Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-03-01
THE TERRITORIAL UNIVERSITY.
NOTES AND QUERIES ~ A VISITOR.


The impression has been made tina.
this University has in part failed, in
years past, from the want of primary
and grammar schools to furnish pupils
prepared for the higher studies. A
mere glance through the schools in The
towns and scattered settlements OF tile
Territory, shows that this impression is
of necessity correct. a University
means an institution for the advanced
classical. scientific and professional cul-
tllre; not for the mere elementary
studies.
But new State or Terri tory must,
for the most part, prepare its own pu-
pills for these higher studies. 1t must
furnish its own constituency, and keep
up the supply, or the University will be
a failure. At this moment the Regents
seem to he uniting with President Hill
and his lady to meet this defect.
But how little can two teachers do, to
train pupils through the first primary
steps through all the twelve grades, or
"years, in order to enter the Univer-
sity itself! The task is difficult, if not
Herculean.
The plan in the published circular,
commends itself as wise for the end
sought; but is it not possible for the
other public schools in the Territory,
both primary and grammar, to adopt
in substance the same course of studies,
OF else let the educators meet and agree
upon a course, as the outline of their
own plan, and thus share in this work,
and fit large numbers for the Univer-
sity.
The circular presents the following
model in preparing classes to enter
squarely and Internationally upon their
respective College courses, viz: Two
departments - A preparatory depart
ment embracing all the studies of the
primary, intermediate and grammar
school grades Occupying eight years.
and an academic department, with
four courses, at the option of the stu
dent, either one occupying four years.
This union of plan and effort i'll grad
ing and conducting all the schools of
the Territory, would quickly give higher
character and greater value to ,hemall
and make the primary, grammar and
University schools in reality what each
name imports. The school system of
the Territory would then lie II unit in
plan, and complete in all its parts.
An approach is made to this ideal in
some of the older States. Towns cleo.
school committee and authorize them
to hire teachers and to pay them from
tn, public school fund, for the different
districts; also to establish new districts
{nv
quires them also to establish central
high school, to which all pupils are adj
mittcd on examination. After three
years course in the high school, the
, student receives his diploma and enters
his chosen college or Univer ity, or
{ goes into business lie.
It would not seem very difficult for
our counties to do in this respect what
towns do in more thickly settled States
For example, Thurs ton county owns
good building at Olympia, HOW doing
good service as Female Seminary, but
only partially graded, which at the ey-
= piration of the present rental, might be
made the County High School, sup
ported from the county and public
school fund. Pupils from every dis
trct in the county to be entitled to adj
mission on certificate of examination,
and to enjoy its full course without
charge for tuition. The local district
, schools would adapt their grades with
, reference to the high school, and this
) would be adapted to the University
course Those pupils WHO failed to
. complete the course would have all its
benefits as far as they should go. The
integrity of the system could be re-
tanned and it's details perfected, although
districts might be slow to adopt it.
King county could easily have high
school at Seattle, and Clark county at
Vancouver, and other counties ut their
chief towns, to which the qualified
scholars from all the districts could 80
free of charge and fit themselves for
business, or for the University. There
would then be q consciousness among
the people of power to control, change,
and improve the public schools, and
make them serve all the desirable pur-
poses of educational institutions.
The waste which annually occurs for
lack of system could be thus easily
avoided. A sense of real progress to
, something higher, even in, the hum
, lest rural district, would stimulate
, teacher, parent and pupil to improve
every term with reference to the next
step upward, and SO to the end. Child
rem in the country would have their
, equal class rank with those in town,
and there would be less feverish desire
= to get into town to be educated, while
too young for its exposure, and too
costly for it's benefits.
Such a system would conduce to the
fitting and employment of the best
teachers; the use of uniform books; to
the efficiency of Teachers Institutes,
and steady improving public senti-
ment upon this whole subject. ..
Such a system would attract the best