New-York tribune., 1901-04-25
SPELLING AT COLLEGE.

The Columbia University freshmen and Sopho.
mores who were put through spelling exercises
the other day probably found the proceedings
as much of a strain on their dignity as on their
knowledge of photography. The spelling book
is not commonly thought of as one of the instru-
nients of higher education. The college student
is himself thoroughly convinced that lie is a
man. and not infrequently his teachers and
others accept his view of the and assume
with him the propriety of putting away childish
studies even if he cannot always be persuaded
to put away childish sports and habits within
the college precincts. Such treatment however,
is founded on the presumption that before enter
ing college he has really mastered the childish
Subjects that he spell and punctuate cor
rectly and write a reasonably good English SEN
tence. AS matter of fact, however, he is fire.
quently quite unable to do this, but enters col
lege with wofully defective primary training
goes on with higher studies without making up
his preparatory shortcomings, is graduated per
haps with honors. and presents himself at law
office bank counting house or editorial room
with all the pretensiOns OF an educated man.
but without the ability TO write presentable
letter or n readable para graph. Critics of
American college education have long recog-
nized this. The Columbia students are prob
ably not one whit behind the average of their
student contemporaries, even if they are put
back for a moment to grammar school work
The others ought TO be, and one of the best
things that our colleges could do would be to
follow Columbia's example. force their students
to thorough knowledge of primary branches
and then for the future force the preparatory
schools to send up candidates for admission
whose writing and spelling will in truth war
rant their putting aside those studies for more
advanced work.
The blame for this state of affairs is generally
laid upon the preparatory schools But do they
deserve it all? Have they done anything but
supply the demand and send out boys equipped
to meet the requirements which the colleges
make? If the colleges call for another Grafton
Of Cicero n new book of geometry, the boys
on due notice appear prepared to pass examina-
tions according TO schedule. The colleges them
selves have generally acted on Dogberry's theory
that Ito write and read comes by nature" and
though prescribing strict examinations in Greek
Latin and mathematics, have taken it as mat
ter of course that those who could pass such
tests must be proficient in subjects supposed
but only supposed-to have been mastered long
before. Recently more attention has been given
10 foundation studies, but the habits engendered
by long experience of perfunctory examina-
ton or eXamina tions at all in English for
college entrance still persist in preparatory
schools, and still foster the idea in pupils and
parents that English branches do not demand
serious attention after the primary school
grades have been passed.
Doubtless the schools and academies ought to
maintain a higher standard as duty TO them
selves and their pupils. But even If they do not
do this on their own motion the colleges can
and should force them TO it by applying even
more rigid tests in English writing and spelling
than IN the more advanced courses. Shortcom-
ings In classics or mathematics can be made up
Tor those studies are continued in college; but
there is little opportunity in college to supply
fundamentals of common school training as an
Incident 10 the little teaching In advanced Eng
iish commonly given. II the student does not
learn 10 speu and to write grammatical SEN
tences before he goes to college the chances are
that he will never acquire such knowledge
Thousands OF college graduates are without II
They go through life with the stamp of higher
education upon them at every turn finding