The San Francisco call., 1898-02-20
Professor Brown Traces a Constant Tendency
 Toward It.
Too Little Provision Made for the Education of
 GeniuSeS
Need of Improvement in the Pres ent Method of Teaching
 Literature.

Professor Elmer E. Brown of the de- partment of pedagogy at the State University, in an address yesterday morning to a teachers class at Berke- ley, declared that the history of Amer ican education shows the constant growth of a tendency toward unifica tion. He compared educational ideas of the last century and the ideas now prevailing, and intimated that the present system makes insufficient pro- vision for the discovery and education of students of genius, such as many earlier educators aimed at. In the course of his remarks Professor Brown said:
 The idea of unification which plays so important part in philosophy and ethics is an important element in the American character, and the movement toward unification is a very important fact in our educational history. The University of New York was the first embodiment of this tendency toward unifcation, and in time has had a great effect upon the subsequent de- velopment of American educational in- stitutions.
 lie leIlUeDCy IOWdTu characteristic as it is of American in stitutions, prevailed in revolutionary France. The idea of education in charge of the civic rather than the ecclesiastical power, which prevailed strongly in America at the time of the establishment of the University of New York, also came from France.
 The old grammar schools were, so to speak, a step downward from the universities; the later high schools have been a step upward from the ele- mentary schools. The academy is a comparatively independent type.
 The University of New York was founded in t7S4. The ecclesiastical character of Columbia College prevent ed it from being made the central in- stitution of the system, just as the ecclesiastical character of William and Mary College prevented it from being the central institution of the educa- tional system uf Virginia and led to the establishment of the University of Virginia. Besides, in New York there was, at the time of the founda- tion of the University of New York, strong disagreement be- tween the college" and academy" factions, headed respectively by Alex ander Hamilton and L'Hommedieu. Hc Ol lIllS was d compromise in 1IS7 by which the Uni versity of New York was made entirely independent of Columbia College, and a system of academies and secondary schools was provided for.
 No immediate provision for elemen- tary education was made until later. At present New York has two different Systems-the regents system, including the higher and secondary schools, and ha Nr-hi h.ac charge of elementary education. These two systems are to some extent united by being both under the direction of the State Superintendent.
 The idea of the University of New York doubtless grew out of earlier the oretical suggestions by Diderot Four croy and Talleyrand in France. Both Fourcroy and Talleyrand took an inn portant part in the establishment of the University of France in 1906, and had taken an interest in the establishment of the University of New York. Each institution, doubtless, exercised an inn portant influence upon the other. None of the other American States succeed ed in attaining the university system which was the central idea of the Uni- Versity of New York. The attempt to realize the university idea in Georgia, however is of interest, as indicating the growth of the American desire for unification, and as showing also the in- huence of the University of New York on the early educational history of the United States.
 "A unique system, devised prin- cipally by Thomas Jefferson, was pro- posed for Virginia. Schools were to be established in each hundred, and every year the best student in each of these schools was to be sent to the nearest grammar school. Here, at the end of one year. one-third of the stu dents were dropped; at the end of the second year all but one were to be dropped This one student was to have four years more of free tuition. Of these grammar school students half were then to be sent out to teach school and the more proficient half were to have three years free tuition at Will liam and Mary College. These provi- sions were never carried into effect, but it is doubtful whether Thomas Jeffer- sons scheme of discovering and edu- eating the most promising geniuses would not be better than the system which prevails at present"