Chief.... Statisticians in: Land-grant college statistics U. S. and territories Foreign educational statistics Foreign statistical translators (2). Specialist in standard educational tests of men tality, grading, and studies of the grades 2,000 EDUCATIONAL HISTORY. Specialist in the past and especially the present educational history of the following countries: 3,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 ... 1,800 1,400 The present organization to be worked out as a part of FEDERAL BOARD FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION. Soldiers to remain as the Federal Board for Voca- The preceding scheme, glaring in the present void of any adequate national regulation of education at Washington, appears elaborate and too idealistic. Men knowing naught of educational history cannot but think so. Yet it advocates an annual expenditure of only $425,000 for the supervision of the greatest system of democratic education in the world. It wants about as much for Education in Washington as is freely given to the Civil Service Commission. That seems certainly reasonable when you contrast the relative importance of the two functions of the government, Education vs. Civil Service. One characteristic should distinguish the Department of Education from other departments: that is, the U. S. Secretary of Education should be a permanent position, not shifting with a change of power of political parties. Educational efficiency peculiarly demands this. The Secretary of Education should have the privileges and honor of attending Cabinet meetings, but be without a vote or voice in its proceedings, unless his voice or vote should be requested by a majority of the Cabinet. [NOTE: The House bill was passed by the Senate with few changes, principally increases to justices, judges and other legal positions. The law may be obtained from document "PublicNo. 314-65 Congress, H. R. 14,078."] Repression, Impression, Expression in the FRANK HERBERT PALMER, A. M., EDITOR OF "EDUCATION." T HE three "pressions," or pressures, enumerated in the above title play important parts in the drama of home and school life. For it is a drama-too often a tragedy—is this "bringing up" or educating a child or a group of children. And the use of pressures of different kinds and by various persons has much to do with the outcome of the drama. There are bunglers galore, who manipulate the forces without studying or understanding the problem. That so many children somehow get by and become fairly normal and successful men and women, is a wonder. It would seem to be part and parcel with that special providence which enables so many children to fall out of windows and roll under moving vehicles, or into streams and ponds, and yet come out unscathed. Truly it does seem miraculous that the "kiddies" can receive so much amateur mangling at the hands of careless parents, ignorant, nurses, immature teachers, vicious comrades and avaricious confectioners and still grow up into healthy, normal, useful citizenship. The fact suggests the greatness of the opportunity for intelligent, thoughtful and careful educators. When these virtues of intelligence, thoughtfulness and care become the rule instead, of the exception, then we may reasonably expect a great increment of racial strength and efficiency. Then we may hope for the fulfilment of the poet's vision: "Then reign the world's great bridals, chaste and calm, I. REPRESSION. Nature uses it liberally. For this very reason it may be the more sparingly used by parents and teachers. The small new comer is a wonderful little surprise-package of possibilities, tendencies and powers. He is tossed into an unknown environment against which he bumps on every side. He learns by action and experience. He churns the air with impotent fists. He kicks his chubby feet against opposing obstacles and hardens them for future use. As soon as a little more strength comes he proceeds to roll off the bed, or down the stairway, and the hardness of the floor punishes and teaches him. The pain of burns represses his desire to handle the hot stove or flatiron. He experiments disasterously, or shall we not rather say instructively, with the law of gravitation and gets a working knowledge of it that is far more enlightening and practical than are the elucidations of the philosophers. Life for him is for a long time a continuous and most interesting experiment, in which Mother Nature is his great and unerring teacher. She is inexorable, perfectly consistent, and absolutely truthful. She never threatens without fulfilment. She does not argue, nor hesitate. Under the pressure of her discipline the child learns. He finds his limitations. He finds his limitations. He gets wise and discreet. He matures into a reasonable and efficient being. There is no mother so wise as Mother Nature. teacher who uses so faultless a pedagogy as she. There is no Let us note that her use of repression is so thorough that we can safely leave it to her, for the most part, to use this particular instrument of education. Many parents and teachers make the mistake of trying to do over again that which Mother Nature can do, has done, and will continue to do, if necessary, much more wisely and effectively than they can. Nothing irritates a normal, growing child more thoroughly than to have his elders continually telling him not to do this or that thing which his own experience and his own intelligence has long ago taught him that he ought not to do. It is true that many a child is headstrong and wilful and persists in doing some things that are wrong, or in doing many things that are right in the wrong way. But, exceptions prove the rule; we admit the exceptions, which make valid some use of repression by parents and teachers. But we are arguing for its elimination just as far as possible, because the average child gets it naturally and inevitably through Nature's own laws and resents artificial repression and reacts against it to his own great and lasting injury. Moreover, by taking some risks and doing some things from which his fond parents or unwise teachers would restrain him, he develops initiative, acquires experience, gains strength of will and accuracy of judgment, which will be of the utmost value throughout his whole life. We argue for the reduction of repression to its lowest terms, in home and school, because when it is much used it tends to produce depression. The repressed child becomes flabby, nerveless and inefficient. He gets discouraged and grows indifferent. He sinks back into an indolent and commonplace habit of thought and life. Looking out of our window one cold winter's day we visualized this lesson about repression, in the striking contrast presented in the appearance and attitude of two children of about the same age, who had been sent out from their separate homes to play in an adjoining lot. There was a good deal of snow on the ground and some still falling. One of the children was conveniently dressed, with strong, high shoes which had evidently been oiled, corduroy pants, a sweater, cap and waterproof gloves. Legs, arms, feet, fingers were perfectly free; and with intense interest he was making a snow fort, snowball ammunition, passageways through the drifts, and having a grand, good, healthful time everyway. The other child had been wrapped and covered from head to foot by an anxious mother, with coats, leggings, scarfs, wristers, ear-tabs, mittens, and every other contrivance imaginable, to the intent of keeping him from "catching cold." Evidently he had caught it, for his teeth were chattering. His cheeks were in pale contrast to the other lad's roseate hues. He was so tied up and in, that he could get no healthful exercise. The only thing he could do was to stand, still and cold, and watch the other lad play. He was utterly and criminally repressed. The child or adolescent youth who is too carefully guarded and directed does not develop the most desirable and necessary power or faculty of self-direction-without which his life will be crippled. Many fond parents are averse to their sons or daughters |