Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-29

THE coLLEGEs AND THE HIGH scHooLs-THE
COMMITTEE IN Favor OF MAINTAINING HIGH
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AS A CENTER oF"cUL-
TURE-EcoNoMY AND PUBLIC SCHOOL MAN.
AGEMENT.
The STAR printed yesterday few lines about
Senator Gallinger's report on the Senate reso-
luton instructing the District committee to
make careful inquiry and report the results to
the Senate at early a day as practicable as
10 the complaint that the public schools of
the District Of Columbia are unable to prepare
students to pass the admission examinations for
Harvard College, the requirements for which
are readily met by high schools Of the best
grade"
There are sixteen printed pages Of report
and much of the matter ds of considerable pub
lie interest.
After quoting from an interview with DR.. F.
r.. Lane, principal Of the High School, printed
in The STAR, the report goes on to show
wherein Washington High school boys who
Says the report;
So far es quantity Is concerned, with the adj
dition of French and a moderate expansion Of
the courses already in the curriculum, the WASH
ington High School could readily At students for
Harvard The change required would necessi-
although the courses may be offered, three years
Of time is insufficient for suitable preparation.
The quality of the work Is another matter. The
Harvard tests are severe, and properly SO. II,
however. the course Of study should be- ex-
banded to meet Harvard requirements undoubt-
eddy the question Of quality would be met; for
then there could be no excuse for failure.
There remains the question suggested by DR..
Lanes statement that the Washington High
School has never aimed to become a fitting
school for college. Should the District of Co
lumbia make its High School fitting
school? A careful examination of the
question must disclose the fact that
the only point really involved is as to
whether the school shall have a standard or
whether il shall have none; whether the gradu-
knowledge whether they shall leave school
after having spent two or three years on studies
that would have prepared them for college had
the work been carried far enough. For as has
already been shown the Washington High
School course omits but one study named in any
college requirements. II it does not aim to be
a fitting school, then its course of study falls
short, like the arrow aimed at the ground in
front Of the target.
COLLEGES PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
There are two reasons why the high schools
Of large cities should fit their pupils for col
lege. The first reason is that In the present
condition Of secondary education in this coun-
try the public schools must be depended upon
largely to prepare the children Of persons in
moderate circumstances for entrance to col
lege.
In reality the colleges are scarcely less public
institutions than the public schools. Many
colleges are maintained by the state part of
the public instruction and are open to students
not only from every state and territory, but
also from every nation. Even in the so-called
endowed colleges the tuition bears q compare
-
cation provided, this cost being paid from the
endowments left by the generous few as legacies
to the many. In one case the support comes
from present taxation in the other from trust
funds set apart for public benefit.
Thus when the high school Of city does not
prepare students for college the youth of that
city are almost precluded from enjoying the
advantages OF a higher education which have
been provided either at public expense, as at
Michigan and other state universities, or by the
endowments Of generous men and women, % In
the case of Harvard, Yale, Princeton and other
colleges OF that class. Sometimes, in order to
make triiing saving, and in other cases for
want of wen-directed instruction, the youth of
a city often lose opportunities Of education that
would be Of the highest service both to them
selves and to the communities in which they
live.
The idea that the colleges are in any true
sense private and not public institutions is as
erroneous as 1t is widespread.
OF the 81 ,026, 1873. 20 income of Harvard UNI
versity last year but 1897 1854 was received
from the students for tuition; and this latter
sum is to be reduced by about 585, 900. given to
the students in the form Of endowed scholar
ships, beneficiary and loan funds, so that for
every dollar a student pays the university he
receives more than 80 worth of instruction.
The total amount Of invested funds which have
been given to the public to be used for the edu-
cation of youth at Harvard Is ~ 299 848 TO-
The IaDd. hrIil6iUUa enlIactinna El1ro ND
equipment, If their value could be estimated,
would more than double the amount of invested
funds So that il will readily be seen that in a
very large sense Harvard ia pnbhc institution.
tReport Of treasurer Of Harvard University,
1690-91.)
Moreover, not to give the fullest opportuni-
ties to every youth Of Washington who desires
to obtain liberal education Ia especially short
sighted. since In no other city in this country
are there such great advantages for carrying on
the lines of study for which the college is but a
preparation, and for extending through life the
education which has but its beginnings In the
schools. Washington is already the scientific
center of the country, is making good progress
an educational and literary center and must
in time become an art center as well. How
shortsighted, then. must be any policy which
does not provide ample facilities to the coming
citizens of Washington to enjoy and profit by
the highest and best that their city afford.
THE PEOPLE ARE PROUD OF GOOD SCHOOLS.
The consideration of economy has no place in
this discussion. The question in this city
should be not how much the schools cost. but
whether the money appropriated is spent wisely
and judieiously. With a rate Of taxation Of
81 so per S100 on a valuation of two-thirds or
less. of the cash value Of property, the people
of Washington are IN no position to urge that
they cannot afford to support public schools
equal to any in this country.
4, abn ha baf No t. L.,
course Of their Investigations, have found many
people of the District who are anxious to have
the high school course extended and the in
struction made more thorough, and on the
other hand, they have found no opposition to
such move. Moreover, both the superin-
tendent of schools and the principal of the high
school have expressed themselves as DESTROYS Of
advancing the grade Of STUDY. The experience
of other cities has been that people gladly sup
port IN institution that commands respect away
from home, and are apt to criticise what Ia not
! up to the general standard. The day for
attacking college education, however, has gone
by, fact due to the broadening Of the college
courses to furnish the most practical education
not purely technical in character.
The high schools which regularly send BOYS
TO Harvard are those Of Arlington, Boston,
Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Concord. Fall
River, Fitchburg, birmingham, Gloucester,
Haverhill, Hyde Park, Lawrence Lowell, Lynn,
Marlboro, Medford, Melrose, Milford, Newton,
Salem Someryille Taunton Wobnrp worcaa