St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-02

for the ventilation of the room.
Tne conference was assigned to the
topic The Course of Study for Mime
! sofa High Schools and Prof. George
b. Alton, the state high school inspec-
| tor, had prepared as a general division
of the propositions to be discussed, the
following: First. the length of the
school course; second the number of
studies to be taken by each pupil adj
vantageously; third, the position to be
assigned TO the study of English in
the nigh schools; fourth the extent to
| winch local interests should be sacri-
need to the preparation of pupils for
a hlgher education; fifth, the discon-
tfnuance of the mid-year examinations
IN TWO credit studies, and sixth and
iast, the REIMBURSEMENT of the present
system of classification for high
schools.
1t was agreed without much difficulty
| that four years was the proper length
Ior the course, but the next PROPOSE
ions We're discussed for fully an hour
Prof. Greer, of Minneapolis central,
precipitated the discussion, by resolu-
ton declaring the council in favor of
four studies, one of which should be
English. Prof. Parr, of st. Cloud, NOV
ed to amend that it be made three and
that English be not mentioned.
Prof. Greer made an earnest plea in
"0AS~iA VI Tic IStCUliOu OIL the IulI
course In English. that being the last
study, in his opinion to be sacrificed, if
any must be given up.
1t developed that the study of Eng
llsh In some form was generally favor
ed, but there was a wide variance as
TO the extent to which it should be
carried in making up the schedule of
the years work for the school
Finally resolution was passed de-
claring the sense Of the resolution to
De In favor of three solid studies for
the average high school student.
No sooner was this out of the way
than the friends of English study began
TO introduce various motions, the first
of which provided that it be enc of the
three during the first year, and that
thereafter, it be taken as an additional
exercise. Others wanted English work
given a full one-fourth of the pupil s
time in the high school II became
apparent that the apparent conflict of
these with the previous resolution would
defeat them, and a compromise was
sought, declaring the council in favor
of the strengthening of the English
courses in the schools, which left the
particular application of it to the vari-
GUS principals or superintendents. That
was finally passed,
BY that time 1T was so late that the
fourth topic, the relative demands of
preparation for college or university
enterance. was passed, and the fifth,
the discontinuance of the mid-year ex-
aminations, was passed without action
and practically without discussion.
The sixth topic, the recommending of
the REIMBURSEMENT of the present sys-
tenn of classifying the high schools,
aroused much discussion, but it was
finally determined that opinion was SO
evenly divided that it would hardly be
profitable for the council to declare it
self either way.
Additional suggestions were then in
formally voted on, and the proposition
that solid geometry be eliminated from
the requirements for entrance to the
state university was defeated. This
was Incidental to the discussion of the
high school grading. 1t was urged that
the present system should not be aban-
doned unless some other classification
was presented in it's stead On the
other hand, 1t was argued that Wiscon-
sin had 100 accredited schools without
any system of classification other than
that provided by the state university.
Prof. Alton suggested for the benefit
of the teachers and superintendent that
it was hard for the state high school
beard to degrade a delinquent school
as 1t was TO locate fourth insane hos
pital. When this subject was finally
passed without action, the conference
adjourned, until today, when the sec
ton will meet again at the same place.