Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-06-16

previous to said action of the State Board,
had caused the formulation of four years
course for Woodbury., and had adopted the
same
The alteration of the course of study by
the State Board caused considerable alarm
and discussion, especially in the southern
section of our State, many fearing their
inability to maintain school of such high
educational character, and yet anxious to
be retained on the approved" list.
By your Boards action, Woodbury. was
spared the anxiety Of other places, and
continued steadily on its onward course Of
progress to the extent that the numerous
questions referred to have been made. In
any school, when course is changed from
three to four years, and, moreover, in each
year is made fuller both extensively and
intensively, a lapse in the yearly COM
mencement exercises must occur.
This class is not the first to graduate
from the new course. Last year the class
consisted of two young men, to whom the
Board offered the same privileges as the
present class enjoys tonight; by their
voluntary act they urged the Board to have
the freedom of choice, choosing no COM
mencement exercises.
HaYing given the reason for the lapse of
few years without graduating exercises,
you will no doubt still entertain adverse
opinions as to the wisdom of the State Board
and your Board in increasing the course of
study, and consequently increasing the
public expense.
Is there a justification for the high school?
Does the public receive returns for the in
vestment in public education?
The history of economies of such a
country as ours, of every free and enligh-
tened country, country as described by
the speaker who addressed you, where
every one has an equal chance to rise, is the
history in terms, Of education. Let us view
just few facts.
According to the most accurate reports
giving the conditions in number-form, we
find Massachusetts, in her championship Of
public high schools is represented by IA,
while her economic conditions stand at 10;
Tennessee, a State of about the same popu-
1ation, State neither ultra-north nor
ultra-south, represents her educational
conditions by 6, and her economic condi-
tions by So; the corresponding numbers
for the whole United States are, education,
s.8; economics, 85. These relations are
not accidental; these are true cause and
effect relations between the two. The close
student finds that, in every case, education
is the cause and not the effect. The State
Board must haYe clearly forseen, that, if
our State desires to keep pace with her
progressive sister States, she must put
forth greater efforts in maintaining
standard public educational system, and
your Board, either by wise foresight or by
intuition, has not failed to meet the de-
mands of the times. From monetary
point Of view. every dollar spent in estab-
fishing and maintaining good school
system is safe investment bringing to
state and community larger returns than
any other investment.
Is this all L? No. Tomorrow, 90 to our
public library, and read book called
"Who is Who" There you will find the
names Of eight thousand persons, notables
of the present day in our own country
persons having done some noble deed for
country and humanity and for which, even
during their own lives, we hold them
gratefully in remembrance.
Now what are the facts when we come to
inquire into the educational advantages of
these notables
Out of the 4, 700, 600 without any educa-
tional training, and over 81 years Of age,
only 81 have risen to fame among the eight
thousand; out of 80, ,OO0, 600 with only
common school = eight grades training,
808 have their names among the eight
thousand; out of the 100000 having
high school training 1915 have similarly
risen; and out of the 1,1OO, 900 with full
college education, 5768 have their names
honorably mentioned
Draw your comparisons. The boy with
only an elementary education has four
times the chances TO rise to prominence as
compared to the chances of the unframed.
Behold the magic Of an additional high
school training; for the facts are, that your
high school trained child has % times the
chances Of greatness as compared to the
common school trained boy or girl, and 81
times asgreat an advantage as the unframed.
College training, moreover, will further in
crease the advantages ninefold.
Such being the facts, is it necessary to
plead the establishments and maintenance
Of public high schooIs2 Surely not
The speaker of the evening mentioned
tho font kho4 <vrr 400 ,r o.,3 4t,ok =. -.