The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-07
Berkeley Professors Accused Of
"Fouling" High School
Students.
TIE TEXTBOOK PROBLEM ARISES.
Certain Schools Discredited Because
Not Up in English
Literature.

When Professor c. B. Bradley of Berke-
ley, expert in English launched forth last
spring to test the pupils of the many high
schools of the State on their knowledge OF
English, he created as much consterna-
ton in educational circles as if he had an
nounced the discovery of q new language.
With the smokeless powder of few SIM
pie questions he floored thlrty-seven high
schools that had long been on the accred-
tied list with the university, and the stu
dents who had been led to believe they
were 'some pumpkins" must now go for
ward and take the same examinations as
ordinary laymen.
There is much complaint among the
discredited, and they are beginning to
say that the questions of the astute pro.
lessor were in the nature of catch ques-
tlons, and to intimate that a snap judg-
ment was taken on them in many of the
problems propounded.
At Oakland, where the masses of the
students had for years been .devoting
themselves 10 the pest things of literature
there was great deal of difficulty in try
Ing 10 discover the authorship of the we'll
known American masterpiece "Suow-
bound, and the hesitation of the pupils
was responsible for the discrediting of the
classes and the black eye which the High
School was dealt.
Professor McChesney apologies for the
students by saving that they had not
studied the particular lines on which they
were examined for two years, while Pro-
lessor Scott of Alameda and others say
there is not much importance in the en-
tire affair except that it will compel
stricter attention to the study of English
literature.
Those who. oppose the method of ex-
animation and the principles on which
Professor Bradley proceeded say he took
the same kind OF snap judg ment that the
old minister did when lie asked the young
theological student what part of the Bible
contained the expression God tenn ers
the wind to the shorn lamb" As the ex-
preston occurs nowhere in the Bible, but
is from Laurence Sterne'S STORY of
Maria" the unfairness of the question has
generally been held to be in the assump-
ton that the expression quoted occurs in
the Bible.
Back OF the discontentis the accusation
that the questions on literature were
formed with reference to familiarity with
special paragraphs that occur chiefly i'll
books written by professors now employed
at the State University, books, good
enough in their way, yet books that are
said to be narrow, if taken as the standard
OF all wisdom on any gwen subject.
The course prescribes that certain things
in English Ne ust DE well understood. The
things prescribed may be learned, it is
said, by a thorough study OF Professor
Gayley's Classic Myths in English
Literature. 1t should be stated that the
professor is one of the bright and particu-
lar Stars in the Berkeley constellation.
Another stun bling block was the un-
familiarity of the students with certain
parts of Professor Styles textbook, From
Milton to TeLnyson." 1t should not be
forgotten that Professor Syle is also one
of the prominent instructors of the State
institution of learning. In tn Univer-
sity Register it is stated on prge 45 that
certain information required may be
found in Professor Styles book. There are
like innuendos in other paris OF the re-
Quireme that those who keep close to
me line of studies mapped out by the
professors will not err. 1t seems that
those rash enough to ignore the pre-
scribsd course missed the straight and mar
row course that led TO victory.
The professors of the various high
schools of the Stare are not so m UGH exer-
cised over the matter as some OF their
pupils. The latter say that the professors
have constituted the mseves a sort OF trust
in the schoolbook question, and that the
true reason why the schools were refused
a standing at Berkeley is because some of
these very textbooks were not In the cur
ricuIum provided by The local Board Of
Education last year.
According to the grievance against the
Berkeley professors, they seem deter
mined 10 insist that their books shall have
precedence of all others.
Heretofore task of passing upon the
standard of the schools has fallen to the
lot of Professor Gayley, the head of the
department of English at Berkeley. This
year Professor Bradley undertook this
work in the absence of his superior, who
is On a years leave OF absence III Europe.
Gayley and Bradley have both written
books which are meant Tor use in the pub
lie schools CT he State and which are pre-
scrb4d in the matriculation for the uni
versity. Gayley's work is entitled
Classic Myths in English Ii era
tu-e," and bas almost superseded Bull
finch's "My thology" in this STATE.
Professor Bradley has won fame as the
author OF "Orations and Arguments. and
the requirements for admItUance 10 Berke-
ley according TO the hig school people, in
clude careful study of certain designated
chapters OF this work. Professor Syle has
a work entitled From Milton to Jenny
son" which has found favor with many
boards OF education.
No ATTEMPT has been made by edu-
Gators to discredit the merits of any
of these productions but they assert
that 1t was but natural that Pro-
fessor Bradley should be partial to those
schools that were we'll grounded in his
own productions. The Oakland High
School was also on the blacklists and of
course there is bond Of Sympathy now
between that and the three loo II insIitu-
tions. Across the bay they were stuck"
because the scholars did not recognize a
passage from WhIttiei's "Snowbound.'
but that makes no particular difference at
this late hour. They say that this was
only an excuse for Professor Bradley's
Furnishing them for not inclu ing the
works of the university sages in their
course of study.
The schools, however are going to profit
by the lesson of the past. This year the
works of Professors Gayley. Syle and
Bradley appear in the course OF study
prescribed by the school boards OF both