Education and Liberty : The Role of the Schools in a Modern Democracy

Parents, politicians, and philosophers—as well as schools, colleges, and universities—face a decision on the social ideals, educational principles, and practical considerations which are to guide them in dealing with the tremendous growth of student population. The shortage of classroom space and of teachers is already making front-page news across the country, and the number of children of high school age continues to increase rapidly.Here James Conant develops his statements about private schools and defends the public school as the most suitable vehicle for the education of the youth of America. Conant, with his profound belief that a democracy should provide a rich cultural background for all its citizens, shows in this book how we can shift the educational pattern of the United States to give every boy and girl a better “education for liberty” than is now possible.If Conant’s ten-point program—as practical as it is radical—should be adopted, a higher proportion of our young people would attend comprehensive secondary schools and local two-year colleges, while the number of students enrolled in four-year college and university programs would be cut by at least one-half.Everyone with a serious interest in education will want to read and digest the extremely important message of Education and Liberty. PREFACE CONTENTS I THE ANGLO-SAXON TRADITION II THE AMERICAN COLLEGE III LOOKING AHEAD NOTES INDEX