The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-06-08
EDUCATORS MEET
IN ANNUAL SESSION
President WiIIingham Makes
Opening Address
SCORES IN ATTENDANCE
Meeting of Alabama Educational AS
ISOLATION In Montgomery Regarded
as One of the Most I'M
portant Ever Held.
SCORES IN ATTENDANCE

Montgomery, June 7.-(Special. )--One of
the most important meetings In the his
tory of the State Educational association
is in progress here, being called to order
this morning by the president IL. j. Will
bingham. president of the Fifth District
Agricultural school at Wetumpka, and
for many years a leading worker In the
cause of schools in the commonwealth.
The address of welcome was delivered
by Acting Mayor C. P. Mcintyre in the
absence of Mayor Carr, to which response
was made by DR.. Clarence ]. Owens.
president of the Southern Female univer-
sity at Admission.
The Address.
President Willingham then delivered his
annual address, which was a review of
the conditions of the state for the year.
He said in part:
In the first place, l submit, there
ought to be a better defined relation
ship between the colleges and the univer-
sity of the state on the one hand, and
the schools which prepare boys and girls
for college ON the other The time Is APP
preaching also when there must come a
line of demarcation between the work of
the real high schools and that of the
elementary schools of the state This is
matter which, in my opinion, deserves
the thoughtful attention of Alabama edu-
Gators and of those especially charged
with the duty of constructing a more per-
feet system grading from the state uni
versity to the little schoolhouse of a single
room. Under our present system almost
any prospective studen. is eligible for
matriculation or enrolment lust wherever
he takes notion to CO. If he wants to
study algebra, geometry, physics or
astronomy many third grade teachers ex-
tend to him a hearty greeting
IF he cannot read we'll nor show that
he is on speaking terms with the multi
plication table yet will some of the col
lege doors fly open at his bidding. The col
Il ges insist that the unfortunate boy could
not find suitable preparatory schools at
home, and therefore. he just had to
come without preparation. And these
common schools which attempt to do
high school work and even college work.
excuse themselves by saying that the
boy wanted to study those subjects and
was not able to go elsewhere to do it,
No doubt some conditions Justify both
these claims. but are we doing our full
duty toward the student and toward the
parent by urging upon them the highest
interest of the student under such condi-
tons? How often really. do we advise
students to enter a lower grade school
or a higher grade school than the one
with which We happen to he connected?
Many of the country schools and nearly
all village schools are now called High
schools and so many of the colleges
have high school attachments that hut
little ground is left for the real high
school to stand on. Does this remove hte
necessity for high schools, or is 1t not
rather one of the reasons why we have
so few OF them?
at is cause for much congratulatior
41.of l,ax- alc1a 4.
derful advances in evolving system OF
schools out of a former chaotic condition:
and doubtless all has been accomplished
in this direction that conditions would
warrant. but the fact remains that much
is yet to be done.