The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-03
SCHOOL PROBLEMS or TO-DAY.
NEW LINES OF WORK. IN THE
PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS.
Military Training Factor OF Growing
Importanoe-Schools Now That Fit
the Boy for Business Lfe--More
Girls Are Taking Higher Branches.

the hoy IOf bu1lucto LA10-M0f0
Girls Arc Taking Higher Branches.
II Is the opening Of the schools which
starts the movement homeward from the
mountains and shore resorts In early and
mid. September. 1t spoils many vacations
~ parents and guardians, this September
opening as we'll as those Of the youngsters
who have got to be hustled away to the
sohools September and October, as 80
many know. are about the pleasantest
months to be in the country, and 1t Is with
more or less lingering regret that the trunks
are being packed just now and steps turned
homeward.
But 1t is an issue that can't DO lodged.
Tom and Susan have got to 60 to school,
and there comes up for its regular annual
solution the old problem Of where to send
them and, in particular, where to send the
new crop OF Toms and Susans who have
this year grown to the age when they must
meet the problem.
There never was such an embarrassment
Of riches In the way OF choice as there IL at
the present moment. Never before In the
history Of the country were there 30 many
and 30 good private schools OF all charac-
ters. Furthermore there never were 80
many people looking for just the right
private schools to which to send their chill
dren. The logical result Of this Is that all
indications point to the private school
population In the school year Of lsoA-o5
as the largest ever known in tho United
States
1t Is not merely increase OF wealth that,
has caused this increased demand for
private school instruction. There are va
nous and more or less complex reasons
back Of the phenomenon. Specialization Is
one OF them. The so-called "all-around
man" is more or less at discount nowadays
In the sharp competition OF the worlds
work. He Is out Of the running when 1t
comes to a test between him and the man
who does not know half SO many things
half so we'll but who knows one thing q
thousand times better
So there are now ten private schools
focusing their teaching and training on
one particular branch Of study where In
years gone by there was one. This applies
particularly to training for professions
having their basis in modern development
in the applied sciences, such as electrical
engineering or metallurgy.
With the growth Of new schools OF this
kind there has been a general increase
in the number Of private schools OF all
kinds and in the number Of students
IN attpnQanCe. ne RTedutT dcilidiio III
the business world FOR young men of
good education is one OF the causes Tor
this. Perhaps the greater attention that
is now paid to athletics and hygiene In all
schools, public as we'll as private. but more
particularly in the private schools, Is
another cause. Parents now send their
children to school not merely to have their
heads filled with things out OF books, but 70
have them taught and trained and dlsci,
plined into habits and exercises calculated
to put them in the life arena equipped for
the struggle with Drawn as we'll as brain.
The especial popularity OF the military
schools OF late years Is In great measure
due to this wide recognition Of the value
Of sound and thorough physical training. y.
OF all American military schools west
Point is, Of course, the model. and the de-
mand for West Pointers in all fields OF IN
dustrial and commercial activity SUM- ,hn.
obtains Of the training which that institution
gives to its graduates.
Along the banks Of the Hudson, scattered
here and there among the hills Of New
England-over a wide region, IN wosd,
around New York Boston and Philadelphia
there are scores OF military schools the
training in many q Which Chs Is p eeGOno only
Thirty or thirty-hve years ago military
schools In the West were comparatively
rare. Western boys who wanted to go TO
q military school were in those days com
PEELED to go East At the present time
there are numbers OF excellent military
schools in the West particularly the Middle
West, although to great extent there ID
still strong leaning toward the old eetao-
lished schools OF the East.
There are many who hold to the opinion
that for a boy who contemplates business
life there is no training better, or perhaps
so good as that which Is to be had in well
conducted well equipped military schoo,
conduct is that which holds at West Point,
the curriculum, OF course, being modihed
in many respects. But the promptness,
the orderlness, the habits OF accuracy
manly, frank tone Of character. which is
developed in the best conducted military
schools-all these are regarded as the very
best possible training for a boy whose
with the world. And then. Of course. there
fine, erect bodily bearing which are always
the results attained in military school
SO important is. this military training
regarded that OF late years many Of me
schools which have for their principal
object the preparation OF boys for college
or the uniyersities have been conducte e9
instances has been admirable, the gradu-
ate of the military preparatory school,
all other things being equal, having IN
nearly all instances found himself at an
advantage. particularly in point OF physical
In a purely academic school. How far
beyond the first year Of entrance into COL
lege this advantage holds is OF course de-
pendent upon the student himself.
The attention which schools OF all kinds
now give to physical training and the en-
couragement in all OF them Of athletics
has OF late years removed one OF the causes
which induced many parents to prefer the
training of a military school for their boys
There are. in fact, a number OF private
schools which afford opportunities for
physical training every bit as good as that
Of the military schools, barring, OF course,
the actual drill and military discipline,
These collegiate schools, many OF them
with foundations going back In date, far
beyond that Of a number Of colleges which
would object to being called new colleges
turn out graduates as well equipped for
even the learned professions as are con-
siderable percentage OF those who carry
away sheepskins from the universities.
This is especially true Of the schools for
girls And in this connection 1t may be
mentioned that the increase in the number
of young women who are attending private
schools which go into the higher branches
Of education is one OF the striking social
phenomena OF the day. President j. M.
TAYLOR If Vaaaar COLLAGE last YEAR de-