The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-03-17
HIGH SCHOOL AND ITS WORK

This question has been asked by the
Journal. labor paper published IN H5as-
ton. and in an editorial comment that pa
per denies this fact. though It fails TO give
any substantial argument in support of its
position.
Tho matter is certainly worthy Of inves-
tigatlon. and II Is very easy for the tax
payer to determine from the facts and
figures whether the High school is due
proper support by the people--whethor It
is just charge upon the city.
~
Let US sec what returns the Houston
Kigh school does furnish for the $3.50
spent last year. including repairs on The
building, OFT OF the amount Of sSJ,142 %
/ spent ON the city schools for the Same Pc
iiod.
! First. the Journal and the people 81
Houston should know that there were 59s
Pupils enrolled last year at the Hig1
school building in the sixth and seventh
| Grades, and the total enrolment in the
I High school proper was So7--that is. 905
/ pJpils shared the advantages of the pa
1 lasial' building.
Had the 307 pupils been sent to private
school tho tuition at the usual rate paid
! IL this elty-sio per month for high school
I GRADES would have amounted to $1,000,
nearly three times The amount paid 10
maintain the High school; or had these
pupils been sent away from Houston,
their parents citizens. taxpayers of Hous-
ton, would have paid out more than $3.50
for each one sent. or a total of 1907 $50,
which is $2l. 1898 more than was paid to
maintain tho entire system of city public
schools. This money was left ia Houston,
an amount sufficient to establish manu-
featuring industry employing more than
a hundred men supporting families.
But would the pupils sent away have
received any better advantages than arc
offered in the Houston High school, What
amount OF money, since it is the money
phase that is being questioned, would
compensate mothers for the anxiety FOL
sons end daughters several hundred miles
| from home, especially at the immature age
Of High school pupils'
But. perhaps. the Journal will claim
that only the rich would send their chill
dren away. Just so, but at the same time
the poorer classes would be utterly do
prived OF any opportunity to get the train
ing and mental discipline that the High
school studies afford
~
This last statement leads to the consid
GRAFTON OF one great fallacy in the Jour.
nails argument. In contending that tn,
High school course is mainly useles!
waste OF time upon "ologies and dead Ian
guages." 1t shows q misconception Of wha
are practical studlee. Practical studies ar,
these that give the student the power t,
perceive clearly, to retain definitely, t,
think quickly, accurately, vigorously; q
state his thoughts lucidly. tersely, PEST
lively. These are some of the results o
the study of the KS and VS. and us, a, um
the bis. ia. els, his, SO, etc.
The boy that has learned to rivet his at
tention for an hour. il aesd. TO a Latil
sentence, until he determines its meaning
and the construction OF the words com
posing ii, has gained power that will en-
able him TO see through a business propo
sition at once. or stay with it until h
does comprehend IT, He will be one VIII
will not be changing from one occupation
10 another according to the changes of tn
wind
When we consider that about 80 per cen
Of the words In common use come from TIL
Latin there is strong argument for th
study Of the language which gives one con
~ ~
, not only control ever them but deepe
meaning is given to them. There is man,
q pupil who never knew how to study unit
s he had the close application which tn
, Latin demands OF those who succeed Ii
| IL.
Q What Is there left of the so-caled prac
teal subject of bookkeeping after one com
} prohends the meaning of debit and credit
How long VIII it take to master this aftc
! boy has learned to think as result fror
tho study OF algebra. geometry physics 0
some of the other unnecessary high schoo
4 studiese
! any teacher of s,enosraphy will tell yo
r that II takes very much less time to mas
ter that subject where the pupils have
good mastery of English. which Is mos
: readily secured by the study OF some FOR
E eign language.
\ ~
! IA its attempt to furnish some other ar
! guplent againat the High school, as u
2 present conducted, the Journal asserts tina
algebra, physical geography, English lit
4 orature and physiology ARE studies prac
: ticaly covered before the common schoo
$ Is merged into The bugs and bis and us
a, nm. az the high school" If the Journa
win glance at the course Of study OF tn
High school It will md that algebra ant
: physical geography are not commenced TN
. I'll some months after the ''us, a, UNI
have been studied; also that the physiclcg,
. is but elementary hygiene
! - =
The journal says:
There sre m round numbers 1000 children II
/ the nuellc schools Forty or less GRADUATE
ron the high school of the $500 children II
!; thg. GRADES helow the hign school tiuv are IN
children OF the not-rieh class. OF the 800 Il
tht HiEh school. 200 are OF the not-poor class
The statement that of the $500 pupils IL
the grades below the hish school only lOl
belong to the rich is absurd II the Journa