The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-23
ONE CENTRAL HIGH
| DEEMED TOO COSTLY
Chamber of Commerce Conn
mittee Makes Answer to
Boards Questions.

The committee on education, of the
Chamber of Commerce, yesterday sub
mitted to a specially called meeting OF
the board of directors of the body an
answer to the questions recently sub
mitted by, the board of school IN
spectors.
1t is recommended that, although the
committee thought one well equipped
Central high school would give
better satisfaction than the present
system, the great cost of the change
makes this out of the question. AS
the buildings now used by the Cleve-
land and Humboldt high schools We're
erected for grade purposes, it is rec
commended that, as soon as possible,
new buildings be erected at points re-
mote from the Central and Humboldt
high schools.
The report of the committee, signed
by Messrs. o. L. Taylor, Theodore f.
Smith, J. Harry Lewis, T. A. Abbott,
John F. Kelly, G. M. Power and George
r. Finch, is here given in full:
The citizens of st. Paul are confronted
by the fact that we have not available
| funds to meet the largely increasing de
| mands for accommodation in our pubic
| schools The allotment has been made Tor
! funds to increase the present school ca
| pacity annually by the addition ana
| equipment of twenty new rooms. This
| allowance is as liberal as can be expected
| and for the next few years can be made
| to meet the actual necessities. While
| we would indorse no course that would
| tend to cripple the efficiency of our pres
ent school system, we feel that by econo-
my and care the standard of the schools
| can be maintained under the conditions
! as they now exist
Grade Schools Paramount
! The demands of the high schools of the
| city seem more urgent than in the grade
| schools, but in the opinion of your COM
| be necessary it should apply to the high
schools rather than the grade schools, In
which large proportion of our children
receive their education. We MAINTAIN
! that the function of the public schools
| is to provide an education for the chill
| dren of the land that will fit them to the
! best degree for American citizenship, and
| in this the grade schools are decldedly
| paramount, as not more than 10 per
| cent of the pupils entering the lower
| grades ever graduate from the high
| schools.
Replying to the definite questions asked:
! First and most important, Should the
location of the several high schools be
regarded as definitely fixed and should
as the growth of school population shall
| reQuire?'
At the present time, owing to the
| growth and development of the western
| part of our city the location of the Cen
tral-high school is unfortunate, since a
large proportion of the attendance at
both the Central and Mechanic Arts hlgh
schools comes from that portion of the
city west of Wabasha street. However,
as the Central high school has been equip
| ped at large expense. and is wholly
untitled for the purpose of a grade school,
we should think it ineXpedient to con-
slider it's abandonment as high school,
| but should recommend that ground be
| purchased and additions made to both
the Central high school and Mechanic
Arts, as soon as funds can be provided
| for that purpose.
Averse to New School.
We are averse to the proposed erection
of a new school, either in the Seventh
| ward or the Merriam Park district, as
the expense entailed would be excessive,
and no proper use could be made of Ell
Their the Mechanic Arts or the Central
high schools
In our opinion, it would be most de-
sirable thing to reduce the present at
tendance at the high schools. Under the
existing conditions, when once pupil has
gained admission to a high school in the
city, even though he may be deficient in
scholarship and regularly fail to pass the
examinations required it is not within
the power of the principal to remove him
from school. The consequence is, each
school is burdened with considerable
percentage of pupils unwilling to work
as they should, accomplishing little for
themselves while absorbing the time and
money that should be spent on others
Pupils of this kind should not be allowed
high school privileges.
Your committee suggests that a positive
limitation be fixed as to the time in
which any pupil is allowed to receive
high school instruction, and that definite
authority be given to the principal te
No. q Assuming no change in the To-
cation of any of the high school to be
desirable, shall new buildings be provided
for the Cleveland and Humboldt schools
Favor New Buildings.
AS neither of the schools mentioned is
poses, but both were built for grade
schools, we should consider it desirable
that new buildings in these respective 10
ca1ities should be erected as soon as
means can be provided, each of these
schools being located at a point quite re.
mote from the other two high schools o.
| the city.
The third question, "Shan ground bt
purchased and additions made to the Cen
trail and Mechanic Arts" was incorpo-
rated in the answer Of the first, and the
fourth question, Shall new high schoo
, building be erected in such locality as t.
afford relief to the present high schools,
: has already been answered.
) course of study in the Mechanic Arts higf
, school, changing it to a school of tech
nology with advanced Instruction.
| we QU HOT lIIlllh II Is ucSlidUfS " lid w
high schools vary in character. 1t would
: seem proper that the same facilities b.
2 provided in each school, as it would bt
, Impossible to determine in what schoo
. certain courses of instruction would bt
most advantageous to the greatest mum
Der of pupils. We heartily indorse the
manual training department and SHOULD
be glad to see it carried on in each higf
school on similar lines. We do not fee
that the public is called upon to provid,
general instruction of d character tina
| practically overlaps the instruction of
| fered at the universities.
Advanced Lines a Luxury.
= The educators of the state university
would be very glad to have the first TIVE
| years work now carried on at univerSitie
made a part of the public school system
that more advanced lines might be intro
: duced in the university. This condition
I | would be desirable had we the means t,
hut ic. hot