CENTRE DAILY TIMES

2-19-72

Learning Of the Gap

We have three children in the Park Forest schools. Before the School Board announced its dismissal of a competent student teacher, we had never been concerned about unhealthy influences on our children from within the school system.

They’ have been offered good instruction by fine and generous teachers. They have been taught, by precept and example, the values of tolerance and respect for individual rights and freedoms.

We now are concerned that the School Board_, no matter how well intentioned, is teaching a very different lesson. It has not only failed to defend some of our most cherished social ideals, it has taken the lead in disavowing them.

Perhaps, in a peculiar way, that’s a good lesson for our children. It teaches them the sad gap that too often exists between ideals and practice in the adult world.

But we would have been happier if the point had been made without undermining their faith, and ours, in the fair and open-mindedness of those entrusted with formulating educational policy in our community.

JUDD & BETTY ARNOLD

State College