The San Francisco call., 1905-03-12
EducatiOn's
Modern Trend

Higher Education" by Will
liam Rainey Harper, presi-
dent OF the University OF
Chicago, who. inasmuch as he is now
doomed by g case OF cancer the doctors
cannot cure. may have the opportunity
TO write no more books. The words of
q great educator. and one holding high
place among those who are fit leaders
OF the most modern thought, should
have close attention at any time their
author wishes to be heard; and when
that author speaks as one under SEN
tence Of a death so close in time that
his words may be the last he will have
sent forth for the worlds study, the
esrnestness and wisdom of his speech
get a solemnity from the fact of the
great mans closeness to the great be-
yond, the feeling that we may no more
be instructed by his wisdom and the
deEire to let his lifes work reach to
IN unhindered limits by being rightly
Schoing receptives Of all the best i'm
pulse he sends forth. so that we CRATE
fully profit by his teachings and trans
Eaft what part we can
So, no doubt, will HIS book be re-
ce1ved by those specially interested in
educational problems and by all those
Who wish for the worlds best ad-
w0ncement. The thoughts of the book
are not for teachers only, for, as DR..
Harper pointed out IN his charter day
address at the University Of California,
the university is the guide of the peo-
pie and the ally Of humanity in its
struggle for advancement. Much of
the power Of the book is spent to show
how IN modern times the tendency of
the higher education is to get closer
and more universal in its touch upon
the great masses of humanity. He
thinks that the university men who
hold exalted place should be prophets
and priests of democracy, until, in its
purified form, 1t shall have become
universal.
Offered as q contribution IN a small
way toward a statement Of the edu-
cationaI questions current in our day"
There are twenty-three papers in all;
some OF them have been published be-
fore, four of them were In the North
American Review; some OF them have
been read at various dedications and
anniversaries, but most Of them will be
new TO most readers.
The author tells us that there is a
trend IN higher education at the pres
ent time, but the philosophy OF it is
.dimcult TO formulate. Everything. he
says, points IN one direction, namely,
toward the growing democratization Of
higher educational work
One OF the papers which will be Of
widest interest is on the subject of
"Eome Present Tendencies Of Popular
Education" and as popular educa-
ton" may mean several things, he de-
fines that IN its largest sense II means
the education OF the people by the peo-
PIE. and the division OF the term which
be treats Of is OF those popular agencies p
and influences not ordinarily included
a cur regular school and college sys-
eNm- He arranges the important agen-
c5sa OF popular education into three
groups. making the first those that
have 20 90 with reading. Speaking Of
Ghs press as an educator he gives this
cp1nion; 1T is not an exaggeration to
mT that IN its best type the daily
1SwspapeF is not merely popular edu-
c&eori IL 81 q popular educational in
gtftuttcn. organized TO meet the de-
r1Ands OF the millions who look TO II
from morning 20 morning for help,
stimulus and nour1Shuaent'
In the second group he places suoh
agencies as the university extension,
with fts lecture studies and its writ
ten papers, correspondence schools;
ChautanquAn assembliesI the Young
MeuAs Christian Association. the Chris
tasn EndeawoT and the sunday-school.
- ~ he v,Fo
nzences as travelling, business enter
pg1sea and fairs. he says the we'll
axxanized excurxfon trip OF modern
times, though It cover only q hundred
miles OF travel. IS an educational
agency OF the highest value-
AS to the tendency OF this popular
education he says that II is growing
scientific, not '1n the sense that the
great principles OF science win enter
largely into popular conceptions OF life
and truth; but rather in that simple
sense that accurate methods OF thought
VIII be inculcated: that truth as It is
accepted VIII be something truer than
ft would have been. something more
q abpoiute." He Is quite sure also that
the trend IN popular education is be-
conaing more ethical and spiritual.
the teachings Of sci
ence, the ideal Is playing larger part
IN the drama OF human life. In his
judgment the greatest piece OF popu-
lar education that was ever done was
that education by prophet, priest and
sage OF the Israelitish nation" He
ends the paper with the assertion that
the evidence Is clear TO him who viii
but read 1t that a higher spiritual ele-
rpent IS indeed present in the great
OF modern times"
on the subject OF waste in education
he holds that no student can profitably
conduct more than three lines OF study
1T the same time, even when these
lines OF study run close together. A
point he is very emphatic about is that
e student should learn the various re-
and connections OF the sub
jects Of his study. II he conceives
these subjects and departments "as
distinct entities without relationship
be loses far more than one-haIf the
value OF his work