Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-07-28
COMMON SCHOOL PRIVILEGES


Charles r. Barrett in High School
Life" presents an argument against ,
the addition of commercial schools to
the public school system. Strange as
1t may appear, he finds favorable re- |
Spouse from some of the leading news.
papers. Barrett believes there should |
be some limit to education at the pub. |
lie expense--to the burdens laid upon
the taxpayers for the education of the
people. In his opinion the line should
be drawn where. general education
ends and special instruction in the
profession or pursuit one is to follow
begins.
He contends that there Is no better
reason why young men and women
should be trained for commercial pur-
suits al the expense of taxpayers than
there is why they should be trained at
the expense of taxpayers for any other
pursuit, such as law, medicine, den.
! tistry, civil engineering, architecture
and the pulpit.
In so far as Barrett's contention Is
against special favors extended to pu
pills seeking further instruction In
commercial pursuits there may be an
element of justice in It. When he de
nounces the policy of the taxpayers
furnishing education beyond the usual
high.school standards he is getting in.
to depths of selishness that do not ap'
peal to the American people. and 1t Is
to be hoped never will. Free public
schools are the pride of the American
people and one of the greatest ele-
ments OF strength within the Repub.
lie. Taxpayers throughout the coun.
try give literally and willingly to sup.
= port the common schools, that every
child may have free opportunity Ia
elementary studies. This has proved
a success. Why should we stop here?
The purpose of free school is pri
marily to benefit the poorer pupils.
2 Does this duty of the community END
l. when the child has advanced through
e various grades and finally graduate.
7 from the high school?
II this preliminary support is goot
I carrying the principle to higher educa
j tion, giving equally free opportunit.
: In whatever special studies young mel
G and women may wish to take up. Thi!
principle is carried out in the colleges
of agriculture and mechanic arts es
e tabished by Federal appropriation:
n throughout the States and Territories
. Here we have the taxpayers none,
n used In behalf of special education
+ which is thoroughly commercial wher
compared with the courses of the old
fashioned classical colleges. Far from
:. regrettlng this step the citizens of th'
5 country have been so gratified tina
I Federal assistance to these institutions
y has been increased. The result ha
: been the development of one of tn,
I most excellent systems OF universities
. in the world.
Allied with this sentiment of limit
ing free education and the draft upoi
a the taxpayers Is the local question o
: admitting Asiatics to the publ,
: schools. The increase of Asiatic schol
$ airs or perhaps better the relative de
Il crease of American pupils has lie,
e many to ask why the citizens of thi
:. Territory should assist in the educa
ton OF race or nationality that ma,
rise up to destructively compete will
{ the citizen pupil. Some would shu
: out the Asiatic.
: The Bulletins ideal of free public
0 school holds to the original American
8 plan Of throwing the doors open to all
: II there are too many Asiatics beine
I educated the principal fault must be
!. that the adult citizens are presenting
more favorable opportunity for an in
: crease OF the adult Asiatics. Is Il
r proper policy that children, even Ash
s atics shall grow up In ignorance, par
: ticularly when the Asiatic non.citizer
I pays a personal tax from schools.
: Education should be as nearly free
: as the sunlight. Free universities sup
{ ported on the same plan as free com
: mon schools would be God send. Il
: In Hawaii we are educating too many
$ Asiatic children, the proper way tc
a meet the situation Is for citizens &c
use their energies to increase the adult
| nItizan nomination