The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-06
The High-School Question.

SD3clal 10 the indianapolis journal.
Your editorial in yesterdays (Friday's) issue
is to the point, and covers the case we'll. There
are some points involved that perhaps need espe
cial emphasis.
The high school question, in general, is settled
in nearly every Northern State. The verdict of
the people, as recorded in their statutory enact
ments, is in favor of high school education by
the community or state. This feature of public
education, as has been successfully argued many
times, is logical consequence of civil liberty
among the common people. Equality of priv
lege demands that all classes, irrespective of
wealth, shall have opportunities for the so-called
higher education.
That our high schoo system is incomplete, and
to some extent inefficient. argues nothing against
it. Every charge of ineficiency made against
the public high school may be made against our
courts. system of laws, our civil service, our
beneficiary institutions, our executive and
against the very government itself. The lneth-
cheney or all these agencies and institutions Is
that which arises from rapid growth, IN
which large snare of the energy employed must
be devoted to perfecting the machinery neces-
sary to their very existence. Some of the criti-
cism launched at all these institutions is of that
kind that arises from comparing the reminis-
cences of the old fashioned reaping hook with
the present action Of the modern reaper, with
the pessimistic refrain that people were hap
pier and better with the reaping hook than with
the reaper.
No doubt there is room for great improvement
in the high school curriculum and in the results
1T reaches. Quality is often sacrificed to guam
tity. 1t may even be that memory work some
times swallows up all other kinds, and that
memorter repetition Of text is mistaken for
learning a subject. All these propositions may
be granted and vet the evidence that is brought
against the spelling. knowledge of arithmetic
and other common branches as taught in the
ghschool, is insufficient. One swallow does
not make summer, and because one or two,
out of hundreds of pupils, fail in these particu-
lars. one cannot argue to any such conclusion
for the rest.
The idea that an educated person must be
walking encyclopedia of facts, dates and names,
is rather primitive and unsophisticated to need
attention now The facts and figures Of your
editorial touch the real inwardness of the mat
ter. The end of all education is, first character.
then power, then systematic knowledge. The
ability to get and use knowledge when it is
needed to ordinate observations, to weigh
facts and deduce conclusions from them, far
transcends the value of any small amount Of
knowledge the best minds can carry about with
them The misconception which would make
the schools of even the highest grade RESPONSE
bic for sufficient knowledge to carry its possessor
through life is crudity no thoughtful person
could possibly entertain.
Inc Idea that school education Is entirely
responsible for what manner of man the pupil
becomes is a wrong idea, due in part to unrea-
sonable claims made by teachers themselves,
and in part to oversight of the influence Of
heredity, the family, church. social and business
training. Each young person is the product Of
all these factors, joined with the school
Again, many of the failures of young persons
are due to lnexperence TO expect that an i'm
mature boy or girl shall have as much Judgment
as mature woman of forty is alb
surdity. Many of the failures to apply knOwl-
edge to practical business arise from this source
Some failures are due to a lack of sense A
considerable number of those turned out by all
grades of schools have little ability above the
commonest concerns of life. When such per
sons get above their capabilities, they of course
make sad work it. Sense is generally conceded
to be an original endowment, and when wanting
is not to be supplied, and when present mani
tests itself without regard to school education;
which aids it by development and the furnishing
of more efficient tools with which to apply it's
powers, but which adds nothing to its original
capabilities.
The idea that education has no value except
that which can be measured by dollar and-cents
standard is very unfair, well very I'M
fortunate one The highest values of education
of many other important things. are lily
measured by such a standard The bread and
butter question is doubt important, but
there things that take precedence
over even it. The efficiency of man as a citi
gen, member of the family, church, and society
not only has a value in itself, but determines
how profitable bread Garner he may be.
GREENCAsTLE July L. S. S. PEW.