The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-01-20

Inadequate preparation. tack of quick
ness of perception or poor application
do spend more than a fair amount of
time, one who is only occasionally over
crowded before days with congested
program, and one whose parent be-
lieves in the plan. of fewer subjects and
larger number of years, and one who
| is a special with two subjects who in
addition to the free periods requires
four hours of concentrated study.
A glance shows that most of these
are practically removed from consid-
Grafton. The college preparatory stu
dents have their subjects and courses
set by a higher authority; the one who
has occasional hard days is preparing
for college also and is taking an I'M
usual program; arrangements were al
ready being made, when this question
came up, by which the one who wished
it could have fewer subjects; the case
of the special, who with two subjects
uses up a total of over six hours in
preparation, needs no explanation; the
cases of the students who use an ir-
rational amount of time for reasons
within themselves have been receiving
careful study for some time.
OF course, these comments are only
explanatory of causes which affect the
situation in varying degrees. Every
thing possible will be done in every
case to bring the greatest measure of
relief and assistance to those who need
them.
Considering the two schools together
and taking the most liberal results
from the preparatory school, the con-
clusion is that 81 per cent do not think
that their children have too much home
work. While the general result is not
far from what was expected some of
the information obtained and sugges-
lions received makes the investigation
valuable. If it has brought to our
attention the case of one child for
whom we can provide relief or from
whom we can get better results, it has
been worth While.
1 was impressed with the candidness
of the replies from the parents and
with the variety and breadth of the
suggestions There was practically no
evidence of curtness or the spirit of
complaint This conference with the
parents has been exceedingly sugges-
tive to me and has brought to my at
tention, on one hand, some matters for
which I fear there is no immediate re-
lief and on the other, others whose
correction, I hope, will benefit Puma
hou.
There is one phase of the subject
which has not been fully brought out
which has a direct bearing on the
question in Punahou, especially in the
College. Our standard is set for US
by the Eastern colleges for which we
are preparing students. 1t is not pos
sible for us to diminish the number
of the subjects, or the amount required
in each for those students. Statistics
are not obtainable below the Junior
year in the college as many students
do not decide about going to college
until the beginning of the third year.
But among the students in the Junior
and Senior classes, 81 per cent are now
planning to go to college. The col
leges include Harvard, Yale, Califor-
MIA Wellesley, Stanford. Bryn Mawr,
Cornell. and Michigan. AS it is our
policy TO prepare for these colleges in
the broadcast way, the matter of too
much home study can only be RENE
died by the students taking an extra
year in preparation.
My only excuse for using so much
of your space is the general interest
which the question has aroused.
A F. GRIFFITHS.