The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-11
The High School Crop.

school tonight, the Minneapolis high
crop Of "sweet girl graduates" and manly
young men. There has been q marked
interest in all the high school commence
ments. The halls where the exercises take
place have been thronged with pleased and
interested friends and relatives, and the
graduates have been made to feel that they
have really accomplished something nota-
BILE. And they have. When we, think that
out Of the army Of 10000 school children
in Minneapolis, only 1884 d1fty-one were
graduated in january have this year
climbed to the top. we must concede that
these diploma-taking young men and won-
en- have done we'll. OF all those who en-
tered the city's public schools with them
ten years ago, about nine out Of ten have
dropped OUT OH the way.
The high schools are the peoples col
leges, and yet only one-tenth Of the chill
dren Of the people who use the public
schools get diplomas from them. If we
assume that the attendance of the Min.
neapolis public schools averages 10000
normal public school course, the high
schools should annually graduate more
than 5000 students, If all took advan-
tage Of the whole public school course,
instead Of the less than 400 we now turn
out. AS these high school graduates give
us far more successful men and women
In proportion to their numbers than those
N1@tA ~
courses, it is evident that the people fall
far short Of making full use Of the public
school facilities.
If the number Of students who climb
to the top on the grade ladder Of the
public schools Is disappointingly small, the
small proportion of boys in the gradual
ing classes is still more disappointing.
We would not have fewer girl graduates,
but more boys. This week the Central
high school has graduated 81 boys and 116
girls; South, "a boys and 81 girls; East,
% boys and "a girls; North, five boys and
20 girls. Out Of a total number of grad
yates of 1913, there were only 108 boys, or
less than one third. The boys seem to be
more studious on the East Side, for there
they made up almost half the class, as
compared with only IA per cent at the
North, "a per cent at the South and 35
per cent at Central The university inf1u-
ence probably accounts for the large per
centage Of boys who get high school diplo-
mas on the East Side Central comes
next, because, probably, it draws from
that portion of the West Side which con-
tains the largest number Of people in COM
Portable circumstances. But low as the
proportion of boys is, it is, we believe,
an improvement upon past years.
About one-fourth Of the graduating boys
are In the manual training course. When
we consider how many Of them were TAX
for college course, this proportion is
very satisfactory. tho it could be larger
with better results to the community.
The large audiences at the high schoo
commandments thoroly representative o,
the most influential section Of the popu-
lation in the various high school districts
have little encoura cement for those who
would practically eliminate the higl
schools in their endeavor to limit modern
public education to little more than read
ing. writing, arithmetic and spelling. Min
neapolis is proud of its high schools anc
Its high school equipment, and feels tina
1t Is getting it's moneys worth when 1
sees such a goodly spectacle for sore eye!
and pessimsm as that made up by thes,
admirable young men and women who al,
this week getting their diplomas. Woult
that there were more Of them! If Their
were, many Of our civic problems would b.
more easily solved.