Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-12-20
IMPORTANT SCHOOL CHANGES.
Recommendations Adopted by the State
Principals Association, Which Met in
Annual Session at FELTON, Recently.

at FELTON, on the 7th and Sth instants, the |
following recommendations were made by |
the committee on legislation and adopted |
by the association
First. That each teacher in the State be |
granted at least one day during the school |
year to visit other schools
Second. That high school work should |
not be attempted by any country school, |
but that any country pupil wishing to |
study the higher branches should be adj |
mitted free of tuition by the nearest town
high school, which would be properly
compensated therefore by special appro-
priation from the school fund before its
division.
Third. That the Legislature should an
nually appropriate sufficient sum to sup
port training school or schools on the
plan of the present summer schools, in
which without the payment of any
tuition, all applicants for certificates who
could not pass satisfactory examination
in methods of teaching. would be required
to take a thorough course.
The report of the committee on curricu-
luin, which was unanimously adopted
recommends the adoption of a uniform
curriculum for all the schools OF the State,
provided:
First. That supplementary work not
conflicting with the required work be
everywhere permitted.
Second. Since without proper penalty
no leglSlutlOl Ctll Oe eillOTCeu, LIldL lalluTB
OH the part of any school to obey the law
be punished by filming both teacher and
commissioners.
Third. That there be just as generally
and as rigidly enforced a flexible system
of ofgrading which shall ensure-(l) uniform
grading in each individual branch; (2) the
admission of different pupils to different
grades in different branches; (3) a check
upon the unsymmetrical individual de-
velopment that would otherwise result, in
| the shape of provision that in no case
shall there be difference of more than
two grades between pupils classification
| in any two branches; and that when such
| limit shall be reached, the study of the
branch or branches in which the pupil
shall be farthest advanced, shall be aban-
doned until the application of the extra
| time thus gained to the sighted work. to-
| gether with arrested progress i'll the more
advanced studies, shall bring down diff
ference in classification to one grade, when
work can be continued as before.
This plan" the report goes on to say,
would bring more system to the country,
and more freedom to the town. A grade
| need not mean a years work. as q uniform
length Of term is no more necessary under
the system proposed than under any other.
What the ten months school could do in
year, could be done by a five months
school in two While not sympathizing
with recent efforts, particularly in the
West, to force an elaborate city system
upon country schools, the committee feels
assured that the plan just proposed would
give to both country and town all the free
dom that is compatible with symmetrical
individual development. Before the broad
foundation of a common school education
has been laid, any attempt at specialization
is absurd. Specialization is superstruc-
ture."
The committee calls the attention of
educational leaders to the fact that the
town high school deserves their attention
as we'll as the city high school, and seeks
to define the conditions necessary to col
lege preparatory course in the high school
of the average town.
Suggestive as is the report of the ma
tional committee of ten, on the studies
of secondary schools, its practical value is
greatly reduced from the fact that it makes
the city high school or its educational
equivalent, the private academy-the unit
oil secondary education. This is owing to
the fact that its membership, excluding
the college professors, represented such
institutions alone The town high school
with its principal teaching every second
ary branch, in addition to experimenting
the lower grades--the school which has
more graduates than city college and
Academy combined-was not factor in
the great problems presented to these dis
tinguished gentlemen for solution. OBJ
iects to be sought, methods of teaching,
and arrangement of work, were discussed
with reference to the needs of the class
of schools represented-of schools with a
teacher for almost every branch and an
hour for every recitation.
Of course the over-worked principal of
the town school has read the report. and
gotten many ideas. But how is he to carry
them out in twenty minute recitations in
a dozen different branches, The most Sc
rious problem that presents itself to such
a man is-how much can | economically
and wisely try to do? Shall prepare my
pupils for college or for business? Can /
do both? And the problem is hard to
solve.
Under present conditions one of two
I things must be done. Either the town
: high school must not be a preparatory
school, or college requirements must be 50
altered as 10 make possible n preparatory
course that the common sense of the
! people will declare practical enough for
the needs OF everyday life. Classical re.
quiremcnts for admission must be made
. lower, but scientific requirements can be
/ made cOrrespOndingiy higher. Are the
4 colleges willing to take this important
step? Some uf them are. But Il week
> ago DIR. Ira Rcmsen of Johns Hopkins
9 University in an address before the Assu.
D Schools of the Middle States and Mary
S land, spoke as follows: Take off some OF
. the requirements for admission to college
: instead of trying to add them on. Let
boy go to college earlier. The whole
: trouble is due to confusion of u univer
sity and college resulting in all effort tc
Q make all American colleges on the mode
q of German universities And the greater
!, part of that large audience in which wer,
:. to be found many college presidents ant
4 professors, heartily appIauded the senti
f ment.
= Yet there is great opposition to the pro
II the time and money to go from the higl
. school to an academy, take a special cours
S in college" say some. But that will nevo
G do-in most cases they might as well taxi
2 special course at home. Then, let then
q 60 to scientific or professional schools
v Inat, gentlemen of the college, is jus
J where they are going; and the result i
fewer men in college, and an army o
.. scientific specialists whose minds have no
u been broadened by u course in Bellies
Is lettres. You are in danger of forgetting
, so DR.. Remsen says that the college i
:, made for the boy and not the boy for tn
= college, In the meantime the prilcipal O
~ the town school is forced to adopt q cours
of study that will satisfy neither merchan
Ie nor professor, and least of all himself.
if since If they could enter college dircctl
'e from the high school, many pupils il
IT these smaller schools would seek such ell
n trance. the Association of Colleges an
preparatory Schools would do well to paw
10 the way toward u readiGstment of entranc
L examinations to college, that would NEE
k existing conditions. without per haps mt
y terially lowering the standard.
1t Sold for $4,000.