ECONOMICS IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS: THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PROFESSION.

The article discusses the problems associated with teaching economics at high school level in the U.S. It says that the attitude of the economics profession toward economics in the high schools has generally been one of disdain and disinterest. While an appreciable number of economists have participated actively in helping to improve high school economics, in general economists have apparently felt that it is better to get beginning economics students in college who have not had high school economics, because they generally have to unteach a good deal of what they have learned in high school. They also believe that economics is too difficult and too important to teach in the high schools anyhow. Hence, it is better to do nothing at all with economics in the high schools. The whole business is terribly low level, and somebody else ought to do something about it if anything is to be done. The article argues that this position is indefensible and, indeed, intolerable. It is required to take some major steps in the profession to improve the teaching of economics in high schools and to urge widespread participation in further steps to continue this improvement.