The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-10

dren's minds as their bodies, In the pre-
/ vailing fashions" Spencer was far from
i being unitarian OF the baser kind IN
education. yet he condemned that prac-
tice which. IL 1t did not prescribe abso-
| lutely. assigned q very Insignificant place
10 those knowiedges tina. are more or less
| positively relaxed to the arts OF life. Hia
/ school OF educational thinkers criticised
the point Of view OF the old curriculum,
saying that It looked almost entirely. II
not Altogether. to the very ancient past for
| its ideals. that Ii emphasized the history
| OF ancient, to the exclusion OF modern.
nations; that without realizing the power
OF the modern classics, 1t glorified the an
Client languages and literatures; and that
! II almost totally disregarded the natural
sciences. that field OF modern learning by
| whose cultivation the worlds civilization
has been born anew. Not only in the
/ mother scountry, but also in America.
where the practical spirit Is stronger, the
clamor for the new studies and the de-
/ mand for their Introduction into the cur
| riculum became so strong that one by one
they were grudgingly admitted. In many
American institutions they were consld-
cred as extras or side nxings" and for
years they bore the brunt OF fippant lest
and cruel sheer. Nevertheless. the recog-
milton. however slight, OF new study
compelled the shortening OF the time that
| had been given to the traditional studies,
for II was idle to demand that the four
year course be Increased one year or more.
AS the new studies fought their way into
the colleges, the Is. A. degree, which had
all along maintained its majesty In the
world OF the liberal arts, gradually came
TO represent less OF classical culture. In
fact. there Is ground for belief that the
degree granted by colleges having fixed
iour-year potpourrl curriculum does no.
represent culture OF any kind. The COM
q IN
In rapid succession to Latin, Greek, math-
ematics. physiology, botany, zoology. his
tory. philosophy. French, German, political
economy, etc, prevented him from undue
specializing, 1t Is true, but 1t also stretched
out his breadth of culture to so great a
degree as to reduce its depth at any point
to little, II any, above zero. The great
majority OF these potpcurrl curricula
We're arranged without any regard to con-
trolling doctrines of education. Expedi.
ency, Willingness to effect compromises
even at the cost of%uth, the strength and
aggressiveness OF professors and regents
We're some of the factors determining
whether study should gain prominence
or sink into insignlicance. These curri-
cula are rapidly becoming obsolete, for
they are foolish, preposterous aud disas,
trous. and they perpetrate such outrages
upon the most elementary educational
principles as can not be tolerated in an
demanding sanity as well as zeal in peda-
gogical performances Fourteen weeks in
the study of a science may result In the
memorizing of few definitions and made
to-order classiflcations. hitting the ground
only in high places in traversing any great
held OF human learning may cultivate a
certain kind of mental agility; but such
practices can not beget any real discip-
line.
To the leaders IN natural science belongs
much of the credit for the Improvement of
courses of study Encouraged by the
Morrill, act, which was passed by congress-
IN 1862, and of which nearly every STATE
in the Union has since taken advantage
teachers of natural science demanded that
IT be taught intelligently None knew
better than hey that a smattering of
science, gained Without experience in the
laboratory, Is without profit Is a delusion
amounting almost TO a crime and that
such science Is utterly unworthy to rank
with Greek, Latin and mathematics as
liberal art. They recognized that far
from being a liberal art, it was a liberal
hnmbug of colossal proportions. As late
as 1879 Prof. Jordan. now President Jor-
dan Of Leland Stanford, Jr, unive sity
complained OF the condition of science
teaching. He was at that time professor
or natural history in an Illinois college:
1t was his duty to give instruction in
zoology, botany, geology, physiology, ply
slcs chemistry. mineralogy, natural the
oiogy and political economy. No wonder
he confesses with Spartan brevlty that ne
Taught "a little of each TO little purpose"
A one time he attempted to establish a
small chemical laboratory, hut the board
of trustees informed him that students
should be kept out of what was called the
cabinet" In order thar the apparatus
might not be hurt and the chemicals
wasted But Prof. Jordan and his col
leagues persisted in their determination to
dignity work in science. Among th> great
leaders may he mentioned Agassiz who
may be regarded MS the father of the Il S.
degree and whose lnhnrs In Harvard
marked an era In the history of that in
stltution So thoroughly has tho educn-
tlonal value of science heen demon stratnd
that In all reputable colleges 1t Is no
longer questioned
Similarly the modern languages t:nclud-
Ing Englishl. history and the sociological
group Of studies We're raised to The plane
OF the liberal arts 'fhe rev studies hav-
Ing gained actual not nominal. re,ogni-
non. college faculties We're compete 10
decide that no students could be expected,
within tho short period of his academic
NE. to give attention to all the subjects
IN which instruction was offered Fer this
rTHaon The third phase OF the d. A. c,nt~-
ilcuium appeared, the phase through
which 1t Is row passing, and which has
Tor Its characteristic feature the elective
system OF studies. This system. which
prevails to greater or less degree In
The colleges Of the country, recognizes the
inherent value OF all studies new as well
as old but even yet, so far as the 3. A.
degree is concerned, II Is senera'ly held I
hat Latin. at least. ia indispensable, for
which In the now almost Unlimited range
u the liberal arts there Is no adequate |
substitute The system Of cleation, how
'ver Al greatly modified the require
nents for this degree which is now CON {
erred upon men and women that have s
pursued widely varying courses OF study
The several courses leading to tho y A..
iegree as now conferred by Tyiane uni ,
'ersity represent fairly well the eyolu-
lion OF that degree, the principle OF cleo
Ion, however, being somewhat limited. as
I is confined to four-year curricula in.
stead OF smaller groups OF subjects or to (
Individual subjects. Tulane has three b
A. ei.rricua. The first la denomlnated
the classical course" In which Greek and
latin are required In each OF the four