Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-02-26
THE HIGH SCHOOL,
Why the Community is Not Bound
TO Support Ii.

10 support sts
In recent discussion OF public education In
Its various bearings On society by the Connec-
ticut River Valley theological club, Rev. j. L.
r. Trask OF Holyoke presented the following
view or the mooted question: The duty or the
tax payer TO public education is performed
when he supports those schools Ia which are
pursued the branches OF study necessary for
common life. ~ The taxpayer IS under no
moral or social obligation to equip the members
Of society ID the accomplishments. so called
Branches OF education above reading, writing,
histo y, geography, arithmetic, composition,
ETC., are Injuries OF knowledge rather than
necessities OF common life. The higher math-
emaiicS, the languages and natural sciences
highly desirable for those who delight In the re-
nnement OF learning, are not essential to the
success or the common citizen, and therefore
should not be supported by common funds. (2
That which pertains to technical or a profess
siOnal career, not being essential TO the welfare
OF the average man, however much 1t may con
tribute to his happiness, Is by virtue OF its tech
meal nature, professional rather than common,
and ought MOI TO be maintained out OF COM
mon fund. The high school is more OF al In
stftutfon for examining than for edu:ating o.
leading out the mind OF the scholar. The bulk
or the drilling which young men and women
receive comes from the primary and the gram
mar schools Here the children learn the art
OF memor1zlng. OF calculation, OF putting letters
into words aud words into seatences-the art
or expression. The HIGH school does not teach
them how to do these things be1eer. save 20
the line OF accomplishments rather than
practice of daily life will afford In way
quite as effectual as the methods or uop IF
school instruction. Ii the pupil needs more than
he receives from the lower schools as at present
constituted. we admit that the tax payer would
be under obligation 10 add an additional year 70
the period OF Instruction In those schools. So
far as the technical instruction is concerned, if
the taxpayer Is under obligation TO support
high school as at present constructed, he Is ud-
der obligation to support school more a1-
vanced still,-for II he is bound TO supply in
n ftll taa
cal pursuits, then he is bound to supply tt for
all, else he stands cbargeable with favorftIsn;
ana where there is fayoritisn, there is no CON-
mon school The high school teaches chemis-
try-but why chemistry and not carpentry. A
thread manufacturer said: 81 want chemistry
SO taught that my son can learn to dye IN my
mand the same for his boy. II want my son
taught In Greek and Latin. so that he can lit
himself for professional career" But my
negheor Is snip owner doing large
wishes to send his son not to college
TO be lawyer, but TO take charge OF
business at Hong Kong, at Oporto at SC. Peters
burg. he has as good right to have his son
taught Russian or Chinese as | have to wish
mine instructed In Greek or Latin. The tax
payer furnishes the latter but not the former
and his school is select school, not common
school. 1t favors the professional classes at the
expense OF the commercial. We might argue
also that the taxpayers should not support
high schools because only small per cent of
the children OF the public avail themselves of
Its advantages. They do not avail themselves OF
It's advantages because they are not OF the kind
helpful In any especial way TO them In their
life work They take one year, or two, In
studies which the grammar school ought to
give-and then 50 out into life. OF classes OF GO
and 20 entering the high school from the gram
mar school in one OF our manufacturing cities
the largest number which has ever graduated
Is 16-oftener 12-sometimes 5. They wish
neither technical nor a professional educa-
ton. The tax payer should not be called on to
support school which the average citizen does
not demand.
We lind 1t to be fact also that this theory is
virtually admitted In the establishment OF
academies and universities by private funds
not by public taxation, and those who wish to
pursue the higher grades OF learning do IL at
their own expense. The grammar school, which
has been established out OF a sense OF the public
need, conducting to the general interest, giving
no education which Is technical, but laying the
foundation without favoritism, appeals at once
to the taxpayers purSe-and Is supported
without complaint. We cannot but think that
there Is some ground for the complaints made
by many tax payers against the high school.