The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-02-10
THE GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL.
lady corr.spondent writes

a .duN tUIlf nJu0tNt NllleSs
nave been hoping to see THE CALL take a
strong stound against any lowering OF the stand.
aids of The Girls High School. There has not
been q sciutina Of reason offered for doing such
a thing, and it would seem a shame TO throw
back a school that has for years been far behind
other high schools of the STATE, just as it had
retrieved itself aud placed Itself on a level with
the other twenty-fOur accredited schools Of the
state.
Our correspondent then gives the results
OF a very careful examination Of Nj Swett's
report, and arrives AZ the conclusion that
three hours ont Of school is not a too severe
tax upon the strength of the average boy or
girl Of high-school age. Admitting this to
be an open question. TIE CALL allows the
lady to give other reasons why the standard
in the Girls High School should not be low
cred. She saws:
Again. one of the strangest things in this on.
slaught is that ji is directed especially against
The g.Ii>' school. II ii has been shown that the
pupils are working TOO hard, why maintain The
grade Of the boys school and lower that Of The
gi.ls'? There seems to be 20 ground for THIS but
a survival OF The OLD prejudices against giving
girls equal educational opportunities with
boys There has been great deal Of that
tn the i 81, but never IN California out
side OF san Francisco. and IN san Fran.
cisco It was supposed that the dScumi-
nation against the girls had been wiped
away. Why eturG 10 il? Still once more, what
bearing has the abolition Of the classical course
on the question Of oyeIwork? Has a single girl
thar Is taking the classical course complained Of
OYerwOlk? I viii hazard very positive con-
lecture that there has not gils that take ella, 7c1l
courses generally Ike work. But what POS i0e
good is Il going 10 do eils In the literary course,
who hnk they are ogerworked. 10 forbid some
other girl. who does not think she is overworkei.
tie opportunity 10 study the classics? No one
is comuelled 10 study them that does not wish 60.
VIII NOS HE CALL urge at least these two
things:
FnSt-That no discrimination shall be made
against the Girls High School until 1t j, shown
that the girls are less able 10 do the work than
The boys
Second That before taking such step as
10 lower the school TO the fo0t of all the
schools in tie STATE. Inquiry shall DE made as 10
whether The parents who COMPLAIN mat tEeir
daughters are working too hard are allowing
them 10 enter society, TO dance late, to so to
school without breakfast and 20 lunch al the
! Caniecti0Gers. il So il would be a great wrong
90 cut down the advantages OF tile girls thar wish
10 study, in order 10 enable these things 10 be
done without loss OF standing When one re-
memJ rs mat the teachers OF San Francisco are
recruited from ibis school, 1t becomes a pecu-
HaIy grave matter 10 lower lis standards.
As we understand the proposition to lower
tie standard in the Girls Il tgh School, it is
based only secaudarly on the assumption
that the pupils OF the high School are too
severely taxed. While complaints to this
effect are made the chief reason IS that the
University course violates the principle If
the greatest COED to the greatest number,
which should be observed in ell institutions
supported by public money. The proper
ton Of pupils who propose to enter the Uni
versty after graduating from the III n
School is small and the proportion Of those
who DO enter is much smaller Is it just,
therefore, to the larger number who expect
to complete their school education in the
high schools 70 adopt a standard especially
adapted TO the few who hope 10 enter the
University? The opportunity IS offered the
few girls who propose to enter tile Cniyer-
sity to Il, themselves at public expense by
taxing the classical course in the boys
school The plea that the girls school
should be maintained on the same plane as
the boys school is entitled to reconsideration.
But it should not determine a question in
voiying the good Of the greatest number.
The statement that the University Will
furnish tie teachers Of tie future would
have more weight if it had ever been shown
that a university graduate makes an eX-
cept0DaLy effective primary school teacher.