The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-02-14

4
say that it is not the function of the
public schools to train pupils for wage
earning positions. If by this they mean
training pupils in the use of the type
writer and in the knowledge of business
| forms and of the details of office rou-
tine, am in full agreement with them.
These, however, are the least impor-
| tant part Of a genuine commercial
course, which should train pupils in
three distinct lines. First, it should
| give them a general educational train
| ing in such studies as English, History,
Mathematics, Science, Modern Lam
guage and Civics. Second. 1t should
! train pupils in those branches which
may be called semi professional, |. e.,
studies, which, while they have general
educational value, also have a special
bearing on the future occupation of the
pupils, such as Commercial Geography,
Industrial History, Industrial Science,
! Elementary Political Economy, Com
mercial Law. Banking, Transportation
and Bookkeeping. Third, it should Of
| fer training in special business branch
| es, such as Stenography, Typewrting,
| Penmanship and office routine or prac-
| tice. Such course as this is both edu
| cational and practical, and to provide a
course Of this kind does not seem to me
to be beyond the scope of work of the
! public schools. In fact it is in just this
way that the American public schools
can do the greatest public service
Many who would not feel that they
could afford High school course pure
ly for it's culture, or it's educational
value, would take such course if with
culture studies other branches were as
ISOLATED which would tend to prepare
them for the occupations in life which
they intended to follow. A school
which provides a course of study of this
kind will do much toward increasing
the class Of skilled Workmen and rails
ing the level of intelligence of laboring
classes. 1t is for these general reasons
that an increase in the length of the
commercial course to the length of the
other High school courses seems to be
advisable
Much that has been said of the COM
mercial course is also true of the man
ual training course. This course should
have all the strength and dignity of the
other courses Of the school. The work
required should be full equivalent of
the work done in the other courses.
The mistake is sometimes made of de-
creasing the requirements Of this
course so that it becomes a resort for a
class of students who are intellectually
and morally inferior to the rest of the
school and loss of prestige soon follows
This, think, has never ben true at the
Bardman school and care should be ia
ken that it never becomes true.
Hoping that I may not be tedious, I
venture to add a few words more on the
general subject Of High schools. There
are in nearly every community patrio-
tic and public spirited citizens who do
not believe that High schools ought to
be maintained at the public expense.
At the present time, when there seems
to be an increasing interest on the part
of the community in these schools, 1t is
well to remember that there is no ex-
cuse for free education in any grade but
that Of public protection and the belief
that democratic government cannot
exist without popular education. But
AL LSct2oAi5LSSAASaAAN& PAop-
erty for the education of another's chill
dren would be dishonest and unjust.
For this same reason, free High school
education seems to me as important
and as essential as free elementary ed
ucation. The money which commu-
nifty spends on its High school should
not be regarded IS gift. 1t is, of
course, a gift to the children, but for
the public it is an investment on which
I believe 1t receives an adequate re-
turn. In raising the level of intell-
gence in the community, in making safe
and increasing the value of property
where intelligence exists, in creating a
class Of citizens who are not to be mis-
led by every fallacy that Is heralded
abroad, in encouraging a conservative
spirit which is opposed to violent and
radical social changes, in stimulating
both teachers and pupils in the lower
schools to better work and to higher |
purposes, and in giving to every boy |
and girl, poor or rich, the chance to |
make the most of himself or herself, In |
all these ways I believe that money |
paid out by taxpayers for the High |
schools returns in the long run, in one |
way or another, to their pockets with |
interest. A system Of education with |
out free High schools would be undem-
ocratic and un-American. 1t would |
draw sharp lines between classes. It |
would limit higher education to the rich |
and the well-to-do, making 1t practical
ly impossible, except in extraordinary |
cases, for poor children, however wor-
thy or capable, to secure a higher edu-
cation. With free High school educa-
ton boys of ability and character can
make their own way through college
and professional schools into whatever
station and position in life their abili-
ties and attainments fit them for
These boys frequently locate in their
own communities, enter public life and
do conspicuous public service.
A more immediate financial conside-
ration deserves passing attention.
Without free High schools in this city,
the quality of young teachers entering
our service would Immediately deterio-
rate or considerably larger salaries
would have to be paid. The board
would be abliged to abandon its pres !
ent requirement of high school educa-
ton or the salaries would have to be in
creased sufficiently to induce young wo-
men to obtain this education at their
he