The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1902-06-13
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN,
By County Supt. L. r. Clark.
The High School.


| Senator Smith says it is not al all
difficult to answer a contention by
merely misstating it, which is par
liamentary way of saying that it is
easy to argue by misrepresenting
facts, and then proceeds to use the
easy method in answer to last weeks
article on the high school. He asserts
that not one of this years high school
graduates intends to enter the univer-
sity. Six members of the class say
they intend to enter the state univer-
sity Or some other high grade college.
So much for this assertion. 1t is true
that just one Kinsley boy has gone
/ from the high school to the university;
it is also true that, until the present
year, just one Kinsley boy has been
graduated from the high school. The
Kinsley high school is in its infancy.
Mr.. Smith says he has no desire to
tear down the high school, and then
attempts to show that it is too costly
an institution to support and suggests
that the money spent upon it be used
! for other purposes. He is not OPP
posed to the high school, but would
merely withhold funds for its support
and allow it to go on building itself
up.
tie states further that we have to
take our choice between manual train
ing and preparation for college, be-
tween a kindergarten and a high
school course. will he please quote
the statute which gives school dis
manual training and kindergarten
courses as part of the public school
system have been repeatedly pro-
posed, but the ''most potent, grave
and reverend signiors" of the state
legislature have tossed them con-
temptuously aside. Senator Smith is
sufficiently we'll versed in the law to
know that public money cannot be
used for the purpose of educating
children under five years of age; sol
the kindergarten proposition is I'm
practicable. =,
In regard to expense: If the high
school course were reduced to twej
years, exactly the same number of
teachers would be employed in our
city schools AS at present, so nothing
would be gained If the high school
were done away with entirely. the
services of one teacher could be dis
pensed with, resulting in a saving OF
about $3.50 per year. Mr.. Smith would
have this money used for a manual
training school. Here is report of
the commissioner of education on the
. average cost of manual training
| school in the United States:
Average yearly salary of
teachers. -. 1862 O2
Average yearly cost of ma
terials for class of forty. 1O7 %
! Average yearly cost of tools
and repairs for class of
| forty. 4S ~
Average yearly cost of Incl
den5als for class of forty. 62 81
Total average yearly cost for
class of forty. .......-. $40 so
Thus it will be seen that the cost of
maintaining a manual training school
is al least three hundred dollars
year more than that of our high
school.
The senator's recommend ations
then, if we understand the situation,
would lead to the following: Do away
with the high school, increase the
school taxes, transform one or two
school rooms into miniature carpen-
ter, blacksmith and dressmakins
shops, and invite the boys and girls
to go there and spend the time in driv-
ing nails, hammering iron, saving
| boards, sewing, knitting and learning
to be practical; teach them that higher
mental culture is not for people of
small towns; inculcate the Schwabian
doctrine of limited education and un-
limited gall, that they may look for-
ward to drawing a million year and
reveling in the pleasures of Monte
Carlo.
The Santa Fe company recently an
nounced that when employing young
men they will hereafter give high
school graduates the preference.
How do you account for that, senator.
Club Notes