The morning call., 1892-02-10
HIGH-SCHOOL STUDY.
The Course Will Not BE Changed
This Term.
Vigorous Protest Made and Urged by
Teachers and Pupils Before the
Classification Committee.

There were present early all the teachers
of the Girls High School. a number OF
students representing the several classes,
strong delegation from the Association OF
Collegiate Alumu3. one OF two State Uni
Versity professors, and several teachers and
others from all corners of tie School De-
partment interested in opposing what was
understood 10 have been proposition on
the part of the Board OF Education to
lower the standard OF the Girls High
School course Of study.
The cause of this uprising was misun-
derstandlng Of Superintendent SWEETS re-
marks in his annual report, where he said
that the work of the Girls High ScEooi Is
breaking down the health of the students.
and recommending that it be reduced.
IA BUNDLE OF PROTESTS.
The students had organized themselves
iu.O vigorous aptl-TeductOn factions, and
appeared before the committee with for
midabe bundle of protests representing the
entire school; also letters from parents eX-
ressing complete satisfaction with the
work since SO greatly modified by the
teachers.
The petitions were substantially the
same, and read: The undersigned, pupils
Of -- class, most respectfully petition
your Honorable Board that there shall be
no lowering of the standard of the G rls'
High School" The senior and junior
classes signed unanimously. The middle
classes signed all but three or four, and two
Of these classes asked tor slight mOditiCa-
ton of the course.
The teachers were next to be heard, Miss
c. l.. Hunt, as chief spokesman, confessed
that they had made a mistake In trying TO
accomplish too much, but said the fault
could be remeded without disturbing the
course. She asked the board to give them a
further trial
FROM THE COLLEGIATE ALUMNE.
The following protest from the Associa-
ton Of Collegiate Allumu8 was read by
Mrs. May l. Cheney:
To the honorable the Board of FdUcfti0u of
San Francisco ENTLEMEN: The Association
Of Collegiate Alumn8 OF this Coast, without
single dissenting vote, most respectfully and
earnestly petition your honorable body that
the proposed lowering OF the course Of study 10
tie San FisuciscO Girls High school be not
made, but that The standards OF The school be
maintained ana made equal 10 tie best IN The
) ale.
This association consists OF more than eighty
women, all OF whom aaye taheu 'gTees from
lending colleges and universities of 10 country
aud ITS s. eClal concern Is with questions OF the
education OF HOmeu-thelr physical as well as
mental wei..bcing. II includes many teachers
aud a number OF physicians and has had Occa-
sion 10 weigh carefully Tie question OF the rela-
lion OF health TO study. is members have all
passed Tie high-SchoOl stage themselves, most OF
them ~ pubic hlgh schools. mere cOuld be no
body 10 whom The interests OF Tie hlEh-SchOOl
glIis Of san Francisco could be matter for more
thoughtful, conscientious interest.
We present IN an accompanying cOmmunlca-
ton our reasons for this petition. for which we
beg your Kind aud careful attention. Most re-
speCtful!y yours,
MIS- May L. Cheney, BL., University OF Call
An. Nassar, Id. University Of PaIts; Miss
Caroline Jackson b ), Cornell Unvetshyi Mil
Icenl ". Shinu. ABB, University OF California;
Miss May b. Treat, Pm. b., University OF Ca.lfoI-
MIA, for the Association Of Collegiate AIumu9.
The following petition has been prepared aud
circulated:
10 me honorable NE hoard II EtiucGtio1-G ESTLE-
MEN: The undersigned pupils OF class - do most
respectfully petition your honorable board that
there SHAH be 10 lowering Of the standard OF the
Girls High School
The communication accompanying he petition
OF lie Collegiate AIumnR is as follows:
1he grounds upon which the recommendation
Is made 10 lower the course In the Girls High
School are, IN general:
FlTSt-Iuat tile pupils are OveTwOrked.
SecOud-IHaL the hiEh-schOOl course, such as
Is given In The tweuty-iOur Oher accredited
schools OF The STATE, is unne eessary ia The Girls
High School, as most OF its pupils are preparing
uOt for college but for teaching IN the schools OF
san Francisco.
In answer, we would respectfully submit:
1. II seems on the face Of IL incredible that
The young women are oyerworksd, since the
course lhey are now taking Is the usual high
school course, tax without any thought Of
oyeIwork all over IT. State We have ali taken
10 ourselves, know what II Is. aud think u I'M
possible hat any girl Of average health, indus
try and brains Should hud IL overwhelming We
cannot believe that san Francisco girls TALL so
far behind those Of The est OF the STATE thQtthey
need 10 have au easy course made expressly for
them.
2 We find 10 the two reports presented on
this subject not a line or a ngure that offers
any reason for the discrimination made IN tie
closing recommendation against The CHS High
School No evidence is offered that the course
is found more oppressive IN one school than the
other, save q single item, which shows that tie
case Of maximum difficulty IN keeping up is that
OF q boy. Ii seems 10 Us great Injustice TO The
girls TO lessen their advantages upOn Tie same
evidence that is deemed insufficient as against
the boys.
8. As no distraction Is made between the
TWO schools 10 the table OF study, we must con-
Guide That 10 IS pIOpOu Onately tue OF both
schools; for II the gins were studying much
longer Than The boys, tie fact would surely nave
been given 10 justification OF tie recommendation,
aud II much less, IL would not III fairness have
Teen suppressed. According 10 this table 290
pupils 90 per cent, study TN OF less hours out Of
school; 1913 pupils, % Ter cent, study four or five
hours; 9 pupils, per cent study over five hours.
Now, considering that there are but five hours
OF schoOl-rOOm work, broken aud relieved In
many ways; mat tie high-schOOl girls are not
young children, but almost women, on whom the
serious responsibilities OF lie Will soon fail, aad
that school is LOW then main business we sub.
init that three Eours out Of school is moder te
and reasonable time for stu1y. II they are I'M
chief duty, how is % possible for them 10 form q
character 1T 10 meet the eXhaustng require
ments Of conscientious teaching or mo herhood2
II the people are taxed 10 maintain a school
merely 10 give little more 'tuish" than the
grammar school, three hours may be excessive.
But surely your honorable body does not hOld
such view OF he purpose or its high schools
II then. as we must assume, the table Is pro-
pOltiOnately true OF each school:
More than twO-thiIds of the girls study mod
erately or little, and OF these consde ably over
Less than 0Be-hlrd study severely or excess
lively a mere handful perhaps four or five girls,
excessively
The school, therefore, seems already well
within tie average capacity OF It's pupils. a
school must take the place OF It's average pupils,
aud those Of slower development must either ac-
Cept the necessity OF severe study or they must
ask for The priyilege-that We learn Is TO ne had
OF taking the course IN four years instead OF
three. rather than force the majority 10 be Kept
back for them. For the handful that cannot
keep up without excessive study surely author
lty would properly be used 10 place Them IN a
lower grade.
l. We are satisfied that his table would show
even more plainly the adequacy OF pupils TO The
present work, If allowance were made for the
lengthening Of study hours by inefficient and in
terrupted application. In any large school there
are many pupils whose minds are not on their
work, aud II Is these, not the hard students, who
spend the longest time over given lesson. The
tendency, to such indOlent way. viii be greatly
Incl eased by the expectation OF backing from
outside I'm complaints Of oYeTWOik. More Of
such difficulty may be expected IN the Grls'
High School from the fact that the traditions OF
the school for many years, ard until but lately,
were of the light course 10 which il is now pro-
proposed 10 return; the girls of The city have be-
come accustomed 10 easy requirements, and
have not yet learned how really 10 apply their
minds.
g. Were the requirements lowered as proposed,
say to the extent Of TWO hours day, more than
Ono-ihiTd OF the pupils would be left with no
work out Of school, and more than twO-thlrds
with almost none. II is the profound conviction
Of our association that such ideness Is extremely
Injurious for girls OF this age, especially for city
girls, VINO have no chance for healthy, outdoor
occupation, and much temptation 10 novel read
ing, social gayeties, unsuitable for their age aud
other unhealthy wastes Of energy. We believe
Tie restless and vapid condition thus bred pro-
duclVe OF more III health than all the hard study
In the world ever caused, and the principal source
Of nerVOu- iuvalldism The life OF women calls for
ability 10 meet peculiarly severe strains. aud &c
Is most ngeTOus 10 come TO these with the Ian
guild and Incapable nervous system produced by
Incidence.
IT WAS ALL MISTAKE
Superintendent SWEET explained that he
WAS putirplV fnisuudprSfood if In