The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-01-16
sr'NFrs N
Public
School
Notes.
Items Ofln-
terest Il,
Parents and
Patrons
from the
Various
AIDE

read as tOCalS ana not as averages. J.
they are read without the leoima
ooints which the printer kindly in
serted they will be right.
The absolute need Of more sohoo'
next year il daily emphasized
When the county high school building
Is completed that will relieve the pres
ent stress.
Occasionally letters are received by
prominent citizens asking about the
status Of II schools, especially the
high school. When the county free
high school Ia organized aud in working
order there is no reason why our school
facilities will not be the equal Of any
IN the west.
We sometimes hear people talk about
sending eighth grade pupils, or ever
those Of lower standing, to q Finishing
school. " The idea Of "fnishing"
eighth grade pupilsl Such a scheme
belittles every principle Of scholarship.
II assumes that there Is some special
process Of education that will take the
place Of regular, long continued study.
Il pretends that the methods Of some.
body's Finishing school" are of more
value than the students W efforts.
Mind grows by acquiring power through
work. It is a slow growth aud Ia
never finished as long as the student
Is sane. 1T takes a hundred years to
grow the sturdy oak. but you a Guilt
vate a oabbage.head in one season" says
President Brooks Of Tabor College.
But think Of it.. "Finishing'-polish.
ing-eiRhth grade pupils! You cannot
polish green and sappy timber. The
eighth grade pupil is not ever hall. way
through the present system Of schools.
According to accepted classifcations he
has merely finished the first, the pri-
mary. division Of schooling. He should
yet take three other divisions, the high
school (%secondary), the college. and the
technical, professionally. II anyone
wants such immature material "An.
ished" why send away to a finishing
school' and pay an exorbitant price
for this very thin veneer? Let it be
henceforth known and proclaimed that
there are today colleges Gao called) that
make a speciality Of this "Anishing"
business and they do ii on a strictly
business basis. There Ia no pretense Of
"attending school" with them. You
pay the price and receive your diploma
resplendent with the glowing and v
tic Latin maxim, Sec semper patmur.
ply. It is done. No longer need schol.
be in the mind. when you can
just as we'll get 1t IN your diploma.
Real learning is no longer essential.
Point to your diploma and look wise.
Who knows? Only a few slow old
plodders, out.of. date book
These still cling to the anti
notion that knowledge is a pro-
duct of labor done by the student him.
self. They think that there are no
such things as Finishing Schools" be-
cause education never Is finished In
school Or anywhere else. They, call
schools humbugs, designed to
catch those who want the lame of
graduate" without it's worth. They
tell You there are today no better
schools possible than those provided by
The state, great public schools and
That, az a class, these have
The best equipment, the best teachers,
The most money for improvements.
Their diplomas ART standard both at
home and abroad. They are the only
schools Of our time that keep their stu.
1ents in touch with outside affairs. the
actual world, while they carry forward
The proper work Of their W schools
hat put their students III touch with u
7ast body Of strong and ambitious asso
hates who will prove helpful in more
han u important instance after all
together entered the great school
# life. Finishing Schools" indeed
Note we'll that any school which pre-.
ends to give its students something
hat they have not earned by diligent
work, betrays the fundamental purpose
Il education, which Is to develop good
character. You cannot build on a
OF sand. Much less then,
N wind. Finishing sohoolsr' Yes.
hey finish your supply Of money fast
'nough because that's what they are
I'M for. They will generally "fnish"
be students desire for a thorough
ohooling, for the very title of finishing
chool Is a pretense that a little Ia ~
'ood as enough. They usually Finish"
our respect TOR tho peoples schools,
he public schools, belittling their work
nd sneering at your patriotism. Any
that pretends to give some.
hing for nothing Is a fraud, and any
chool that protends to Finish" imma-
students Is unworthy respectable
atronage. But such schools exist and
eople continue to %patronize them, and
be worst feature Of the whole affair il
hat the diploma In six months" grad.
ate usually thinks he knows more than ;
be- patient worker who has finished /.
course (instead Of being finished by
D In some really good school. +,