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THURS., OCTOBER 28th, 1943 THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, BOWMAN VILLE, ONTARIO PAGE THREE tThe 'Teacher Looks at AF os t-,W arW o rld By Dr. E. Floyd Willoughby Vice-President, Canadian Teachers' Federation What place shall education have in the new, world which is to rise out of the ashes of the old, at the conclusion of this present world conflict? It has been said and rightly so, that education is the very corner stone of any sys- tern of sociefy. How adequate is aur present educational system for the task of training the youth of oui- land for effective citizen- shilina fruly democratic society? Wh-af&l_*nship is there be- tween 'the value that we have Splaced on our educafional systema and the ail too-apparent contempt with which our polifical institu- tions are regarded by sa many of pur young people today. These and many similar questions have been disturbing the minds of the feachers as well as other educa- tionists throughout the Dominion,, and have resulted in a strong feeling among Canadian teachers that reconstruction in education is of fundamenfal importance ta the future of the nation. C.T.F. Takes Lead In order to give leadership in this great task the Canadian Teachers' Federation, at its an- fluai convention in Toronto, Augusf, 1942, provided for the setting up of a commiftee to in- itiate, direct and correlate a pro- gram of reconstruction. The C.T.F. Reconstruction Committee thus constituted is of nation wide character, having representatives from the provincial teachers' or- ganization- in every province of Canada, and affer a year's inten- sive study its report was present- ed and adopfed at the annual con- vention held in Saint John, N.B., August 9-14, 1943. Whiie the committee was form- ed and commenced work prior to the setting uil of the Survey Com- mittee of the Canada and New- foundland Education Association, the report of the Survey Commit- tee was the first to be completed and ifs publication was very help- fui indeed to our committee as it enabled us to concentrate our at- tention on certain fundarnental principles flot covered in thaf re- port and to deal with specific needs in education by reference to the survey report. The C.T.F. report first deals briefly with social and economic reconstruction as a basis for re- construction in education. Every teacher knows how vital is the connection between these two parts of the problem. How heart- breaking is the task of teaching the undernourished, underclofhed children coming from homes where poverty is an everpresent spectre! Experiments have shown only too clearly that the scholastic at- tainment of groups of children are in direct proportion f0 their social Sstatus, ah, teachers covet for Stheîr pupEý "The Good Life," in ' Jwhich personality is judged as of supreme measureless worth 'and in which girls and boys may grow up to their full stature. The report emphasizes, too, the necessity for attempting to visual- ize the type of society which we are likely to have in the post- war era in order to determine the kind of education that will be necessary to fit our future citizens for effective participation in that society. 'For this reason," it states, "we decided to atfempf first to outline the basic features and main principies of the society which we think should be evolved in the post-war era."t Using the Four Freedoms as the basic principles for the recon- struction of society, the report1 notes that while Freedom of( Speech and Freedom of Worshipa are in normal times guaranteed within the framework of our pres- ent constitution, educafion has a special function to perform inr connection with each of them.S fi4 E WAV 1 SEIE T A MAN 1s FARM OF YH' COUNTY rrT'5^APAzr MI S COUNTRY/ Dairy PHONE 416 "We must see to it that educafion not oniy gives fo the people a very high conception of the privileges ebestowed by these greaf freedoms, Dbut a clear conception of our tduties and responsibilities as citi- tzens of a Christian democracy f0 1the end that these freedoms shahl snof be abused but on the con- -trary, shail be used for the at- stainment of ail that is highesf and nobiest in the life of mankind." If is pointed out that Freedom fromn Want and Freedom from ?Fear are certainly not guaranteed by our present constitution and that Freedom frorn Fear is closely related to and largely dependent upon Freedom fromn Wanf; i.e. if freedom from want can be attain- ed for ail citizens then many of the fears that beset mankind will disappear. In considering the problem of how these two Freedoms can be attained for mankind the report dea]s briefly with the interna- tional f ield. It states: "Events Lhave shown with crystal clearness ehow closely the nations of the world are dependent on each other. There is great need of an agreement among ail nations or failing that, among the United Nations that international policy shall be directed toward the securing for ahl people Freedom from Want and Fear. Coollng Off Perlod It is certainly evident that there can be no permanent peace unless based on social justice both with- in nations and among nations. The first responsibility, once host il- ities cease, is the rehabilitation of the hungry and the homeless and the prevention of disease. An in- terval of some months at least will be necessary to carry ouf such projects and this time should be used *as a cooling-off period. During this period, international authority to deal with matters of international character such as armaments, finance, trade, etc., and ail other matters in which international agreement and action are necessary for the estab- lishinerit of permanent peace and social justice. This international authority should be provided wifh ail the mîlitary power necessary to, see that ifs findings are fully implemented.' The committee felt that it should not go into specific details as to the type of international authority that should be set up. There has been wide-spread dis- cussion in connection wifh post- war probiems in the international f ield and while there is general agreement on the need of an in- ternational authority of some kind there is a wîde difference of opin- ion as f0 the best type o! organiz- afion. The advocates of an inter- national federal organization whereby representatives are elected by the nations concerned seem f0o be gaining ground and the solution may eventually be found in that direction. Soldier's Letter Sept. 26, 1943 C51291 B.S.M. Hooper, Hub., 81 Fd. Bty., 14 Fd. Rgt., R.C.A., Cdn. Army Eng. Dear Mr. James, Herewit h acknowledgement of il copies of The Statesman which I received in a bundle tonight, through no fault of yours. Somehow fhey had become set aside, 1 presume, and the unit mail man sent the accumulation fo my room. As a result I've been spending the past 2 1-2 hours poring over their contents and haven't yet reached the last one. One o! the copies was as far back as May, so by tomorrow noon (Sunday), I should be more or less up fo date. The Battery I'm with now is ai- mosf 100 per cent Montreal and Shawinigan Falls "produce." As a result, I corne in for consider- able "panning" whenever I open up The Stafesman. Naturally, the death of a local pet, or a full page adverfisement by a local mer- chant cornes in for ifs share too. Pafsy Ann Smith would be fhoroughly disgusted could she have seen the account of the deaf h of her kitten fixed uqp on my bed tonight. Someone had euf if out of the paper, had placed a box wifh a slit in if, and a sign, "Please help the Bowmanville Association for the Prevenfion of and Cruelfy of Domesfic Ani- mais," on my bed. On the win- dow they stuck a regular front page headline, and two or three of fhemn got out a map of the world f0 look for Bowmanville. Ail this, however, is in good fun, though Patsy will hardly iiborcr eps n the-rghtfAe 1o! heard of forms or proxies," I hasten to tell you that we have. We were notified in plenty of time through our unit orders. I think, in fact l'mn sure, that we here and on other fronts have been too busy to spare the time for considering such votes. Most of us have been absent for two years at least, and in some cases almost four. As a resuit, we've sort of got out of the mood as it were, where elections are concerned. l'mn only one in a good many hundred, but I think that's dloser to the correct an- swer. Lack of news from home about such things can be chiefly blamed and a generai lack of in- terest itself may sumn it al Up. I think most of us are concern- ed, with only the one thing at present, and that's to wind this up and get home. Regardless of what party is in power, in my opinion the big job for ail of us is in winning the war and for our size and our population I'm in- clined to think that Canada's done a pretty swell job to date in this war. We had pork chops two days ago for dinner and you can be quite sure that "Jerry" didn't send them over. Two weeks ago I had an air mail letter from mother, which took five days to corne from Bow- manville t0 me. That's a far cry from the 403 odd days it used to take. For the most part, we have been getting cigarettes here quite regu- larly. Only the American Army does better by their troops in that respect. These are just a few things that intdest most of us far more than Elliott, Mercer, Vivian or Bowles. Frankly we are too far behind the times here, where politics are concerned to thoughtfully and thoroughly make Up our minds. As a result we just look at those honest, upright and smiling faces (they ail look the same to me) and say to ourselve-s, '"I wonder who he is?" I'm thinking that if Canada, or more to the point, Ontario wants f0 do somefhing for her sons, she should forget about our votes. Rather, get the nation in a letter- writing mood, and give us the news first hand. That's one way you can help this business of win- ning a war. If you don't believe that then you should be here with us. I've seen some pretfy sad faces in the past two years, and I know that there was only one reason for them-no letter. That's perhaps the most disap- pointing thing that can happen to anyone away fromn home. I know that we here don't often get dowri IEhundreds of other littie girls and boys, when she WÉ says "Goodnight, Daddy", she says it to a photograph. These littie ones have neyer known the thrill of a real, live, hold-you-close-in-his-arms daddy. Their daddies are over there f ighting so that you co live ln comfort and safety. When you think of these kiddies, ask yourself if you are investing il you con to Spe.d the Victorywhich will bring home the daddies they are missing. These *children want and need the love and affection, the comfort and pleasure that only daddies co give. It is in your power ta help make their dreamrs corne true. Make the Victory Bonds you buy a magic wand that wiIl help bring these "ca rd board daddies" back to eager young arms. to it. To begin witb we are re- at ieast. somneone isn't being dis- I must close. Hoping this finds stricted. Every mother, sister and appointed.* you well and the big election over. sweetheart should realize that. To end with, be it known. that Most sincereiy, Cesrhp fris wiigthis is flot intended for my moth- HUB. HOOPER. abotnmsoipf oridys wri.Theng r's benefit. There arc four of us raot o s t o ourdys. wok. The f0 rite totand we have neyer The Canadian Army Overseas reason i sput ob vious.So untoi hd eason to complain. (Pllcheis made of two corps, one of three ely r get a sp t o e a te epecting them in two's now). infantry divisions. the other of rellyhery l ttie f wthe wabt. _WellI think I've said more two armored divisions. Besides Eventhe dstay the weather, than I should have so I had better these there are large numbers of wo'fpas heceso.cease. Mean time thanks for The anciliary or corps troops. I wonder, can you people at Statesmnan. Hope the mail man home say the same thing? Are sends them on a littie more often. General Sir Bernard Mont- you too busy to take time out for Enclosed is positive proof that gomery has paid Canadian troops just a few lines? we find fime for a little recrea- one of the hîghest compliments. I think most mothers at home tion. It's the program we pre- Speaking of the Sicilian cam- can take a tip from the average sented twice, both times to a full paign, he said, "You handied Brifish mother. I fhink you will. house and both times a real suc- yourselves according to the best ail admît that shes the busy one. cess. Byron Cryderman and my- and highest standards of any But somehow once a day, and in self were the only ones from Bow- army in this very short, model some cases f wice, she takes time manville and the rest of the cast littie 39-day campaign. If has out from her long hours of toil for came from as far west as Melville, been said that if was a great honor a spot of tea. At the same time Sask., and east f0 Halifax. We are for the Canadians to be in the she drops a few uines to Hubby or working on another at this writ- Eighth Army, but 1 say that if is one of the boys away from home. ing. a great honor for the Eighth Army Likely it's oniy a page or two, but 1 Weli it's nearing bed-fime so to have the Canadians-." g- t6e $'cc~ Si A 90 T#ER PIC 10ky so# PAGE THREE a u d a d n C a a n d p 0 m fi u t( Ir h p h S( a: ti ti CI .al a S( p: h ti lE a st ci w s n ti tc CI ir r( ti 0