The record-union., 1897-08-08
THE HIGH SCHOOL TROUBLE.

A number of the high schools in bay
and coast counties have been black
listed by the university examiner as de-
ficient in study of English, while large
number of interior high schools, includ-
ing that of Sacramento, have been
passed with credit, so that their grad
yates can enter the State University
unconditional.
But it is claimed that the interior
schools We're credited by the chief ex-
aminer, while those blacklisted We're
passed upon by an assistant of that de-
partment of the university, who desires
by his sweeping condemnation to thus
force a higher standard into the courses
of study. So many schools have been
thus discredited as to give warrant for
this belief concerning an advanced
standard. 1t is hardly conceivable that
the examiner would have embraced so
many schools in his blacklist had he not
had the raised standard matter in view.
In behalf of the rejected schools it is
claimed that they had no notice of the
higher requirement, and had not ad-
justed their course of study ac-
cordingly. There is some justice in this
claim, since the passed schools pursued
the established course along with those
rejected, and since it is true that the
rejected schools have been repeatedly
accepted by university examiners on
the examinations based upon the same
study course followed by the interior
accepted scho lis.
But the answer to all this is that the
bay and coast county schools, if they
had had the same courses of study, and
We're put to the same examination tests
applied to the interior schools, must
have failed because of inefficiency of in
struction and of study. This is based,
however, on the assumption that the
principal examiner and his assistant
pursued the same methods of eXamina-
ton, and that the latter did not exact
more than the former. Some Of the
Principals of the rejected schools deny
that this was done, and hold that the
assistant examiner pursued his investi-
cations from the standpoint of higher
excellence not called for by the present
study course.
However all this may be, it remains
that large number of bay and coast
county schools have been refused the
credit that would entitle their gradu-
ates to enter the university this year.
and that the failure to attain the nee
essary credit was due to insufficiency
in English. The result viii be to great
ly awaken the faculties of these de-
faulting schools, to bring them up to
the standard now set, and thus accom-
plish what it is understood the univer-
sity has in view. If this is the out
come it will be worth all the humila-
tion of the present. 1t means that more
attention is to be given to English as
the basis of true university work that
the senior classes in the high schools
hereafter are TO go up better grounded
In English, even if it is at the expense
of some less essential work. This must
to a certain extent react upon the
grammar ScnOOlS, ana TINS VIII De de-
sirable result also.
If it will have the effect also of clear
ing out of the schools a great deal of
the ornamental and special, we shall be
gratified. 1t has come to pass that
whenever a want is felt in preparing
youth educationally for active life. that
rush has been made to the schools to
make them the vehicle for carrying the
remedy, and thus to introduce all man
ner of special instruction from the arts
of housewifery to the details a stable
boy should know in caring for buggy
If that thing goes on we shall have
the schools-as the Record Union" has
often pointed out-so loaded mp with
specialties that there win be thorough
ness in nothing for sheer want of time.
That more thoroughness and greater
breadth and depth in English is insisted
upon is therefore gratifying. We can
scarcely have too much of higher edu-
cation in that direction and as the high
school is the poor mans school essen