The Oskaloosa herald., 1893-10-26
mon soHooL W0RK.
The Present IosUa High School.
by u. Il. sEERLEY.

BY II. b. sEERLEY.
Probably few little papers on the
lows High school, It's present status, its
development, its place in the system of
public education, its strength, its weak
ness, its tendency and its dangers may
not be out of place in the educational
department of the HERALD, particular
ly as they are conclusions derived from
thirteen years experience as a high
school teacher and seven additional
years as teacher of high school gradu
ates who are training themselves for the
responsible place of public-school
teacher.
The status of the present high school
is little anomalous as the eearly fathers
never planned for its establishment and
made no laws for its direction, except
as general assemblies have from time to
time passed acts that grant to the peo-
pie of school district the privilege to
decide what additional branches shall
be taught in their schools. Asa conse-
quence the high school is a development
gradual and slow--the product of twen-
ty-five years thinking and growing.
One by one the branches that make up
its curriculum have been added, one by
one the people ct the annual meetings,
or the boards, at the peoples suggestion,
broadened the course of study and gave
opportunity to the children to know a
little of the so-called college and acad-
emy branches of study, for long time
not considered within the province of
the peoples school, until to-day its
course of study, its nomenclature and
its privileges often encroach upon the
province of the college and the uni
Versity.
The high school is the peoples school
1t is under the direction of the people
its destinies are controlled by the peo.
pie, its development is decided by the
people, its popularity is within the prov
ince of the people. At times it is called
the poor mans college as it opens the
field of education to the poor mans
child, and many boys and girls live who
will all through life bless its influence
and be the richer in life and soul because
of its work. A community never made
a better investment than when it foundi
a high school. A people never insure
themselves greater prosperity thar
when they thus provide for the intel
lectual welfare of their children. A
town is never more successful thar
when it sees to it that its high schoo
keeps pace with its material progress
and that its children graduate from il
with good scholarship, trained judg
ment and practical notions of life.
What boon such a public school il
in a community! 1t is beyond price il
results Its work can not be measured
by dollars, its influence cannot be esti
mated in banking terms, its power Ii
the consumstion of personality that ii
found in its representatives in the varied
walks of life. Its graduates are indica
tive of the best thought, the highest de
velopment, the noblest product of tht
time. They 60 into the home, into the
college, into business life, into teaching
into the professions, exponents of the
people; in sympathy with all that il
good and best, true to free government
and believers in the training of the
whole man for the battle of life, and
wherever they go their individuality il
felt, their power is recognized, theil
training is admitted. There are no bet
ter students in the college, there are nc
better mothers in the home, there are
no better teachers in the schools, there
are no better citizens in the common
wealth than those who can proudly cal
themselves high school graduates. They
are practical to the extreme, they are
thorough-going and determined, they
are law-abiding and self-supporting
they are industrious and economical
1t is not paying too high tribute when
it is said that "they are the salt of the
earth" as they bring no reprosch upon
their training and are true to principle
and to morality. No single high school
is in mind in writing these lines. 1 have
met in the past few years several hun,
dred high school graduates representing
seVenty-fiye different towns, and the
statement is as true of one as of the
other. am, therefore, inclined to be-
lieve in the mission of the high school
and to think it particularly adapted to
the demand of the times and the neces-
sites of free government.