The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-07-11
NO UNIVERSITY GIRLS,
Honolulu Lacking for Higher Edu,
cation for Women.
Correspondent Wants TO Know Why this
f. SO-Opportunity for
Investment.

Mr.. EDITOR Your paper of Tues
day morning contains list of Hawai-
ian boys returned from American col
leges and universities, and. following
It, this statement : "The above roll
shows that many Honolulu people are
giving their sons the best educational
advantages, and 10 is doubtful if any
town in the United States of the size
Of Honolulu has so many sons in the
universities" The italics in this quo
tation are mine, Mr.. Editor, for the
remark at once suggests, "Where are
our college girls ?" Briefly, They
are not" Why has Honolulu sixteen
returning college men, not to mention
those who are spending the vacation
elsewhere, and, so far as we know, not
one female candidate for a collegiate
degree?
Perhaps in our, at present, much
made of Hawaii, Paradise of the
Pacific, "CrOss Roads of the Pacific
Western Hub" or whatever we are
called, we are Il little inclined to
praise our virtues, to the overlooking
Of our faults, as If a man with bOastful
pride should call attention to his
remarkably skilled left hand, quite
unmiudful OF his right hand, withered
and limp.
We have many times dwelt ON this
striking difference in our sex educa-
ton, and have tried to account for il.
a quick answer to the question might
be that in the families now represent
ed in the colleges boys largely out
number girls. This is for the most
true-at least at corresponding ages.
But one cannot forget that there are
families in Honolulu where girls pre-
dominate. Is the fault with the girls, |
or with the parents, or with the eli !
mate, that Honolulu is behind the |
times in educational measures?
We would scarcely like TO claim |
that the Hawaiian climate produces |
boys in good numbers who rank we'll |
in American colleges mentally and |
physically, but girls who can bear |
only a course of study such as Is given
by our own schools (too often abbrevi- |
ated courses here), or year or two
elsewhere at some popular seminary. |
People who have studied statistics of |
colleges for women know that physi-
cal conditions are more often i'm
proved than impaired during the
course. Yet many, bound by preju-
dice, permit delicate daughters
to exhaust and dissipate en-
ergy in society, under the delusion
that overstrained nerves may be re-
Taxed by irregularly long rest after
wards-a course UNNECESSARILY worse
for the human organism than a regu-
lar life of mental work, rest and phys
ical exercise. We know the reasons
why some of our island girls do not go
TO college.
One girl, bright, talented, industri-
Gus and ambitious has laid all hope of
q college course beneath the feet of her
father who is "decidedly opposed to
the higher education of women" One
reason, not so sad a one, hard as it is,
in many cases, is the lack of means,
and the need of earning living inn
In yet other cases pa
rents, more than willing to give their
daughters collegiate advantages, talk
only to shut ears. Ambition Is lack
ing.
Certainly popular sentiment is not
as helpful as it might be. People who
ought to know better ARE sometimes
heard speaking of our island institu-
lions bearing the name college" as
though indeed they pretended to more
han elementary instruction. Teach
ars have been accepted in the past for
our lower grade public schools whose
education has had small limits. But
our higher grade schools are demand
ng teachers who have received much
more than by actual instruction they
ire expected to give. In this way
)nly can high standards be kept and
pupils be led to see what lies beyond
heir school n ouse walls. Such teach
,rs, college educated, n ust be import
ii from America, while our own
'oung women content themselves
With inferior positions
Here is good chance for invest
nent. Why not invest in college
,irl ? IL a few of our business men
would offer scholarships OF, say, four
hundred dollars for four years to
-oung women of any nationality who
would choose one of n number of col
eyes specified by the donor, show
lerself worthy of investment, land
,dSs e.ramindtionS), we believe they
would be met by a ready response
nd might reap for the good of the
can say what dividends
CORRESPONDENT.
Honolulu, July 8, 1895.
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