The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-10-18
PRESIDENT ELIOT CONDEMNS
PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM


democracy-the best weapon against polIti-
! cal. social. Industrial or commercial wrong
I doing; and. In the long run. the most trust
worthy means OF political and social prog
ress.
INDUSTRIAL WARS.
The Industrial wars which so seriously
diminish the productivsness and prosperity
OF the country are evidences that the COM
mon schools have grappIed unsuccessfulIy
with the tremendous problem put before
them: and this remark applies Just as much
10 the employers as 10 the employed.
when use these Industrial conflicts 20
Illustrate the inafequacy q American
schools. am impugning not the motives or
the combaiants. but their intelligence-an
intelligence which such education as the
| country supplied has left seriously defective
I'm these days such conflicts. II they have
reasonable grounds. are ultimately settled
by reason. Yet the parties TO them are
often stupid enough TO try for months to
settle them by force. that is. by infictinE
pecuniary losses and physical and moral in
juries and creating widespread confusion
and alarm"
DIFFICULTIES AHEAD
With regard 10 some unprecented difficult
tie-' which American education has not Yet
been able 10 overcome. Doctor Eliot said:
Now We are trying 10 prepare all Amer
lean boys and girls for u life or uuprece-
dented freedom. freedom OF thought and
speech. freedom 10 enter into any sort of
public or secret association or union: free
dom from everything resembling castes or
insurmountable social or political barriers
The country IS assimilat.nE people from
all over Europe. ard II IS the American
school which effects the greater part OF the
assimilation. No other schools and colleges
IN the world have such task. Il is this
difficulty which so regards the success os
the new efforts TO teach the English Ian
gusge and literature IN the public schools
The life for which the American schools
should now prepare their pupils Is an utter
ly different life from that for which the
schools were preparing children forty years
ago. or even twenty years ago.
NEW WORLD SINCE 1850.
The whole world has been made over
since $50 and with many new powers for
good there have come in many new powers
for evil. The American schools and colleges
have had to readjust themselves necessarily
TO these sweeping changes in the condition
OF society; and il is not 10 be wondered AT
II they have often failed to keep pace with
the raised steps OF this wonderful transfor-
nation. Il must be confessed that the
schools have not changed and improved 50
much as the means OF transportation. or Of
manufacture. or Of lighting. or heating. or
OF farming. or OF mining"
STINGY COMMITTEES
Doctor Eliot gave figures TO prove the
stinginess OF AmeTican public school com
mittees and the average low per pupil Cx-
penditrre In public schools.
On the other hand. he said: "A well-to-do
American who can AFFORD 10 spend on the
education OF their children whatever seems
advantageous are ready 70 spend literally.
IL Il not plain that II the American people
were well 20 do they would multiply by
four or i've the present average school ex-
penditure per child and per year? That IS.
they would make the average expenditure
per pupil for the whole scohol year in the
United States from 50 70 slo0 for salaries
and maintenance instead OF MSS as now.
Is Il not obvious that instead OF providing
for tho public schools a teacher for forty
or fifty pupils. they would provide teach
er for every ten or fifteen pupils? II the
American people thought they could af-
ford 81. would not a schoolhouse Be kept IN
as perfect sanitary condition as hospltalr-'