Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1899-05-13
The County High School and Its Relation
to the Present Educational System
of Kansas

Tread before the Teachers aSSocia-
tion, March %. 1899, by Mrs. Jessie F..
Taylor.
PROG RESS OF EDUCATION ON MANKIND.
Education is the powerful factor
which has wrought the change be-
tween primeyal man, whose life work
was hunting the wild beasts, and war
ring against other barbarians, whose
highest enjoyment was eating and
drinking, and whose code of ethics
was brute force and the law of might,
and the civilization, morality and re-
finement of to-day.
PROGRESS OF EDUCATION ON GOVERN
MENTs.
In the progress of governments.
from the time of the average chief.
whose undisciplined will controls the
life and liberty of his wild followers.
to the development of a government
like our own, whose power rests upon
the will of the majority, and the
peaceable submission of the minority,
we can see the accumulated results of
ages of education.
NEED OF EDUCATION IN KANSAS.
Kansas, mindful of all this, with
wise economy, provides for education
be fitted for the duties, the privi-
legeS, and the responsibilities of citi-
zenShip; thus benefttiEg mankind,
and increasing tire sum total of hui
man happiness.
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN KANSAS.
The educational system of the state
consists of the district schools, grad
ed schools, high schools, county high
schools, Normal school at Emporia.
Agricultural college at Manhattan,
and State university at Lawrence.
HOW EMPOWERED.
The state constitution declares that
the Legislature shall encourage the
promotion of intellectual, moral,
scientific and agricultural improve
ment by establishing a uniform SyS-
tenn of common schools, and schools
of a higher grade, embracing normal,
preparatory. collegiate and university
departments.
HOW MAINTAINED.
Realizing the encouraging power of
money the constitution further states
that sections IL and 36 in each town
ship of public land, shall be set apart
for school purposes: also all money
paid as exemption from military duty,
estates of persons dying without heir
or Will, the proceeds of certain class
of fines, and other minor incomes
shall form Il perpetual school fund for
the support of common schools. The
highest institutions of learning-be-
fore mentioned. are endowed with
large land grants, and also receive
heavy appropriations from the state
legislature.
INTENT.
With a school system so definitely
arranged, and so literally endowed. it !
is easy to see that our early states
man intended to place Il free higher
education within the reach of every
boy and girl in the state. But no
MIND, however great, can foreSee all /
the results of an experiment, or Judge |
fully of the practical workings of an |
untrled law. Their great mistake |
lies in the abrupt break between the |
common schools and the higher inSti- |
buttons. Following this line of 1
thought, L cannot do better than |
quote directly from the Ninth Bien- I
NAL report of the State Superintend-i
ent of Public Instruction, as follows: /
To any one familiar with the work
ingS OF the present school system, no /
argument need be advanced to dis I
close the fact that, comparatively /
speaking, only very few of the youth +
of our state ever reach the coveted /
goal of a higher education. There is
break between the work of the GEM
mon schools and that of the higher
institutions. too great to be brIdged,
even by the greatest industry on the I
for more learning finds himself |
obliged to turn from the free school
co the fee system; to pay tuition for |.
preparatory work. But few counties
have within their limits towns large
enough to support high schools, and I
where they do exist as departments of
graded schools, it is a well known fact
that they are usually taxed to their
utmost capacity to provide for their
residend pupils; thus being obliged /
to refuse to admit dozens of appli-
cants, eager to prepare themselves for
higher schools, and willing to pay the
tuition fee which is often high enough I
60 become an important item of ex-
penSe.
NO HIGH SCHOOL AN INJUSTICE TO
FARMERS.
1t is a fact which should be strong
IL impressed upon the farmers that
although they constitute a great ma
leritv of the population of the state.
and are its greatest wealth producers. h
their sons and daughters have nedI-
rect means OF making connection
with the university. The country