Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science

The membership of the American Academy of Political and Social Science-numbering now more than six thousand-is made up principally of intelligent men and women who are both progressive and public spirited. The great majority of them are laymen in the field of education. They are nevertheless in most instances among the leading promoters of all public educational movements which tend to the enrichment of the individual life or to the collective attainment of our national ideals. They reside in every section of the country and include among their number representatives of all the principal vocations. Into their hands this volume of The Annals will fall in the course of its regular circulation. It is hoped that many additional copies will be read by members of Chautauqua and Teachers' reading circles and by the regular patrons of our public libraries. In planning the volume the editor has endeavored, therefore, to include only such topics as were thought to be worthy of the attention of these several groups of serious-minded readers.

The United States of today furnishes the best laboratory in the world's history for the experimental determination of what is really worth while in the organization, content, and method of public education. All open-minded, forward-looking citizens are deeply interested in the general improvement of our educational system. They earnestly desire to see any and every innovation which promises real advancement, whether suggested by expert or by layman, given a fair trial under the most favorable conditions. They recognizefrom a sense of national patriotism-the duty of all to promote country-wide experimentation, on a suitable scale, with every rational practice in education which has been conspicuously successful in a given local community or in any particular social group in our complex population.

It is believed that the aims set forth and the practices described in the articles which follow will indicate in each case one of the lines of possible national achievement in public education. It is hoped that the wide study of these aims and practices may result in a more general attempt at such educational readjustment as may be found to be sound in theory and feasible in practice.

Part I is devoted to a discussion of some of the newer social aims in education and to a statement of a few of the changes which are being made in the curriculum and organization of the school to bring them into harmony with these aims. Part II tells the story of some definite attempts to coördinate the activities of the several social institutions closely related to the school. Part III gives in outline a description of the functions and activities of some of the numerous agencies which are promoting the educational interests of adolescents and adults in the post-school period of life.

Many topics of equal importance with those treated have had to be omitted for lack of space. This leaves some gaps in the outline of topics originally planned. It is hoped, however, that the introductory chapter by the editor may reveal the unity of purpose which has prompted the selection of those included. The conditions under which such a volume as this must be compiled and edited render it impossible to give the whole work the definiteness of aim or the logical organization and balanced treatment which could be given if the contributors were able to confer in person with each other and with the editor before attempting the preparation of their several chapters. It is believed, however, that the articles are well named, that there is little undesirable repetition and that the table of contents will be a reliable guide to the reader who has time for only a few articles on topics along the lines of his special interests or particular needs. The sub-headings in the longer articles will clearly reveal the scope and order of treatment.

The editor takes this opportunity to thank all of the numerous contributors for their voluntary services and for their unfailing promptness and courtesy in the course of the correspondence which it has been necessary to conduct in connection with the preparation of this volume.

AMBROSE L. SUHRIE, Editor in Charge of Volume.

« Previous Continue »

Books

Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Volume 67