New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-10
PROBLEMS OF EDUCATION.
DISCUSSIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY CoNvo-
CATION.
VIEWS ON THE, CO ORDINATION OF UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE AND ACADEMY AND ON THE

HIGHER EDUCATION. OF WOMEN.
Albany, July (SpecaD.-The register OF the uni
verSty Conyocaton contained $40 signatures to-day
This Is the largest number that ever attended con-
vocation. The gathering contains many notable edu
Gators whose ideas greatly sought after In view
Of this fact Chancellor Curtis said that he would have
TO insist upon the nvemiuute rule for all speakers
The school teacher he said provided with whip
10 help the pupils over the big words he was armed
with eava to enforce the veninute rule. Despite
this warning not single speaker confined himself 10
the time allotted, and the Chair seldom raped q
speaker down. The subject Coordination OF Uni
versity, college and academy" took up the entire time
Of the forenoon session, The first serious attack on
the proposed system was made by Dean J. e. schur-
man, of Cornell University who said that coordination
impossible. The discussion was opened by bX
President Andrew d. White, Of Cornell University
lie said there had never been such large
amount Of money poured out to help education as
at present. Money was constantly being be-
qienthod' for this purpose The muhihcenee OF the
Americai, people in this respect was noteworthy
Large sums were poured out on the common-schooi
system and millions given by private individuals
for higher education. There was little given to hlsH
schools, academies and intermediate colleges. The
question TO be decided to distribute these funds
so that every branch should DO reached oftendmes
the simple English branches did not receive the atte
ton they deserved
The intermediate schools the speaker continued,
iNo"NiNN~'
secure the educators that they needed intermediate
training was essential how to care for it was
problem. a marked evolution was going on IN 1hS
country in the colleges and universities Large endOw-
nents were constantly being made for various depart
ments Of colleges The speaker proposed that, While
as much as possible be done for higher education more
should be done for the needs OF the intermediate schools
He thought the state of New-York should be called
upon TO help out with this Small colleges that wero
struggling could be made intermediate schoo,s.
lie would eliminate the two lower classes from the
universities and give them to the colleges TINS "ouu
do away with the freshmen and sophomore
STRENGTHENING high schools and academies would give
better preparation for college. BY this system wlth
the connecting link filled in, there was no reason WHY
the great majority OF young men should not DC eiau
uated from tho university at the age OF twenty
Ex-Presdent White deprecated the pretensons OF Ger
tain educational institutions. which could never ac
complish what they promised 10 do
Chancellor III. NJ MacCraclIen, OF the University OF
the City of NewYOrk was in accord with the views Oh
sx President White, in the main, but he diefeo some
what on where the of study OF the mtermGilae
=, colleges should begin. This plan OF academy, col
lege and university was an American "ism" 1t was
pleasant to have something distinctvey American
@The growth of this plan," he said mas Deeh SO
steady so strong, that the system has come 10 stay
America is TO be greater country for education than
foreign countries; II is 10 have more wealth for car
rying on education Tho time for the coordination OF
college and academy by the state has gone by, and
al that Is to BIO done must be done by the educsuohai
interests. The burden imposed upon academies Is 100
heavy for them to bear The colleges should feneVo
them.s
Professor E. H. Griffin, OF Johns Hopkins University,
thought the question raised by White of nesmable
importance He conceded entirely with Mr. Whites
views.
Professor F. H. stoddard Of the University OF the
City Of New-York, thought that there was certain
state of chaos in the minds Of the persons in the hail.
from the different arguments made yesterday and TO
day He made few humorous illusions, ono OF
which was that tie universities were getting so
wealthy that they could not teach Cornell UNI
versity had become rich and wanted TO shove of two
OF her largest classes upon less favored and unendOwed
institutions He believed in concentration.
professor Oren Root of Hamilton College, be
ueved that the sham in education was not lack OF
articulation. There a great deal of sham III
what is Taught lie believed In the genuine American
system of education He wanted no gymnasium no
Rugby 1t had taken good education to bul;d up
this country In a century to the standard it lrd
reached He believed that the system had come 30
STAY: that it would grow and would be perfected by
age.
49, The high and union schools met the needs Of the
times, Principal Roland S. Keyser, OF MlddleOug
. Academy, said IN no case should the WORK De
done in colleges which belonged in the secondary
schools The lack of coordination between the col
leces and secondary schools the result of lack OF
uniformity OF system The colleges m]ureo tHeHl
selves and the secondary schools by doing part of the
work of the secondary schools
Principal &. NJ Smith, OF Canton Union School,
spoke of the contempt in which American degrees were
held abroad 4. B. was unknown quantity and
= b. S. I'm the mouths of the vulgar dubbed BIG
SELL No school should teach more than its faculty
was capable Of
George D. Hale. of Rochester, differed from
the previous speaker. He did not think 1t
well TO teach the same way two days
In succession. one great fault was that colleges adj
mted young men before they had finished their studies
at the preparatory schools. The secret OF success
was to develop the Put each pupil at work at
what he was adapted for
Principal Harlan T. Amen, Of Rivervew Military
Academy said that such discussion as that of TO-
day had long been needed to bring out the great need
Of coordination between schools He believed that
the colleges doing two years work Of the sec
ondary schools. Time lost by the boy. he
thought, in the grammar schools. The thought that
c. T. r. Smith, of the Lansngburg Academy pre-
scented was a question Z" Is it not coordination OF
matter rather than Of method that is desired More
attention should be given to method than 70 matter"
Director Lewis Boss, of the Dudley Observatory.
thought that the whole thing depended upon the
class of the work to be done. lie said
"In our American system inclined TO over
look the methods Of primary instruction In our great
desire 10 secure higher education. The secondary
schools are the result Of the public demand The great
fault is in the lack of method in the lower schools
''''O VI ''N
branches do their work we'll Editors of papers, them
selves college graduates complain Of the education OF
college men who come under their observation
Dean schurman, of Cornell, said that coordination
was 10 a certain extent impossible. The academies
did not exist forthe colleges but for the people The
colleges existed for a liberal education and not for
tbe universities Coordination should not be at the
expense of the people who desired the training OF the
academies There should be college preparatory
schools.
,,f,b of Col nmlia raw
history of the formation OF colleges in England, America
and France The American college not distinctly
American he said. He believed with President White
that the colleges should be cut in two. President
c. Stanley Hall, OF Clark University believed that
university should deal with all parts OF education