hesitate to credit such subjects as Latin, and mathematics with any transfer or diciplinary value.
It is clear that we have a very small proportion of our pupils who seem qualified or interested to do hard work in school and this large group of pupils seems to have a serious effect upon those who can or should be doing hard serious study.
Along with this change in makeup of our school, that is-greatly increased numbers, and a majority of those uninterested in our traditional high school curriculum- has come a period of retrenchment. It seems easy for those in charge of our financial structure of the country to say the schools must retrench. Never mind what hap- pens to the boys and girls in our school; we must have our money for the other departments of government. The next generation is already affected by this curtailment, and Ipswich is no exception. Our high school has in- creased in enrollment during the last two years enough to warrant an addition of two teachers to the force. The type of pupil has changed in the last few years to the extent that we should increase our equipment in manual training, home economics, and mechanical drawing. We
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should broaden our work in the sciences, social studies, and art.
Instead of increasing equipment and teaching staff we have found it necessary to increase the size of classes. This gives the teacher more work, to be sure, but the real harm falls upon the pupil. It is impossible for any teach- er to have 140 different pupils every day and determine definitely whether each is following the work. Some classes are of necessity made up of over 40 pupils. In that group of 40 pupils there is a wide range of mental ability. I believe it is impossible for any teacher to go slowly enough for 60% of the class to understand the work and still maintain a standard of good work with the most capable pupils.
I report with much regret that our more capable pupils are losing from lack of real competition. I have made an effort to maintain the standard of work, but if our schools includes over 60% of those that need more time and help, we must devote much of our effort to their development.
Some of our private secondary schools are instruct- ing groups of 10 pupils or less. These groups are made up of individuals with similar ability where competition is high.
Some of our city public high schools are still main- taining small classes, and from figures recently given out by the State Department of Education, we find that in schools of our size 40% of the classes are of 20 pupils or less. At present we are instructing no class of less than 10 pupils, and only 15% of our classes are less than 25 pupils. 33% are over 30 and 15% over 35 with some as high as 47 pupils. I have combined classes where possible, but we have this year some small groups in certain classes that must be continued. We have three
.
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rooms that will accommodate only 20 pupils and two other rooms that limit the size of a class to about 30 pupils. Typewriting classes are limited to the number of typewriters. The building is used to capacity every period.
Teachers have maintained their spirit and worked with all their energy and ability to maintain the spirit and standard of the school. They have had to do special work in preparation for their classes because of lack of supplementary material usually furnished. They have spent money of their own to provide equipment in some cases. They have spent money to help some who find it difficult to remain in school. During the present school year they have donated five per cent of their salary to aid the town in meeting its problems.
The development of public education in Massachu- setts has been based upon the theory that the child should be educated for the benefit of the state, upon the theory that our type of government can continue only as the citizens are capable of directing the government. All people are united to give the children of the state an education for the benefit of the whole. The cities and towns of Massachusetts now provide a compulsory school- ing for all normal children to the age of fourteen. All children may attend school at the expense of the public until graduation from high school. A large proportion of the children have taken advantage of the high school. Some people would take this privilege away from the masses by forcing the living standards down to the point where the day laborer can not afford even to feed and clothe his children to attend school.
School people are accused of over-enthusiasm and emphasis on education, but I doubt if there is any group
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of citizens so cognizant of the problems in the commu- nity or average home as are teachers. We also realize that some of our best leaders, many of our greatest in- ventors, and some of our best statesmen come from the most ordinary homes. If these people are to develop in our present complex social conditions, they must have an opportunity.
We have heard much discussion on depression; we have heard many ideas for solution. Some even suggest that our scientific development is the cause of our pres- ent plight. Whatever the cause, the situation remains that the average person hasn't money to spend, and yet there was never so much wealth in any country as there is in the United States at the present time. The commu- nity, state, and nation can put this money into circula- tion, for money is but a means of transfer of value, and so long as the United States has the wealth it has at present, there is no reason for not giving every man a' chance to support his family in return for some labor or service.
There was never a greater need for an intelligent citizenry, and undoubtedly the stress in high school work must be placed upon the training of our young people to take their places in business, social, and governmental affairs. Our social sciences provide opportunity for a discussion of the problems of government, society, and economics.
We still have some pupils who hope to continue in their formal school education, and for these we must con- tinue to present subjects recognized by the colleges for entrance.
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