To Avoid Waste

A MAJOR educational problem of the present decade is how to obtain for each student that optimum development of basic skills necessary to efficient learning. A discussion of certain trends in education designed to achieve this objective will provide an introduction to our discussion of college personnel work. These trends are: enrichment of the curriculum, individualization of education, and reorganization of the curriculum. Enrichment, or the expansion of curricular offerings, is largely wasted effort if large numbers of students cannot cope with the new courses. It does not enrich the life of a low-aptitude student to expose him to subject-matter he cannot master and may not need. Until these added offerings are suitably integrated into the training program of each student, they will be little more than potential educational resources. Individualization of education-the second educational trend-is the goal of those who recognize that the present system overwhelms the student in a confusion of academic bookkeeping and time service, instead of being based upon the abilities, interests, and needs of the student, both in school and in his future adult life. But in actual practice much of present-day individualization involves little more than failing the nonacademic student and shunting him to a vocational school, to a job, or to idleness. At best, this type of educational practice is a small concession to our demonstrable knowledge of the extent and variety of individual differences. Contrary to unfriendly critics, individualization does not mean one teacher and one class for each student. Practically, it means putting each student into such available courses as meet the student's needs, courses which he can absorb with profit to himself and society. Individualization is achieved by discovering such needs through a detailed analysis of each student, instead of handing down from on high, academic prescriptions for hypothetical students. Existing curriculums probably contain adequate resources. Reorganization of registration procedures becomes more necessary than reorganization of curriculums. Instead of such detailed analysis of each student we find curricular reorganization-our third educational trend-based on the needs of an hypothetical average student, or of an hypothetical ideal student. Re

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• Administrative life in the time before crisis

  Laura E Smithers, Paul W Eaton et al.•Critical Studies in Education•2025

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