New-York tribune., 1903-07-08
EDUCATIONAL WORK.
PAPERS REID IN BOSTON.
College Course, Normal and Trade
SchOos-Cae of Children.


cation" with George A. Coe. professor of philos-
ophy. Northwestern University. speaking on Con
tributions OF Modern Education to Religion"
The Rev Edward A Pace Of the Catholic Uni
versity. Washington. d. C.. spoke on The Infiu-
ence OF Religious Education the Motives of
Conduct and ". /. Harris of Washington d. c,
Commissioner of Education on The Separation of
the Church from the School Supported by Public
Taxes"
College presidents met to-day in the Department
Of Higher Education The topic The Length
of the Baccalaureate Course and the Preparation
for the Professional Schools After historical
introduction by Professor Elmer E Brown, of the
University Of California, papers were presented by
President Charles W. Eliot Of Harvard; President
Nicholas Murray Butler. of Columbia; President
William Harper. of Chicago University, and An
drew r. West dean Of the Graduate School Prince
ton University. President Eliot said in part:
The period devoted to professional education has
been more than doubled within the last forty years
n the United States except in the divinity schools
Jnasmuch II is the interest of society ana the
be enabled to enter We'll trained on the practice
- profession ty the time they are twenty-five
years old, IL follows that the period OF training
Ing should come TO IFS end by the time the young
If we ask. next. at what age boy. who has had
schoolIwhether high school in a city, or coun-
the sons Of wei to do most reaSonabe
answer is at The age Of eighteen Al that age the
or technical school. and will develop rapidly
parents or schoolmasters
Seventeen is for the average boy, rather young
for college freedom. though safe for steady boys
OF exceptional maturity. Between the secondary
The prnce oty on TbicS f6 aIaId 5GT Je fcfSS has
required for the A 3. degree to three years. to
work required for the + B. degree. In other words
they propose that the degree of A. B.. taken in
attainment or power acquired, which the A. B.
bis d demand can n @ ready @ef by fhe sfgdent
- 0r te y-Orl Of he
student in the four years course can be consdera
poses 10 take his degree in three years.
PRESIDENT BUTLER's VIEWS
Nicholas NJ Butler president OF Columbia Uni
Versity. in discussing the length Of the college
course. gave his views in part follows:
The baS9aaqreate or college course Of study Of
az az hazards as an essential part Of our educa-
and very powerful factor in the upbuildng of
the nations culture and idealsm. 1t should be
not merely as an incident to graduate study to
The college course is in serious danger by reason
of the fact that the secondary school is reaching
up into its domain the hand and the pro-
3essonal school IS reaching down into it on the
To preserve the college is to fix and enforce a
standard of admission which be met normally
course Of not more than ten years well spent and
70 keep out Of the baccalaureate purely pro-
words should be CONSTRUCTED for itself alone and
for the intellectual. moral and spiritual needs of
the youth Of our time without reference or regard
elective. and so offer material to enrich and de-
Eelop minds ot every type; THIS course is the best
medicine. divinity, engineering architecture and
This course should be entered upon at seventeen
or IN some cases @ sixteen zen @ Egab rs TOO late for
seventeen and who looks forward to a career as
IS ordinarily not too long time to spend in liberal
studies studies on the other hand the boy who, entering
study Of a profession in university ought not to
studies just at that time in his life 'iO'' ''De q
There should be college course two years in
and not merely the first part of a three years
fessionai students to spend this time as ADVANTAGES
Ousy as possible in purely liberal studies. The uni
enough the independent colleges will have to
resfiEe seay DECLINE " TO frv % to meet tb e% g
Fituauon by simply reproducing all present cond-
sng of the college to three years for ali students
3nvolves an unnecessary sacrifice. AS usually de-
Tended this policy involves no educational principle.
snodern demand for haste and hurry
Whether ,,I ne completi9n It NJ OF such two year
unatter OF indifference. Degrees the tinsel of
higher education, and not its reality Such a two
year course I have in mind would imply a
standard Of attainment at least high that re-
many characteristics that OF to-day persistently
The most difficult point 10 establish apparently is
that at which the baccalaureate course should
The lax enforcement Of published requirements
DOR admission together with the very general ac-
visited schools. has demoralized college standards
how long the baccaaureate course is if it does not
The university ought not to admit to its profess
Eional schools students who have not had college
of liberal study or its equivalent. mini
snsisted upon. A four years course should not be
required
THE COLLEGE COURSE.
Professor Andrew F. West. dean of the graduate
school OF Princeton University, said in part in
gard TO the college course:
The real difficulty is within the college. Is four
pears ntrinsically better than three? This depends
the nature Of the college course. The movement
for three years course is strongest where elective
studies least restrictive, and weakest where a
large prescribed basis of studies is kept Four
latter type Of education; but il is difficult to argue
Tor four rather than three on the basis OF purely
fundamentally prescribed studies supplemented by
definitely prescribed elective fields OF study, must
teach young men that there is no real edHcatio9
without real effort that it is not doing what he
ought in matters Of intellect as well as of conduct,
Ftudent into the strong, well trained man.
VALUE OF NORMAL SCHOOL
In the normal department Francis B. Bryant of
Che Central High School Philadelphia in part said:
The public schools are not reaching the people as
they should As far as elementary schools CON
s,d oirls IN he r9r}@5 ST. STATS ny ~ Nv gn D4S :
when only the schools can give them the training
and experiences which viii safely iii them for a life
Of social service and make possible for them the
highest degree Of personal development
While this situation is the outcome Of a complex
set Of social conditions. the chief course of its
teachers supply-the normal school The city
normal school therefore should be developed pro
work which they have do. The city normal
school Of the future should be teachers college.
THE TRADE SCHOOLS.