THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD THE FOLLOWING account of an annual event which is attended by istinguished educators and others from ver the country, was prepared by Helen . Mackintosh, Specialist in Upper rades, Elementary Education Divion. The annual event takes place at he Matthew F. Maury Public School, in ichmond, Va. Etta Rose Bailey is rincipal of the school.1 They came in singing, "We Are limbing Jacob's Ladder." There were ore than a hundred children from 5 to O years old at the Matthew F. Maury ublic School in Richmond, Va. A nall group of boys and girls had preeded them dressed in costumes to repsent the United Nations. Nearly a undred grown-ups were seated inforally along one side and the end of an ssembly room which seemed more like living room because of the long floweritterned drapes at the windows and the ay flags of the United Nations grouped 1 the platform. Maury School, as described by its incipal, Miss Bailey, is in a densely >pulated area. The schoolhouse is out 50 years old, built for the tradional type of grade-school program. nrollment runs around 400 pupils, om beginners through the fourth ade. The visitors had breakfasted at the vitation of the Maury teachers and eir principal, Etta Rose Bailey. They re about to see the annual pageant of Maury School. Written by teachers d principal, and interpreted by chilen after joint planning with teachers, is event presented for several years s used a variety of themes. This year the program indicated, the title was e Children of the World. A visitor r the first time, turning the pages of program, wondered whether it uld be just another pageant. The lines themselves though beautily worded did not suggest how they uld be presented. But the faces of e children, the anticipation of the lience, and the setting itself supplied real clue. The Peoples of the World ough the United Nations' represent e For information on sources of songs and poems, ress the author of this article. ume 29, Number 2 atives announced that they would hear the Children of the World. Then through choral speaking, music, dance, dramatic play, and dramatization boys and girls of kindergarten through grade four, individually, in small groups and as a group of the whole made a series of ideals come to life through their interpretation of 10 themes. Naturally, but with dignity and poise these children lived for the period of the pageant their own ideas of friendship, work, home and family living, freedom, evening paper for the child who was the father, a chair and a storybook for mother in one informal group; in another a table spread with a colorful cloth and a small amount of food; in yet another a chair and some handwork for mother. Then the children in simple costumes grouped themselves informally in these three settings on different parts of the floor. In the first, a small child in a pink nightgown leaned against the mother's knee where a storybook was opened wide. Seated on the floor and propped against her knee was a second child dressed for the night, and over the back of the chair still another leaned ITHE CHILDREN drowsily with a toy in her arm. Father OF THE WORLD Cover of pagent program play, belief in fairies, freedom from fear, enjoyment of the universe, citizenship education and world-wide brotherhood. Boys sang solo parts, girls shared poems, 5-year-olds played with their sand pails, an older boy gave his interpretation of a dictator-all spontaneously. Each had a share in the pageant, a contribution to make. There was a lift to the spirit and a tear in the eye as children simply and directly revealed an attitude, an understanding, a point of view, a feeling that might be considered one to be arrived at only by adults. It is impossible to describe all of the 10 scenes. One will suffice to show the spirit of the occasion. Scene III. A child says, "The Children of the World want to live in happy homes with their mothers and fathers." Quickly and easily children brought out the simplest of stage properties from the side lines: a rocking chair and an rocked and read. The second group obviously from a foreign land-father, mother, and two children quietly took their places at the table and sat with bowed heads. Still the third family group was made up of the mother with work in her hands, and two children. who leaned against the chair or her knee. Then the children of the whole group sang almost effortlessly: "All things come home at eventide Like birds that weary of their roam ing And I would hasten to thy side There was nothing more that needed to be said. But at the end of the sequence of the 10 themes, the Children of the World through choral speaking summarized what they wanted to go to school to learn: "To be friends with all the children To work and love the working To play in the sun and the wind To trace the rainbow through the rain Each of the delegates to the United Nations said in his own language as he cast his ballot, "These things shall be!" and the children left the grown-ups with the words of the beginning song, "We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder." There were things to think about when they had gone. Have children who are encouraged to think, the possibilities for discovering the basis for world understanding? What part will 9 High in the air they flutter there Bright red balloons are flying High o'er the children playing They glow and gleam, rainbows seem Bright red balloons so gay. -Buccal VI. A child says: The Children of the World war believe in fairies for fairies know thing worth knowing. Children of World, if you believe in fairies clapp hands! When the moon is out and all the w is shimmering Beneath the apple trees there is a g mering Little lights are gaily flickering glancing there It is the fairies at their springtime ing there With a skip away and a trip away With a trip away and a skip away Little lights are gaily flickering glancing there It is the fairies at their springtime di ing there. -Swabian Folk T The Children of the World want to go O school to learn to be good citizens. School children of yesterday speak: : I heard my father say last night that Mr. Jefferson said all the children in America should go to school. ir: Would they all have tutors? y: I don't think so. They would go to school not at their own homes. irl: Would the children who live at the lodge near the gate go too? oy: Mr. Jefferson said all the people must be educated if we are to govern ourselves. irl: Where will the children at the gate get the money to pay the tutor at the school? oy: Mr. Jefferson thinks the people will be taxed to pay for the schools. irl: If all the children don't learn to read and write will we have a King again? oy: Yes, Mr. Jefferson said that is the only way for us to learn to govern ourselves. Girl: And that we must always do. School children of today speak: First boy: I heard Mr. Truman talking on the radio the other day. First girl: What did he say? First boy: He said if we ever controlled the atomic bomb all the people in the world would have to be educated. Second girl: To read and write? First boy: Not just read and write. I think he meant something else, too. Second boy: He meant that people I would have to learn how to understand other people's ways of doing things. Second girl: We'll have to learn how to work with other people, too. Second boy: I heard somebody say on The Delegates to The United Nations say: 2 The United States: These things shall be! China: Djeu-ga sheu-tching ying-dang ban haow! Canada: These things shall be! Norway: Dette skol forbli flik! The Children of the World say: The Peoples of the World go out singing: "We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder!" the radio that we could use atomic National Teacher Examinations power to cure diseases that we don't know how to cure now. First girl: We can make it work for us, too. First boy: If you know people and like them you don't want to use the atomic bomb on them. Second girl: It is no use to be afraid of atomic power and try to hide it. We'll just have to learn how to make it work for all of us. Second boy: And that we just must do. The Children of the World say: The Children of the World want to go to school to learn: To be friends with all the children of the world To work and love the working To make homes that are happy and good To play in the sun and the wind and the sand To trace the rainbow through the rain To be free as the eagle is free. X. A child sings: These things shall be, a loftier race Than e'er the world hath known shall rise With flame of freedom in their souls -From "The Vista" by John Addington Symonds. THE AMERICAN Council on Education has announced its annual national teacher examinations. They will be administered in official examining centers throughout the United States on February 8 and February 15, 1947. These examinations were made available by the American Council on Education as an aid to administrators in their efforts to improve the selection of teachers. The tests included in the battery are designed to provide objective measurement of certain of the abilities and knowledges of prospective teachers. They measure the intellectual, academic, and cultural backgrounds of prospective teachers, and are used in combination with records of experience, academic marks, ratings in various aspects of personality, etc. in the evaluation of an individual's qualifications for teaching. Superintendents and boards of education in many localities require teaching applicants to present national teacher examination records. The examinations are also used in colleges as qualifying examinations and as guidance instruments to provide additional bases for student self-study. Arrangements for cooperation in the teacher examination project may be made by writing to Dr. David G. Ryans, Associate Director, National Committee on Teacher Examinations, American Council on Education, 15 Amsterdam Avenue, New York 23, N. Y. 2 Translation of "These things shall be" by Edmund Caskie, translator for the American Delegation of the United Nations. U. S. NATIONAL COMMISSION REPRESENTATIVES cational, scientific and cultural cooperation was held in Washington, D. C., September 23-26. The National Commission is the first American group to be set up to serve as a direct and permanent link between United States citizens and the American Delegation to an international body. The international body concerned is UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). The first meeting of UNESCO is being held in Paris in November. The National Commission at its meeting in Washington drew up recommendations for the consideration and guidance of the American Delegation at the Paris meeting. The following persons, according to announcement, have accepted invitations to serve on the National Commission: Federal Government Representatives Gen. Omar N. Bradley, Administrator of Veterans' Affairs, Veterans' Administration. Luther H. Evans, Librarian of Congress. John W. Studebaker, U. S. Commissioner of Education. Archibald MacLeish, New York, N. Y. Edward R. Murrow, Columbia Broadcasting System. Mrs. Anna Rosenberg, Member of the John Hay Whitney, New York, N. Y. Charles S. Johnson, Director, Department of Social Sciences, Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn. Henry A. Moe, Secretary, John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, New York, N. Y. Mrs. Louise Wright, Executive Secretary, Chicago Council of Foreign Relations. Representatives From State and Local Governments Ralph A. Beale, Director, New York Public Library. Milton Eisenhower, President, Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science. James Marshall, Member, Board of Education, New York, N. Y. Thomas G. Pullen, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools. Daniel C. Rich, Director of Fine Arts, Art Institute of Chicago. Honorable James E. Murray, United Maycie Southall, Professor of Elemen tary Education, Peabody College. A. J. Stoddard, Superintendent of Schools, Philadelphia, Pa. Chauncey J. Hamlin, President, An ican Association of Museums. Ralph E. Himstead, General Secre American Association of Univers Professors. Kathryn McHale, General Diren American Association of Univers Women. Harry F. West, Managing Direct American Book Publishers Council Louis Brownlow, Chairman, Amer Committee for the International Un of Local Authorities. Waldo G. Leland, President, Ameri Council of Learned Societies. George F. Zook, President, Ameri Council on Education. Mrs. Roy C. F. Weagly, American Fa Bureau Federation. Hudson Walker, American Federat of Arts. Nelson H. Cruikshank, Director, S Insurance Activities, American Fede tion of Labor. Selma Borchardt, Chairman, Inter tional Relations Committee, Ameri Federation of Teachers. Albert Harkness, American Institut Architects. Ralph A. Ulveling, Librarian, Deth Public Library, American Library sociation. Thomas S. Gates, President, Ameri: Philosophical Society. Blake Van Leer, President, Georgia Hubert O. Croft, President, Amer School of Technology. Mrs. Pearl A. Wanamaker, Washing- Dr. Helen C. White, Professor of Eng- Reuben Gustavson, Chancelor, Univer- George Stoddard, President, University of Illinois. Representatives of Organizations Morse A. Cartwright, Director, American Association for Adult Education. James B. Conant, President, American Association for the Advancement of Science. Society for Engineering Education. Erwin D. Canham, Editor, Chris Science Monitor, American Society Newspaper Editors. Walter N. Ridley, President, Virgi State College, American Teachers sociation. Walter A. Bloedorn, M. D., D School of Medicine, George Washing University, Association of Amer Medical Colleges. Harry D. Gideonse, President Ass ated Youth Serving Organizations, I Mrs. Cathleen Lardie, President Ass ation for Education by Radio. Guy E. Snavely, Executive Dire Association of American Colleges. William K. Jackson, President Cl ber of Commerce of the United Sta 4 Paul G. Hoffman, Chairman, Bcard of Trustees, Committee for Economic Development. Kermit Eby, Director of Education and Research, Congress of Industrial Or ganizations. C. J. McLanahan, Cooperative League of the United States of America. Edgar Dale, Educational Film Library Association. Edward Yoemans, Secretary, Eastern Division, Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union of America. The Most Reverend G. Bromley Ox- Eric Johnston, President Motion Pic- Charles H. Thompson, Dean, Graduate Justin Miller, President National Association of Broadcasters. The Reverend Edward V. Stanford, Mrs. L. W. Hughes, President, National Mrs. Charles E. Heming, National Barclay Acheson, National Publishers Detlev Bronk, Chairman, National Re- rank Weil, National Social Welfare ssembly. Paul P. Homan, Social Science Reearch Council. Donald M. Nelson, President, Society f Independent Motion Picture Pro ucers. Rabbi Herbert S. Goldstein, President, ynagogue Council of America. olume 29, Number 2 PUBLIC RECOGNITION 5. Encourage teachers to become a part that serves parents, librarians, teachers, booksellers, community groups and others interested in the welfare of children and young people, has available various materials to help in planning and carrying through book programs. 7. Actively support all measures for the improvement of educational conditions which will increase the prestige of teaching. To the State Departments: 1. Furnish forward-looking professional leadership on all levels of education. |