The St. Paul Program of Guidance

Abstract

Superintendents and principals have realized for years that their educational offerings are not functioning in the lives of a large majority of the secondary-school pupils. The self-criticism of school men has had no equal from outside critics. School executives have, as a group, been more than willing to adopt any measures promising to remedy the situation. Enrichment of courses, modification of subject matter, reorganization of school units, changes in methods -all have been tried and are still in operation. One panacea after another has been proposed, hailed, and tried out as the solution of the schools' problems. As a result the schools are in a muddle, and the problems, instead of being solved, are piling up mountain high. One of the main reasons for the failures has been that, even though there have been many experiments, much the same techniques of teaching and administration are employed as were used in the beginning. The nature of the school system has necessitated mass education. Knowledge was, supposedly, placed before the group of pupils, and absorption of the knowledge by each pupil was expected. Its suitability to the needs or the capacities of the pupil was not the affair of the school. The facts and their implications were before the pupil: he could take them or leave them. He who could not or would not avail himself of his opportunity was advised that it would be better for all concerned if he transferred his activities to some other scene of action.