Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-12-23

value Of subjects hpou'
vhIeh 80 much has been written III
ao.,, vears. Many seem to belieVe
hat educational value is pFopeAS
Inherent In \ subject In the ss'
way. g. z. that color, weight. And au
tiI,ty are properties inherent "a so,u
belieye. however, that In peoA
,<,,.,tos aa well as In economies. saioe
- a relative term. and Is conaltioneo
IN. deslre OF the individual
rhat which one has no desire i"i hns
M value for him. l do not Deno'.
,n., . suylect is valuable because IL
70 dis,astefi,l rather do ! believe tnA'
a. s,bteet which has the most vaiuc
,,,,,l ia that for which he mas
Tho most desire. All minus uo ~
rcsnon< sympathetically TO the Sum, sam1
notc in she scale oil tne ~
ssi.noaa a..d the humanities' Ing
,,,,d acts M a whole, and, ~hiie IN
,or,Iy occupied with any one supleo.'
ia bcipx exercised throughout oue
4. tho correlation AEc association ".
subiects that a pupil oace interes'ea
in sny one OF them Is brought 10
greater or ICES u'bi'~N'
with ALI ''Touest dams tout
II was formerly thought that no GU
uontiou WAS worthy OF the naine
which omitted the classic languages,
while I admit their great value ana
haye nyaelf had this classical tram
Ing. vet / have seen pupils VINO nav
n,ba,ituted the modern languages io'
the classics without apparent lose
nay. even, / have known pupils VINO
have spopt four years In vigorous
work In the high school ON spplee's
entirely within their vernacuihr VINO
have brought no discredit to the
school whose diploma they hold.
In the same way mathematics mas
been made a "shibboietb, bnt ! 40
not think that the omission pf ANY
subject on the yearly programme
ought TO be bar to pupi VINO
wishes to pursue course of lnstruc'
,,o, In the high school. When ne
has completed an amount OF WORK
equivalent to that for which diploma
have hitherto been granted, ne, aisu
| should receive diploma, though ms
work conform TO no hdVertisel
| course. classical, Latip-scisptitlc
modern language. Engiifh, or Of any
other name,
But how shall the amount cf work
be measured, and by what name abal'
his course be caIledf believe N
using for measurement or WORK .
tlmeunlt whose value Is the credit
given for one recitation week foi
n half year. believe In using nc
name at all Tor the course. rather LEI
there be engrossed on the diploma
i the record OF the subjects sAt'siac
tor,Iy pursued and the time devoted
Ia each Thus the course names u
self.
What does V,etin-sclentihc
| course mean' Unless one is &C
quainted with the requirements OF th'
sohooi issuing the diploma. 1t means
only that Latin and the srirnces nav
been the dominant subjects OF th'
course; but what sciences and II
what proportion. and by what othe
subjects they have been supplement
ed. II is impossible TO say.
| Within the range OF financial pos
slbllity | believe that II Is the fupo
ton OF the high school to offer In
struetion In as many subjects, whlcl
the people my demand. as II cal
handle efficiently. IN Language, II
mathematics. In history. In literature
In science and In the various form
OF physical and manual training, III
ting. mol only for literary and scien
tine. but also fog commercial and In
dustrial pursuits.
| For example. In the Durango Hisl
school with au enrolment OF II
pupils, our yearly programme is a
follows; Latin. years, German.
years, Spanish, 2 years. English.
years. Algebra. ! year; reometry,
year: book keeping. ! year, advance
mathematics. ] year; history an
economics. hsityears, Engiis
composition and literature. I bal
yoars. goology-botany, year. ply
sics. year. chemistry, l year; gee
Ioxy aatroaomy, . year. gymnastics
music clocutioD and drawing year
each. stonography. z years. In lar,
cr schools a longer list of subject
can be offered.
But how oss pupils make an intell
gent choice among subjects abou
~hich they have SO little know,elg
In sdysnes7 l believe one great al
vantage Of the siGctive system Is tina
1, causes them TO consult perents an
teachers about their course. Respor
ability thus deyolved on thom. sol
crs; freedom Of choice does not In
toxicate, pDriDg tbs year precedin
entrance 90 the high school. pupils o
the eighth grade should Visit tn
high school exercises. They ehoul'
receive instruction concerning the a
ternatiyes TO be offered them. Tn
leading teachers OF each bish sehoo
subject ought each term TO give
ts!k TO which parents as well a
pupils should be invited. settinl
forth the vsila OF the subject an'
the reasons why 1t should be elected
u is our custom to have daily
programme card ON ono side o