The Wilmingtonian., 1886-05-15
The High School Session.

There appears to be some discomfort
among the parents of the students at the
High School in regard to the inconvenience
caused by the one session practice recently
introduced there.
1t is asserted that the change in the school
hours, or sessions of the High School, from
tue usual morning and afternoon session to
asngle one lasting from the morning hour
till 2 p. NJ, with an interlude of half an
hour at noon, has caused considerable trouble
in dsrupting established domestic arrange
ments in the homes Of several hundred fami-
lies in the city. 1t is discovered that many
children Of tender age, absurdly dignified
by the title of High School students and
further loaded down by the habits and Gus
toms and demands, supposed to belong to
those attending high school, in contradi
stinction to what is required of common
school and grammar school pupils, ara
thrown upon their own resources for a con-
siderable period of the day, namely p. NJ,
till supper time, and that that long period Of
independence is developing into one of ire
sponsibility, with every probability, on ac-
CT transformation into term Of idleness
with all the possibilities of harm socially
speaking that the opportunity only too nat
urally offers.
These last mentioned evils would not have
been an outcrop were the new High School
what it claims to be. Practically it is not a
High School, for, not so per cent actually not
e L.,
going in and out of its door are entitled to
the term of High School students.
Our new High School is literally nothing
but grammar school of fair grade.
1t is demonstrated that the community
does not evolve sufficient material combn-
ing scholarship and number, to claim the
establishment of High School among us.
But the idea of High School was too at
tractive to re allowed to be dropped. 1t
afforded distinction and certain pleasing
tone to educational circles in our communi.
ty. High Schools existed elsewhere, and
why should not Wilmington have its Mons
Parnassus!
The fact that this community differs some
what from others was overlooked Ours il
manufacturing one, which calls reiteIatedly
for practical education, and if that be at
taincd none other is needed. Not that tht
people of this community are to any degree
illiterate, on the contrary, when a supple.
mentary or professional education is needed
parents and guardians send their children tC
Delaware College, at Newark where the.
should properly be sent, and where the prop
er opportunity is offered for paying the cos
of supplementary education over and abov
what the unwritten law of common school
allows.
What is the result Of these facts?
We find in our midst High School wit
nominally some 800 pupils but only some fe'
score Of whom are legitimate High Schoo
students-our community, as has been stated
evolves that number and no more.
Why not then be honest about the matte
call the school what it is-a grammar schoo
D1nominate it by the constituent Of its vas
majority Of learners whose average age
13 years, perhaps less Drop the paraphe
MALTA and glortication Of the big name an
let the building on Federal Hill be what il
viz a common school. 1t will not lose b
the change. The term is not a whit less dis
nified than that Of High School and it
much more true and applicable.
Let the several hundred toddling unc
cents raging from ten to thirteen years {
TO school, not High School, let them Z
home to dinner at noon in the healthy o.
fashion and not be weighed down by I'll
incubus of fashionable "Five o'eloC
teas' disarranging all established and tim
honorcd practises as they exist among Il
great mass of mddle-class people wi
mainly represent the parents Of these chi
dren. .