Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-05-26
WORK IN HIGH School
More Attention to Be Devoted to
Commercial Depart.
ment.
A COURSE OF FOUR YEARS.
Graduates Given Diplomas and
Worthy Ones Recon-
mendations.
COURSE OF FOUR YEAR,

Not until within recent years has
the idea of commercial training come
to be considered as one of the func-
tons of the public school. The for
mer adherence in the high schools to
n rigid course of purely culture stud
les is rapidly giving away to what
may be termed the equilibrium in
secondary education, that is. the COM
bining Of the practical with the theo-
retical. The demand is made and
recognized that the high school course
shall afford opportunity for the study
| of those branches which may be of
immediate benefit to the large num-
Der who enter business life immedi-
atelv after completing their high
school education 1t is not now con-
sidered essential that one shall spend
several hours a day digging out Greek
roots in order that he may receive
the proper mental discipline. A well
arranged commercial course may have
the same disciplinary effect as we'll
arranged classical course. while at the
same time benefitting the pupils in a
practical way.
This movement towards practical
education is widespread; not confined
TO one locality or one country. Most
of the great institutions of learning
are now Offering courses on COM
merce with a view to fitting the stud
ent for active business life. High
schools all over the country are add
Ing to their courses commercial
branches.
Aim of Commercial Work.
A brief statement of the aim and
operation of the commercial work in
the Rock Island High school may be
of interest. In the first place, no
claim Is advanced that this work will
produce a fully equipped business
man in the specified period of four
years. 1t would be as impossible to
do this as it would be for law school
to turn out Webster or q theologi-
cal seminary a Beeoher. Neither is it
the design to attempt to turn out
competent bookkeepers and stenog-
raphers and clerks in few weeks or
months. but the aim is to arrange
the course of study so that the stud
ent may, on its completion, have not
only broadened. cultivated and we'll
balanced mind, but also a knowledge
of bookkeeping, stenography and kim
dred subjects, and be in n posi- 10 1,
should he so desire, to take up the
work of a bookkeeper or stenog-
rapber intelligently and adequately.
With these ends in view, the COM
mercial course has been made four
years in length, as are all other
courses in the Rock Island High
school. During this period, book
keeping, stenography. English, COM
mercial law, commercial geography,
commercial arithmetic, civics aud
economies are taught. The student,
along with the commercial branches
proper. is required to study pre-
scribed amount of languages. science,
literature and history. A particular
effort is made 10y the instructor to SO
aid the pupil in the selection of these
latter branches that they will fit n
with the general objects of the course.
Law Prominent In Cours.
The work is made IS oomprehe nsive. !
without sacrificing necessary details, |
as the time and facilities will permit. |
In bookkeeping, for example, all
forms of commercial paper are made |
out and studied and the significance
of each move considered. So. also, in !
com mercial law, a knowledge of that
part Of law, especially common law,
which relates to every day business
acts and which concerns everyone
closely, is given a prominent place in
the course. At the same time an eff
fort is made to inculcate proper re-
spect for the power and dignity of the
law in general
a course aof this comprehensive |
nature would obviously require an ex-
tended aud careful study for its CON-
pletion. 1t cannot be finished in one
or two months, or even as many
years. Hence the student who con-
taking this course is strong
" advised to devote to it the fu II four
years of his high school study. The
work so done is as thorough and COM
plete, as we'll as difficult. as that
given In any other course in the cur
and If the full four years are
given it the results will undoubtedly
be gratifying and salts factory to all
Graduates from the commercial
course are given diplomas and the
ones recommended. from time
TO time. for positions OF trust and
profit. As a rule. however, only
those who have completed the full
four years work are recommended for
positions by the high school authori-
ties.
Notice to stockholders-
The regular annual meeting of the
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