New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-29
EDUCATION a POLITICAL QUESTION.

IL whether education Is necessary Tor the COM
5os S the TR 81 p0s
Appss Which beng Sy psce ' or Usage IN
England or IN this country to the legislative de,
withheld or limited by the Constitution ITSELF GIG
Article TX Of our Constitution confers certain ex-
elusive powers upon the university. which The PEG;
funds, prohibits the use OF public money for sec
Schools to the chdren 6f he State suSeet to
these limitations. the Legislature may take any po
Of the people. and its action will be conclusive and
III. If high schools are for the common good. not
only has the State power TO maintain them. but
TT is not only the light but the bounden and SOL
semn duty of State" says the Supreme Court
every act Of lsgslati99n. which t may deem to be
Hence. I conclude that the existence of the SOW
ereignty the power to exercise it, and the duty TO
BY the iegsIature-and solely on the inquiry wheth-
sr the education in question is for our common
ELEMENTS OF HIGH SCHOOL. EDUCATION
". maintain, therefore. the broad proposition
that a high school education free. universal. and
What must be the fundamental elements % such
an educato9n? , What the unified system Of which
ricua? And why universal; free, and compulsory?
offer my suggestions with Difference. Time will
allow to state them categorically only. Some
new 70 academic discussion; out tested by legal
standards they seem conservative deductions from
FiFst--srch an education. maintain. should have
It's fundamental clements the at@llectual
economic, and political instruction of all the people,
Should run tRrough anu Unity our MSoe sraeed
standardized. and tax supported system of public
educa ton.
Second-such a system would divide into three
grades only-eonmon schools. high schools and COL
legeS, and universities.
The high school system of the State includes high
schools, academies, and academic departments OF
after refer to them collectively high schools.
Al its next session I would have the Legislature
establish minimum high school course; by graded
approximations would encourage all schools under
such minimum TO raise their courses: and after
a reasonable time would have all high schools
that DO not meet the fixed requirements fall back
into the common school grade. What the minimum
course should be is political question to DE de-
terrnined by the Legislature. There one,
wonld have. instead. one fixed standard / advo-
cate a minimum legal standard OF four years. Rel
higher than was common school education a
generation ago.
PUBLIC COUNTY COLLEGES
IN the same statute would have the Legislature
would have the State literally assist each county
20 maintain at its option. in connection with its
/ best located and most fourishng high school, a
the county college. free high school graduates
Finally, would have the Regents. under existing
and county colleges. and graduates OF the
former confer a standardized State diploma and
on graduates Of the latter a B.. B. 81 or any other
appropriate academic degree
The third and final grade should be the unIver-
sty would consider university complete and
aggregation OF co-ordinated faculties that would
FURNISH special instruction for the CHIEF vocations
OF life. After the establishment of STANDARDIZED
| high schools and county colleges, I would ba,a
not one but all non-sectarian universities al theiT
Ptot liade puoaS eaucauonai insaeuuons TO the
pro rata to free tuition furnished The LeSisatnr.
appropriates annually . large sum to Cornell. and