The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-12-02

does not adequately explain the great
falling off in the number of boys who
try to acquire higher education. The
following causes will, In my humble
judgment, explain the fact under dis
cussiOn better than the two contained
in your letter Of inquiry
|. remind you, dear sir, OF the fact
that In this country manifold OpportUnl.
ties are offered to boys al an early age
to earn, II not livelihood, certainly q
considerable amount of spending and
pocket money. This is a temptation
which Is not held out In many Euro
pesn c0Qntries-a temptation to which
many tolerably good boy In this
country succumbs.
H. remind you Of this other fact,
that the worship of the self made man
in this country, though deplOrable 1t be-,
tempts the boy to desDlse, as his father
ts likely to do, systematic higher edu
cation, and to try and carve out his own
future. In ninety-ni7e cases out of a
hundred the boy fails, and speedily
sinks to the bottom, never reaches the
fame of the great self made man, and Is
finally found on level with men of
whom thirteen do not make dozen
But the fact remains, that 1t Is a great
temptation. College bred men are quo
ted below par In this country. The river
cannot rise higher than its source, why
should the boy think higher education
necessary, or even desirable, when at
the areside, In the press, from the pul-
pit or the lecture rOstTum, on the
stump, at the bar, In fact every where
in this country, the fame of the self
made man is proclaimed.
Ill, Permit me to call your attention
to third fact not general y known, and
where known not frequently denied for
reasons too obvious to mention and too
contemplate to combat. 1t is this that
the course Of study, the methods of
teaching and the mode of training III
the higher grades of the intermediate
C OOl, as we'll as the high school, are de.
signed for and shaped according to the
needs and wants Of the girls and not
the boys. While | grant readily and
cheerfully that the girls have the right
to the same amount which the boys
claim, and that 1t is our solemn duty to
grant 1t to them, claim most emphatl-
cally Gully aware OF the opposition
which shall call forth by the state
menD that the two sexes from twelve
years upward need different mBthOd
OF acquiring that amount, or in other
wOl d5, need different training. | can
Lot 90 into details, but l should covst
an opportunity to do so. Suffice il 20
say, that we measure the steps In our
instruction and the methods of prOce d.
ure ey the peculiar combination of
faculties in the girls, just ss a
father measures his steps by hose Of
MS child whom he takes out walking
There Is strong desire for exertlOn
and application of his powers in the boy
which is not complied with at this age
In the schools az they are He ia re-
pressed, and made to progress es the
girls do. He sits side by side with
them, they are held up to him as exam.
pies whose fFai ty he in his physically
robust nature desDtses. Moreover in
many cases he has not even male ex
ample ia his !saeaer; If he is d wea
character he becomes tff5min8te, If he
is strong character he is soOu filled
with disgust aud quits school to fud
better opportunity for eXeTtion of those
powers which find no satisfaction in q
girls school. know, dear sir, this will
be considered rank heresy among many
educational leaders In this country, but
II Is my conviction, and have the cOur
age of my conviction tOiutter it, Do not
be deceived by the fimsy argument
that the girls are making more rapid
progress than the boys; they are
merely passive recipients Of
knowledge while a boy can rrgue
b mself Into knowledge when he has
male teacher who Is ready TO indulge
him In that. The very presence OF gill,
however, debaTs him from thai iu 4
girls school, fOi ss.,.st is what mOst OF our
high schools are. Where girls aud boys
are separated In different buildings
usually greater number Of boys gradu
ate annually. This confirms the cause
aforesaid.
". As stated above the undue o.
portion of female teachers OVsr male
teachers is to be counted in, when we
look for the causes of tbs early with
drawal from school on the part of the
boys. Boys must have examples of man
illness, of mans thoughts, of mans ways
Of acting, of mans motives, Of mans
will power and general conduct at the
critical Gge of four cen to eighteen and
instinctiVely feeling this, they seek il
outside of school But have 81 ffi,ient.
ly emphasized this under Ill. not to
dwell upon 1t at length.
Pardon the vOluminOusQess of this
reply, but Of what the heart is full the
mouth will flow over.
Yours ver' respectfully,
L. r. RLEMM
n.