Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-06-01
EDUCATIONAL.
The Necessity of Country IIigh-Schools to
the Cause of Popular Education--
How to Manage Schools.
4 Sound Memory the Basis Of all other
Powers-Characterist OF Old
Time Schools,
COUNTRY HIGu SCHOOLS


The high schools of the common
wealth stand at the head of our system
OF schools. These institutions are of
vast Importance to the system in many
respects. The courses of study and
methods of teaching employed in the
high schools always have modifying
influence over courses of study and
methods employed in the lower schools.
The experience of all countries in
which school systems exist, proves that
primary instruction flourishcs most
where secondary instruction is brought
within the reach Of ALL For proof of
this statement compare the primary
schools of Germany with those of En-
gland. The high schools add dignity
to the system and make it appear more
worthy OF support. They afford an
opportunity to all, in towns where they
are maintained, to obtain that educa-
ton which especially fits one for the
duties of life. They make it possible
for the children to live at home during
that period of their lives when they are
most readily affected by influences
which form character.
They are democratic institutions, as
they furnish all alike the opportunity
of obtaining good education. The
children of free republican state must
be trained for their places in life as free
citizens, and all classes must be
trained, as far as possible. together in
the same schools, that the republican
spirit may be fostered Our high
schools are popular with TIE people
They are maintained in every town
where their support is possible; over
ninety per cent OF the people are fur
nished with high-school instruction.
Every town containing five hundred
families or more is required to main
tain high school. Sixty-nine towns,
having population of less than five
hundred families, are maintaining these
schools of their own free will Some of
these institutions are small and not of
the highest order, but they are of
much higher grade than would exist in
these towns without them, and they
everywhere exert their good influences
on the schools below them.
Disastrous results TO the cause OF
popular education must follow any dis
turbance of even the small high schools
of the towns. They have been estab-
lished in many cases by the most earn
est efforts of the friends OF the public
schools, and they are maintained
through the influence of those who be-
lieye that the well-bcing of the towns
depends in no small degree upon their
support.
In case some Of these schools should
be dropped, or united in a larger one
established in some central town, then
the great majority of children living in
towns from which the high schools
have been taken would be forever de-
privcd of high-school instruction. A
very few only of the children of one
town would be able to 90 to another
town to school; and besides, the whole
school interests Of the towns thus de-
prived must suffer. 1t would be a wiser
thing for the state to aid the small
towns in supporting their high schools
than to adopt any plan by which their
number would be diminished. Hon.
D. W. Dickinson, in Journal Of Edaca-
ton.