The Saint Paul globe., 1897-06-27

DdT0IIICICT CUTICCIGU
and elevation. P. F. Lyons, Observer.
--2
BUILD BROAD AT THE BASE.
In an article in it's last issue, Har-
per's Weekly calls attention to a wise
and happy tendency in educational
methods through the country, illustrat-
ed by the refusal of a first-class pre-
paratory school in the East to assume
the rank and title Of a college. 1t
states that this is almost the only in
stance of the kind in the country, but
we are glad to say that there is anoth-
er right here in Minnesota. We have
in this state one of the best prepara-
tory schools, not only in the West, but
in the entire country, and those who
have built it up to it's present rank
and efficiency have steadfastly refused
to make it a so-called college, or to
call it anything else than what it is.
We hope and expect to see this policy
become more and more favored, and
the number of colleges and universi-
ties Of the country lessened rather than
increased. We cannot have too many
educational institutions, but we can
have their value impaired and their
labors brought to naught by that
straining after the impossible which
the writer in Harper's Weekly happily
calls 'pretentiousness in education"
oINc, IO e
having more schools called ''universi-
ties in the state of Ohio than there
are in all Europe, is patent. There is
no state in the Union and there are
few cities Of any size where you can
not find a place of learning that calls
itself a college" or university"
Some of these have earned their titles
and dignities, but too many Of them
have not. Wherever this is true the
quality Of the educational work is
necessarily impaired.
To attempt to do that which you are
not prepared TO do is as hurtful in edu-
cation as it is elsewhere. University
work requires absolutely an immense
outlay of money and an enormous en-
dOWment in order to maintain a CORDS
of instructors sufficient in numbers and
ability to cover all the subjects en-
braced in a university course. The
average institution which has this
vaulting ambition simply succeeds in
spreading out it's resources over so
large a surface that it does nothing
we'll. In the same way, what is really
q good school usually becomes a very
poor college, merely by the adoption of
the name. Assuming to give instruc-
ton in all the subjects laid down in
the usual college course, it must so
divide its forces that the student pays
for his worthless degree of B. A. by
discovering later that he has wasted
four of the most valuable years Of his
life
This is all the more regrettable from
the fact that there has been and still is
a deplorable lack of facilities in the
United States for sound secondary edu-
cation. A few great preparatory schools
have achieved a national reputation
and are satisfied with it, because they
become the acknowledged feeders fo1
the leading universities. Outside OF
these the aspiration to found a good
boys school, which is quite as noble
as to found a college or a university
seems 10 be sadly infrequent and weak
The vice runs through the whole Amer.
lean educational system, public as vel
as private It is part of the Ameri-
can tendency to display. There are not
ten states in the United States in
which the high school is not an object
of tenderer care and more lavish dis
play than the lower grades It is sup
posed that primary teachers need not bt
OF superior ability, and the lowest sal.
aries are attached to places which real.
y demand the highest character anG
teaching ability. The educational sys
tenn is heavy at the top. 1t has earned
the charge of pretentiousness it ha.
sought show rather than utility o.
thorouShness; and reminds one O.
nothing so much as a woman wearine
an expensive hat and a sealskin Jacket
with shoes that are burst out ant
run down at the heel, and withou
enough other clothing to wear or suffi
cient food to eat.
We are returning, we believe, to &
more sensible idea OF education. W.
are coming to see that it is the be-
ginning that is the most important
The cry that goes up from the universi
ties is for a better college education