Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-07-10
EXTENSION OF THE HIGH SCHOOL TIME

Among mass of proceedings, the recent
action of the Board of Public Education,
looking to an extension of the High School
course, seems not to have had the emphasis
which the importance of the step deserved.
Based on recommendations in the report of
George w. Twitmyer, superintendent of the
public schools, the teachers committee
recommended the increase of the High
School course TO three and one-haH years
| for the following reasons:
/. To make the transition from the gram
mar schools less difficult by properly articu-
lating the two schools.
2. To add modern language so that our
boys and girls can be directly admitted to
| higher institutions.
s. To increase the amount of Latin by
| the addition of Cicero and Latin prose
| composition which will satisfy college re-
| quirements.
4. To carry the study of English gram
mar, letter writing, reading, English
classics, English literature, essay writing
| throughout the whole C curse.
8. To bring about an increase of study
| periods during school hours since social and
| other duties demand an increasing amount
of time each year. This can be met by an
| increase in the length of the school term.
6. To hold our pupils longer in school in
consequence of better arrangement as we'll
| as more logical one of the curriculum and
| also by offering certain optional studies.
z. To provide for the loss of time from
academic work by the introduction of
manual training into the fifth and sixth
| grammar grades.
8. To provide for elective courses of study
| adapted to the capacity and needs of our
pupils.
The present High School course has been
| in operation ever since the school was
| organized. II has been added to here and
| there and it is almost extensive enough to
| prepare students for college. If a modern
| language and some additional Latin were
added it would be what is ordinarily four
| years course. Some high schools have
| botany, zoology and an additional year in
| physics, and prepare for Latin Scientific or
| English college courses; but not for a
classical course as Greek is not included.
In the Wilmington High School, pupils
have been required to take three years in
manual training, which very few high
schools require. What the pupils get under
| the present arrangements is about four years
academic work and three years manual
training, which is too much, it is believed,
| for the average pupil Exceptional children
| get through without missing a promotion,
but usually pupils stay four, five or six
| years in the work.
One of the difficulties has grown out of
the addition of work TO the children, with
| out cutting off any of their existing studies,
so that it is hard for them to keep UP. In
! the grammar department of the school, for
| instance, it is held that the academic work
l
| manual training.
/! Under the new arrangement, elective
courses are to be provided. In the first
year, as at present, all the scholars will take
the same work. But after the fret year
there will be specialization, and the pupils
will take courses for which they have a
| special taste or desire.
Under the new arrangement, the bright
boys and girls will be able to finish in three
years. The slower child can make it in
three and a half or four years, and not have
the old stigma of failure to pass.
1t is not designed to make the school a
preparatory school for fcollege primarily,
but to give the pupils the best Instruction
according to high school standards. Then
if they desire to go higher, they will be
ready to take examinations for college,
without having to spend further time at a
preparatory school or under private tuition.
Should the change result in Wilmington
securing more college boys andSgirls, the
result would, it is held. be most Beneficial
\ for the oitv