To the Trustees
of the
Henry George School of Social Science
John Dewey
[A letter written early in 1942. Reprinted from
Land and Freedom, March-April 1942]
"I have read with interest and approval the statement of the
principles underlying the educational work of the Henry George School.
They are educationally sound and in harmony with the best practices in
adult education. Experience has demonstrated that methods taken over
from regular academic practices have worked successfully in adult
education only when the latter was being used to supplement prior
academic education or to prepare students for further academic work.
Except in a few cases where the teachers had an inspiring personality,
they failed, of ten miserably, in adult education projects to hold the
interest and attention of grown persons who need a more direct
approach and one they can connect with their own experiences and
social interests and problems. Having visited the School, I am glad to
add my hearty endorsement of the principles set forth by the Trustees,
an expression of my conviction that from the side of scholarly
preparation and knowledge, the School measures up to high academic
standards. The remarks of the previous paragraph apply only to the
methods used to get and hold the attention of students."
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