New-York tribune., 1885-07-12
TIE ACADEMY AND ITS FUNCTION.
ITS PLACE IN THE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION.
A PAPER BY W. III. MowRY BEFORE THE NATIONAL
COUNCIL OF EDUCATORS.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.

| INK TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE.
SARATOGA, July 1.-THE National Council
OF Educators held morning and evening session to-
! day. At the first the report State supervision of
schools was presented by J. H. Smart chairman OF the
committee. Some of the parts rs follows:
"state supervision Is necessary because having un'
taken the people better school advan-
tages must follow the tax and that the money is
wisely expended. 1t is not enough to make school
system possible 1t shoull compel the location estab-
| lshnent and maintenance OF sufficient number OF
schools to educate all its children 1t should hx the
minimum in which the schools should be In session.
and prescribe minimam of study.
| "suItable officers for tho inspection OF the
| schools must be sppoined State superintendent
should be appointed for indefinite term to advise with
school officers interpret the law, find out the needs OF
schools and report needed legislation The State Board
OF Education should DO composed chiefly Of professional
teachers. and public educational interests
should be well represented 1t should take charge OF
the issuing OF State certificates supervise State educa-
tona institutions, examine and license all local officers
authorized examine and license teachers throughout
the State control county and district In
stitutes and appoint tho State superintendent
"The county, district, superintendent shonld
| have his fitness well attested and have a long
tenure of Office. lie should have power to examine
applicants for tcacherships. and issue and revoke IL
censes. He should he appointed by County Board oi
Education formed OF members OF the local boarls aud
this county board should have oversight OF the schools
In the county"
The evening session was occupied by paper on the
place and function OF the academy which read Dy
william A. Mowry. Phi d.. Editor OF The Nec England
Journal Of Education. OF the Committee on Secondary
Education, composed OF W. A. Mowry, John Hancock,
Merrick Lyon and T. ". Coy. He sketched the history
OF the academy from the time OF Plato and defined the
institution understood in America, namely
"a school. or seminary, OF learning holding rank
hofV cniie and
Tie record of the academy" he continued may be
shown by a single instance II is weknown fact that
more than quarter of a century bad under his nsruc-
ton u single institution Phillips Academy. Andoyer,
directly from his charge college and the entire endow
ment of the institution was less than 100000 ls
believe that tho influence OF all the
academies OF the country durlEg the last one hundred
has been absolutely necessary to the development
OF education and the general Intelligence tnat
marks the American people to-day Ihat
the common schools and high schools are
fair to cover much OF the field occupied by aead-
arrives. believe there will be room for the academy
:" Towns under a certain size cannot afford n high
school OF the best sort. while an academy owing to
III endowment. might flourish there. Then many
school Orphans educated largely ut academies.
and for these small town offers better
| Is cheaper. and this Is no small item 10
the numbers OF students who have to educ"e
themselves on scrnty means. Then In small towns
where high school does not c0utlin but three or four
Teachers IL Is obvious that student cannot receive
liberal a secondary education preparation Tor college
as in "A wrllrnowed academy. THIS leads many to be-
eye that several small towns must combine TO maintain
high school FOR giving business cducatOn leavng
branches and preparation Tor college 10
some endowed academy.
The value OF the college course for any young man
depends arsely upon the character and quality OF the
Youths preparatory training With all the high schools
| that the country maintains today 1t is still
on. OF most serious difficulties for the
youth gct properly prepared Tor the college.
In parts OF the country the colleges Whch
have been established Mud It absolutely necessary IN too
many cases. maintain preparatory departments III
order To GET their candidates properly lifted In most
case. colleges willing To dispense win the pre-
parnry department nj the earliest moment There are
many SPECIALIZED colleges. which are In reality only arnd.
emcs, aud IN many II may have been better III
academies had been founded rather than colleges The
public schools ~ England. at EOn. RugJy, Harrow
their good work of nttmg young men for oxford
and Cambridge The earlier academies OF this country
! n Audover and Exeter. and the Hopkins Grau'inHr
Schuo- Hartford aud NcwHavcu have not yet found
their necessity their usefulness In wise dimn-
iahed 1Lciher they he merged into the Public lilgh
school n uigbt prove d1cult task 10 give
good aad sufficient reason wny century hence we may
not Flrst-Puhc High schools Tar more gencraly
nb-hel than the present: sccOnd-Ihe academy.
especially for It's work of preparing young men ana
the American college literally established at
tho East the West and South: hird-The scientific
aud technical schools dong special and important work
FourtnThc college well endowed and equipped In All
the states and t1fthA few hlgh-cass universities ana
schools rounding out the American system
ctiucatiuu the public doing the principal work ana
private munincencc completing aud pcricctlng It.