Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-29
riggs FOR STATE
AID HIGH SCHOOLS
Wants to Make 1t Possible For
Every Boy and Girl to
Finish the Course
ALSO FAvoRs STATE CONTROL
Would Have Course Of Study Arranged
to Suit the Requirements of the
Greatest Number and Also Provide
An Additional Year for Preparing
Graduates for Teaching.
special 10 Tlmes- Republican.

Special TO Times Republican.
Des Moines, Dec. 29.-Probably the
most notable event OF the State Teach
ers' Association convention was the
annual address today of State Superin-
tendent of Public Instruction John F..
Riggs. His subject was "Iowa's High
School Problem" and he made two
points the central theme of his address,
namely, state aid to the high schools
and their control or supervision by the
department of public instruction. He
said:
",rhe first settlers in what is now the
great commonwealth Of Iowa recognize
ed the sovereign right Of every child
to common school education at pub
lie expense. Thus from the very be-
ginning the public school was nur-
tured and it's advantages brought with
In easy reach of every home. Follow
ing the order of educational develop
ment in the older communities from
which the Iowa pioneers came, colleges
were next established here and there,
often through great sacrifice on the
part of their founders.
"Between the common school and the
college was wide field at first oc-
cupied imperfectly by the private acad
emies and by the preparatory depart
ments which the colleges were obliged
to maintain. At best these private in
stitutions could serve but comparative
ly few, and these few mainly in the
vicNage Of the institutions. The need
of educational advantages somewhat
beyond the elementary school was
widely recognized, and SO the idea of
extending the public school curriculum
to include high school grades began to
be advocated and within very recent
years has been widely accepteds ~ In-.
deed no educational doctrine seems
more firmly established in this state
and throughout the country today than
that our youth are entitled to both q
common school training and thor
ough high school training at public ex-
pense.
"The recognition of school by the
state university and by the standard
colleges has appealed to school boards
as most desirable, since 1T gives the
school certain prestige. While ack-
nowledging the great service the coll
lege has rendered the high school in
bringing something of order out Of
chaos, to my mind there is in this set
ting of high school Standards by the
college two dangers:
"Fsirst, that the high school shall
come to be recognized as an institution
whose chief purpose is to fit young men
and young women for college, and
Second, that over ambitious dis
tricts will attempt courses advanced
beyond their financial ability to ade-
quately support.
tAbout 20 per cent Of the high school
graduates enter higher educational in
stitutions during the first year after
graduation. A few more subsequently
go to college. but the total number to
enter institutions for advanced work
doubtless never greatly exceeds one
fourth of the whole number of gradu-
ates. Almost as many high school
graduates engage in teaching as enter
college, To be exact, of the 5,317 young
people who were graduated from Iowa
high schools during the summer Of
l., L
in higher institutions Of learning, and
1,0s9 are engaged in teaching. While
the claims Of those who are preparing
for college and Of those who are to
enter the teaching profession are to
be recognized, a course of study re-
quired of all students and framed in
the interest of either class can be JUS
titled only on the ground that such a.
course is most suitable also for the
larger number who enter once from the
high school into the industrial life Of
the community.
"It would be most unfortunate
should the people come to regard the
high school as Of large value to those
who are to enter college, but of small
value to all others. This, to be sure,
is vexed question only for the small
schools, for in the large high school
where each class must be divided in
to sections to secure the best results,
two or more courses may be offered,
one Of which may he distinctly COL
lege preparatory course. But in the
small high school, and most of our
high schools are necessarily small, it is
ill-advfsed to attempt but one course.
For a division of grades makes small
classes, increases the number of reci-
tations, necessitates short recitation
periods and requires the teachers to
instruct in many subjects. All this
tends to weakness rather than
strength. If one course only con be Of
fered, what shall be it's content? This
question 1 would not presume to at
tempt to answer further than to say
that the course should be framed to
render the greatest good to the great
est number.
State Aid.
THAT high school inspection should
ultimately be lodged In the department
OF public instruction, firmly believe;
but before this Is done let commits
sion or board appointed by authority
Of the legislature make a thorough
study of every phase Of the question;
Chen fix the standard of requirements