The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-28
THE INDIAHA STATE JOURNAL.
(WEEKLY EDITIoN.l
The Sunday Journal has the largest and
lest circulation of any Sunday paper in In
diana. Price five cents.
WHAT TO DO WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL.

WHAT TO Do WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL.
A number of good and sufficient explana-
tons for the non-attendance of boys at the
High-school were advanced last week by those
who assembled to discuss that question. The
: causes agreed upon were two First, that one
class of boys must leave school early for the
purpose of earning money, while, on the other
hand, of those having leisure and inclination
for continuing their studies large proportion
prefer, for variety of reasons, to attend
other schools and colleges. Considerable time
was spent by these friends of education in de-
yising ways for remedying this state of affairs,
but, so far as reports show, to no satisfactory
result. Curiously enough, that remedy which
naturally suggests itself to the unprejudiced
mind seems to have escaped attention entirely.
It is reasonably certain that, so far as the
case of the boys who are compelled to leave
school for financial reasons is concerned, the
situation cannot be changed. The most en-
thusiastic advocate of higher education has
not yet urged that the State pay wages to the
pupil who must otherwise GO into business;
and this would seem to be the only means of
retaining this class of students. It is also
warrantable tosuppose that if the High-school,
with its present degree of excellence and its
many. advantages, does not offer the attrac-
lions of the college, it will not be made to do
80. This being the case, is seems to follow
that the best thing to do with the school is to
abolish it. There are, to be sure the girls;
but the holding of the meeting referred
to was practical admission that this
most expensive adjunct to the public school
system should not be maintained for a limited
class of pupils. 1t may be mentioned, Incl
dentally, in this connection, that social scien-
lists gravely question the propriety and wis
dom of training the young women Of COM
munity to an intellectual superiority to their
brothers, regarding such course as tending
to the advantage of neither sex.
In the establishment of the free school sys-
tenn the State undertakes to fit its children
with sufficient education and intelligence to
gender them good citizens. This task is com
pleted by the time the boy is ready to enter
high-school. He can read and write; he knows
something of geography and history; has a
tolerably clear idea of the various systems Of
government and of politics-the latter, possibly
gained out of school rather than in--and with
the exception of Judgment, which comes only
with years, is as we'll qualified for honest intel
ligent citizenship at fourteen as he will be
after a course Of higher mathematics. litera-
ture and the "ologies." In fact, at this age
Che boy has already had educational advan-
cages far superior to those enjoyed in youth
by many men eminent as statesmen and lead
ers. 1t may also be added that the education
be secures in school after this period, proyid-
ang, of course, that he has come up through
the grades" will be of little additional aid
to him in securing livelihood unless his call
ing is to be exclusively an intellectual one
He will not be better accountant for adLlng
knowledge Of trigonometry or the differential
calculus to that of the rules of arithmetic.
Rhetoric will not help him to be good me-
chanic, nor familiarity with biology or En-
glish literature assist him in selling goods to
customer
There is no room for dispute that the high
school, 50 far as the original purpose Of free
education is concerned, is a superfuity. That
it is an admirable institution for those who
can and will take advantage of it few will
deny least of all, the Journal AS the Su-
perintendent of Public instruction very truly
says, education has other and higher uses
than those involved in making living; but
the question is. is the public justified in
offering favored few the privilege of gaining
that which is denied to the many. and of offer
ing it at the expense of the latterf
1t is the complaint in every city that the
cost of maintaining the high school is exces-
sive in proportion to the outlay upon the
lower grades, and in this particular Indianap-
oils is no exception. It matters far less
whether teacher in high-school be well
qualified and well paid than whether one in
primary grade be equally fitted for her duties;
yet as between the two. more care is given
TO the selection and remuneration of the form
or This 10 on the old and exploded theory,