The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-05
TOO MANY STUDIES.

There has been a good deal Of talk in edu-
cational circles recently about the poor
quality of college English" as shown in
the examination papers of young men pre-
senting themselves for entrance to college.
Inasmuch as the previous training of ma
jority of these young, men is obtained In
the lower schools, public and private, pre-
paratory school English is a more fitting
term to apply to the language as they use
it. College English is more properly that
which is in use by college graduates, and
more than suspicion exists that it's char
acter is not all that could be wished but,
since no systematic test can be made, as.
with students entering the higher institu-
tons of learning, the blame for all the pre-
vailng deficiencies in the use of the
vernacular must fall on the lower schools.
At all events, the English of the freshmen
has been found so poor that in one college,
at least, a special preparatory course has
been established in which to teach the rudi-
ments of English composition, so that the
young men may be able to profit by the re-
mainder of their college instruction. BY
facility in English composition is not meant
the ability to produce literature, but merely
such proficiency in the use of language as
will enable students to express themselves
intelligently and clearly in regard to their
studies, and with a reasonable mastery of
the rules of grammar, spelling, punctua-
ton, etc. 1t is well known that great at
tention is paid to literature in the public
schools in these days of educational advan-
tages; acquaintance with great writer's be-
gins in the primary grades and continues
until a high school pupil who has given
heed to his opportunities must be quite
familiar with at least the names of the lit
erary lights of his own and past ages. This
knowledge is useful, but the study given to
acquiring it is not the study of English
which fits the student for practical use of
the language himself. Reading from litera-
ture no doubt helps to form literary style,
but a continued drill in composition, with
strict attention to rules of grammar and
photography, is more important 1t is no
torious fact that boys with anywhere from
five to ten years schooling are likely to fall
wofully short in the simple matter of writ
ing plain business letter-the very direc-
ton in which they are likely to make most
use of what knowledge of English they
have. What is true of boys is equally true
of girls 1t is probably not too much to say
that of the army of stenographers and type
writers eight out of ten, at the beginning of
their business careers, have not rudimen-
tary ideas of grammatical construction and
are uncertain as to spelling. Few of these
fIn
lie school advantages. A writer in an ex-
change who claims to have positive infor
nation says that out of 500 letters
written by female graduates of various
colleges in this country 800, in writing
and spelling, would be disgrace to prop
erly trained twelve-year-o girl That this
illiteracy exists even among girls who, as
the phrase is, have had every advantage
is not to be doubted by any one who is in
the way of seeing their epistolary efforts.
Sprawly high-shouldered, half legibile CHI
Biography, the dash used as the only pune
tuation mark, and at least one misspelled
word in even the shortest note is, if not the
rule at least too frequent an occurrence to
be called the exception. The cause for this
system, and just where it is is not difficult
to see. 1t lies in the crowding of the cur
riculum from the kindergarten grade on to
the close of the high school course. The
children are required to give their attention
to many things and the result is that too
often they are but ill trained in those
branches which it is most important that
they should know WELL What with science
work." nature studies" music, drawing,
literature, German and all the rest added
to the things absolutely essential to the
equipment of the child for the ordinary oc-
equations of life, it is too much to expect
that he will be proficient in all. There are
studies more agreeable and interesting then
those of composition and spelling, and it is
not surprising if the latter are neglected
sfor the sake of the others. The children