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The Germans have a word for this indispensable ingredient which has somehow slipped from our educational agenda. It is Weltanschauung, or view of the world. But it is a far more comprehensive concept than that, and includes an appreciation of the individual’s relationship and responsibility as a member of society.
For many of the products of our present school system, that relationship and responsibility does not appear to extend much beyond the next rock concert.
So what is to be done?
For starters, every school official, teacher, lawmaker and state official in the Commonwealth should read and re-read the commission’s report.
Beyond that, a major effort should be initiated by the political leadership at all levels to inform the public concerning the urgency of the problem and the penalties inherent in a failure to deal with it.
Only after such an informational process is completed will it be politically possible for the needed legislative action to be taken to attack the problems set forth in the report. To his credit, by creating his task forces on Education and the Future, Governor Charles Robb has set Virginia on important first steps in the right direction.
But all the studies and reports in the world will be worthless unless the legislators are convinced they have public support for the costly and stringent measures which will be needed. These will include higher pay for teachers, greater demands on students and a generally more disciplined educational environment.
Thus, it is not an overstatement to say that the very future of the Republic could well depend on how well and how quickly the American people can be persuaded to “give a damn” about their public schools.
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