Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-28

high schools will be the place of prepa
ration and they should so arrange thei
courses of study that four years Q
straight work of sound collegiate grad
following four years of high schoo
work of recognized grade should ADM
the candidate to any degree.
Hence kind and quality of work
should determine rather than specific
subjects pursued, provided such funda-
mentals as Latin, English and Mathe-
mates be in every course. 1t was ar
gued that no inconsiderable part of the
advantage claimed for the discipline
4 gained from four years of Latin arises
4 from the fact that the student is held
Ito the one study continuously, and
term after term he must follow mis-
own work in such a way that defects
are sure to appear II there be any. BY
4 this process, also, he gains some thing
like mastery of one subject which is
a very desirable thing. If physics, OF
j botany, or history, or any other sub
ject taught by modern and sound ped
| agogical methods were to be pursued
lin the same way, so that the student
be held to 1t term after term until he
1 gained the advantage of continuous
discipline and an approximate mastery
Iof the subject so far as 1t lay within
the range of his actual or possible
power. these subjects would gain very
much Of the advantage now claimed
for language and mathematics. The
committee, therefore, recommends that,
wherever possible, the high school
course be SO framed as to provide for
continuous study In few subjects.
-, ;o1 od
work in number. Physics, botany.
zoology. chemistry and such studies
should continue thru at least one year,
wherever undertaken. and should only
be attempted where there Is proper
/ equipment for laboratory work. The
school authorities should select the sub
ject for which they can provide the best
equipment, the best teaching force and
which, owing to local conditions. will
create the greatest interest among pu-
| pills and patrons, and secure the most
thorough and scientific work. When
these conditions are observed, the col
leges will allow quite a wide range of
tchoice in the selection Of subjects from
the same or from related groups.
1t was shown that the spirit Of the
! colleges was to require subjects which
they can get rather than those which
they desire. provided the work is shown
to have sound educational value and Is
sufficient in kind and quality. There
| is wide divergence in college acad-
emies both as to subjects and grade Of
work, and in some instances they need
! to increase the educational value of
their work IL the college to which they
belong is to retain It's proper rank.
! Some thought 1t would be better for
the college academies to outline four
year course rather than the present
three years with q sub preparatory
year.
An interesting paper was read be-
fore one Of the sections of the South
eastern Iowa Teachers Association
showing that a careful investigation of
the records of one of the best colleges
in our state indicates that thru periods
of years the average record of stu
dents whose college courses had been
pursued after preparatory course
taken in high school with a four year
Latin course and in the preparatory
department Of the college itself did not
vary in any degree worthy of mention,
while the average record of those who
had been prepared in four year Eng
lish course in a high school fell from
six to fifteen per cent below that of
those In the courses above mentioned.
The writer gave it as his opinion that
this was accounted for by the fact that
the English course is often, il not gem
orally, made up in scrappy way, and
too frequently admits subjects which
have not the sound educational value
of those in the Latin course. He
thought there was no evidence that the
students from the English courses were
i'm general below the others in native
ability or in application.
In regard to the movement to shorten
either the secondary or the college
course to three years, 1t was agreed
that we should insist upon four years In
each. There should also be four years
of grammar gradework, and 1t was con-
sidered all important that this should
be carefully outlined and made of suf-
ficient strength to preclude the neces-
sity of forcing into the high school
studies which properly belong in the
grammar grades. Too many high
schools are SO only in name, a large per-
centage of their work being that which
properly belongs to the grades below.
All agreed that 1t was quite desirable to
have Latin, German (where taught,
concrete geometry and possibly one or
two other such studies, begin in the
grammar grades.
In view of the above, it was consid-
cred wise to allow pupils above the av-
erage in natural ability, or who for any
reason show that they are able to do
more than the regular work WE'LL an OPP
portunity to complete the course in a
shorter time. The aim should be to fix
the quantity of work. to make frequent
and thorough tests Of the quality, and
let each student take the time necessary
for him. Some strongly urged the wis
dom Of strict college entrance examin-
atoms, not on the ground alone of the
good of the college, but as a stimulus
to the pupils in the high school to do
better and more thorough work, and
that for the same reason, rigid examin-
ations set upon sound pedagogical prin-
ciples are valuable in the high school IT.
self; but it was agreed that under the
present conditions we must be satisfied |
with less than this ideal, contenting
ourselves with the use of every possible
subjects and method of teaching
which would give the student a clear
grasp of the subject studied and de-
sire for and the ability to take UP fur
Their study of that or any other subject
independently.
Tt was shown that of nearly 800