New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-27
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Lac lIAkYAKD LSEEANCE EXAMLs mon
IT'S FxrENsiON To woMEA-How CAN HIGHER
GRADE BIS sECURFDi-A TRUE corpuCATIoS OF


TO IN EdftOr Of rae Trfbune.
SIR In Eufop,an countries, where tho stronger
sex has ever enjoyed the lions share of educational
advantages, each CONCESSION made 20 women is the
occasion of general and vehement comment In the
United states no such gulf has been fixed be-
tween the two sexes. the public school systpm hay
inc made almost impartial provision for both aud
private cndowmcnts have OF late aimed at supplying
women with an education which may not compare
i'll with tina; offered to American lads in at
least the smaller male colleges The available ali
vantagcs have temporarily met the demand of
American gIrls for HIGHER educat. on " and have
reconcilcd them and the public to their exclusion
from the supreme advantage OF admission 10 the
few institutions in orr country which enjoy
a European reputation, and which the whole
community Is proud to recognize "a repre-
sentiug our highest national culture. Hence
Indifference has been shown to the movement
by which Harvard University has slowly become
interested n the cause Of female education. The
special scheme OF Harvard examinations for women
nov abandoned in favor Of the Harvard entrance
examination, although Objectionable as a special
scheme Tor women. intrinsically excellent, yet
10 met with little ENCOURAGEMENT: and the Har-
ward Annex which at last offers TO women
many of the advantages ENJOYED by resident stu
dents of the University, appears TO be scarcely
known or appreciated beyond tie circle Of people IN
the vicinity to- whom il owes its existence.
Similarly it is more than probable that the extern
sion to women Of the Harvard entrance examina-
ton, which has taken the place OF the special
sch1me previously offered. VIII awaken little imme
diate interest, YET. although only the examination
is extended to women. and not the privilege of
admission to the University this step Is of great
Importance as the first which Harvard has taken
toward putting women upon the footing rs
men.
Throughout the world 1t is becoming evident that
special education for women Is not practical pos
slbilCy even If it theoretically desirable. To
speak plainly. it is clehr that women are not
worth separate attention The leading educators
in all countries have their hands full with the edu
cation of bOys and men. They have time TO
spend in seriously planning special schemes of edu-
cation for women or in experimenting the trial of
these schemes when planned. Women have not
as yet established any claim upon the attention OF
educators which can compare with that OF the ether
Sex With few exceptions, women have hitherto
only displayed the abilities of second OF thrd rate
men the physical weakness OF a large proportion
is an impeachment 70 attaining high intellectual de-
vei0pment. and matrimony under existing cond-
tions generally cnecks intellectual progress Thus
it is absurd 20 ask the educator to turn his atten
ton from the youths who in every department OF
science, art. and professional activity will weld
him thOusandf0ld recOmpense of his labors to the
young of the other sex. from whom there is often
intellectual harvest TO be anticipated, Il any.
Of a comparatively insignificant character Surely
women can at most expect TO sit below the salt at
the feast of learning-nOt to have separate board
spread fol them.
There is, however, consistent theory Of special
education for women the slightest glance az the
subject will show that there is no agreement to
what the ideal feminine education NAV be- lt "a
comic. in listening TO the views OF thoughtful men
upon this topic to observe how each would gen.
erously admit women to the delights CftTed by
his own field Of thought while anxious 10 with
hold her steps from intellectual regions unattTac-
tive to himself. The classical scholar welcomes
her to the milk and honey OF his Attic feast but
shuddeTs that she should turn from II to scale the
cold he ghts Of mathematical abstraction or lose
herself IN misty metaphysics ne mabncinatlclah
willingly undertakes the discipline OF her erratlc
intellect if she viii fOrWear the petness Of CLASH
cal pedantry. HE mOriulsJ can fancy no more III
employment for the sex, reputed tOIch-bearers OF
moral purity's fair tame. than study OF the moral
law; while the psychologist anticipates from
womans interpretive disposition fresh hight upon
the processes of thought.
Another class OF men, while acknowledging that
intellect has no SIX, and that the ideal education
is for men and women alike, hesitate 10 admit
women 10 existing systems OF masculine educatlOn
full OF cfete inheritances ana crude experiment
But who can number the generations OF woman
kind that viii pass away before men are agreed
TO what the ideal education may be Thus the cry
of essentially feminine education Is raised either
by blind conservatism or 10y interests vested in the
hUmbug Of fashionable female education. Let 10
he observed, however, that a common system OF
educatiOn for both does NOT, at least In the
primary and secondary stages Of eIucatlOn involve
iXed schools We have at command abundant
teaching power of the secondary and lower orders
FROM which We can draw for the separate lnstTuc-
tIOl Of Young girls but of the highest order OF
ped lgOgic power there Is not enough 70 supply the
institutions Of superior education ia any country
What folly then. to dream OF commanding a supply
toI the exclusive OF women. Al the stage of
perIOr education, cOeducatlOn Is inevitable; but
coetucatiOu has not properly the meaning which III
this country popularity attached 20 II, OF domestic
l. fe in common. As understood by IFS more Intclh
gent supporters, COED alton simply means common
instruction and common tests of proficiency. The
social relations Of the two sexes as telowstudcnts
should he regulated by the same standards which
would govern them IN the Other situations OF llfe.
In view OF these considerations. let us hope that
the extension 10 women OF the Harvard entrance
examination may help 10 create gradually IN exist
ing girls schools new curriculum ana new stan
daTds of excellence that IL may Lead. in cOnlunc-
ton with other influences, 10 the foundation of
different class of secondary schools for girls; and
that ii may suggest to the small wOmens colleges
that, instead Of supplying the mere pretence OF
supeI Tor education, they would act more wisely III
seeking to prepare their pupils by "a sound second
education where such can be found The Harvard
entrance examination is held for the benefit OF
women a. "A local examination at four centres
Cambridge, Mass. New l0rK, Philadelphia and
Cincinnati. Ia each of these cities a local commit
tee makes provision for the proper conduct OF the
ton to the course of Private Collegiate InstIuc-
ton for Women " popularity known as the Har-
ward Annex" n 1. NJ
Aetl- Ork, Nov. IS, 1880
THE MINES OF NEW-MEXlCO.