The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-08-01

Professor George Rebec or Michigan
University delivered the final lecture
in his course in the Summer school
yesterday morning. He talked on
THE Crisis in Our Higher Education"
combining also some points raised in
his lecture on Monday regarding the
school system, and which he said had
been incomplete. Mr.. Rebec had an
audience that filed the lecture room of
the High school, many town people
being present. At the conclusion of
his address he voiced his appreciation
of the courtesies shown him, and also
his admiration of the climate, scenery
and people.
SYSTEMATIC DIVISION.
Professor Rebec said that the school
system is confronted by two sets of
considerations, first, psychological, and,
secondly practical considerations. He
said that it was his idea that primacy
should be given to psychological con-
siderations, at the same time trying
to take into account the modifying
considerations of actual conditions. He
divided the schools into three classes,
primary, intermediate and higher ed
ucation. The primary is the school of
childhood, of the kindergarten-of
free play. The secondary is the nigh
school, where is combined the gym
nasium, the place of exercise. whore
the boy and the girl have reached the
age when they want to work out prob
machines-the time of enthusiasm a
mong boys and girls. The third stage
is of courSe-the college.
MORE HIGH SCHOOL
Mr.. Rebec said he favored the re-
organization of the secondary system
or high school system. He thought
that while in European countries it
might not be done, yet in America in
the high school more time could and
should be given to the languages,
mathematics, science, etc. The OPP
ponents of this change say that school
is over for many in the eighth grade,
and that the change should not be
made. He, however, suggested that
the grammar school be shortened, and
the year added to the high school, con-
tending that if once boys and girls got
taste of the high school they were
more likely to go on. He suggested
also that there should be some modi-
fication of the high school course. He
favored a change so that there would
be less of a break between the gram
mar and the high school. He decried
the method in vogue of holding gradu-
alton exercises at the close of the
grammar school course, saying that
the tendency was to make the pupil
and parent believe that this much of
an education would suffice. This
cleavage should be broken between the
two schools, and there should be no
diploma at the end of the eighth grade.
The ninth grade, he said, was the
slaughter house for children. The gap
between the two schools is too big,
and the bridge between the two is
strewn with the corpses of those who
couldn't get across. The purpose
should be to make the transition as
little abrupt as possible and the work
should be towards a longer high school
course to be started upon when the
student is younger.
PECULIAR BENTS.
Another force which keeps children
at home, is the failure to recognize
their aptitude for work outside of the
regular school course. In the higher
period of the school system there
should be system of electives, to pro-
vide work for those who do not keep
up we'll in the regular branches. The
secondary course should be supple
mented by a system of technical
schools.
Every now and then, said Professor
Rebec, there is a boy who is a musi-
clan and little else. and often in ev-
cry school there are found two or
fhraa hnvc wit
drawing. These should not be driven
out of schools and called ounces while
all the rest strutted around in con-
scious pride.
Then the technical school would alb
sorb those pupils who do not readily
take to book learning, and yet who
might become good craftsmen. For
those who want to earn a living there
is room for trading schools of narrow
courses. Those who have special ap-
titude should be paid some attention
and the thousands of parents who
now take their children from school
would not do so. and thousands upon
thousands OF children who now hate
school would gladly remain.
TRANSITION PERIOD.
About the age of eighteen" said
the speaker, there comes a change
boy and girl. He begins now to have
violent religious perplexities. to grow /
speculative-it is the time for the lit |
tie love affair, for him to become emo |
tional and have heart. He is inter- /
ested in the affairs of the Industrial !
social and political world. The recog- |
milton of this change is provided in
the education mechanism through /,
THE question of our own day is
shall the higher education be cultural
or professional? It is part of the
rapid strenuousness of the times to
want to curtail education in order to
save time. It is the idea to cut out
all the frills. and take only what is
absolutely necessary"
PRESERVE THE COLLEGE.
Professor Rebec said it had been
proposed. in view of all this discus
clio IA COLLAGE