New-York tribune., 1906-11-12

Il v. civ
| les, the higher mathematics ars
| science, with strong leaning 10 practicol ana ana
| pHcatiOns Of science in all fields OF art ana 1p
[ dustry. sustained absolutely at the public A.
pense and free to all, with every grade onsr =
| the poorest and most friendIess pupil in tSo 10
1 grade below, on the single requirement thai -
| standing there fits him for IT, That IL an ,s LIS
| Is necessary to-day in the greatest citv or tS
/ New World to carry the child OF the Ghetto - -
| the Levantine pushcart quarter from the urir,..
to fairly earned degree Of Bachelor of Arts -
the College Of the City OF New York or 10 an ,
! equivalent degree. involving equal study ara -
/ a considerable extent along equally varied Ira
| In its Normal College for Women e''
This system had grown in the early years a.
the present century into total enrolment In tina
! schools, colleges and universities Of the UnitaS
| states public and private. of 1880 0O0 puniIs
| OF whom 16127,000 were in public institution
| supported by taxation. When the enrolment,
Tor certain special interests, evening schools -
| form schools. Indian schools schools for Sass
onnd feeble minded. etc, were added, the grand
| total was reached OF IS1S7,OOO. Nearly ona-
% %Iourth OF the total population is at school in
ndCon OF eighty millions! Omitted States Com
| missioner of Education. report. Dec l, I9O4I
Inc system thus developed, though varying
somewhat In the different states. is Character.
izeo oy certain general pecularities. First az
| 10 religion tB the schools. Broadly
some speaking, religious instruction is
INSTRUCTIVE not compulsory IN any pubIio
Features schools and not permitted in ths
most Religious exercises at ths
/ daily opening OF the school were long encour.
! aged. and are still common but seem to be grow
ing less frequent, especially in the great cities
| The language of the New York City charte-
a
fashion. the ground which most city schools
throughout the Union and many of those in the
country are fast approaching:
No school shall be entitled 20 or receIva
any portion OF the school moneys in which
the religious doctrines or tenets of any par
| ticular Christian or other religious sect shall
| be taught. inculcated, or practised or In
| which any book or books containing COM
positions favorable or preJudicial to the
particular doctrine tenetS OF any par-
| ticular Christian other religious sect
shall be used. or which shall teach the doc
| trines or tenets Of any other religious sect
| or which shall refuse to permit the visits
| and examinations provided for in this chap
ter. But nothing herein contained shall aI-'
thorize the board OF education or the school
board of any borough to exclude the Holy
Scriptures. without note or comment. or any
selections therefrom, from any of the schools
provided for by this chapter; but It shall
not be competent for the said board OF
education to decide what version If anv OF
the Holy Scriptures without note or com
| ment, shall be used in any OF the schools;
| provided that nothing herein contained shall
De so construed 70 violate the rights OF
conscience, as secured by the constitution
OF this state and of the United States"
Under this. the reading OF chapter OF the
mon.
The New York State constitution prohibits aid
from public funds to denominational schools.
/ or TO schools where any denon1fnationaI tenet
or doctrine is taught and similar prohibitions
are general in other states. The New York pro-
| vision reads follows:
Neither the state nor any subdivision
| thereor shal use its property credit or
any pubic money, or authorize or permit
| either TO be used directly or indirectly in
aid or maintenance. other than for exanlina-
ton or inspection, of any school or fnstit1-
tion Of learning wholly or in part under the
control or direction of any religious de-
| nomination, or in which any denOninational
tenet or doctrine is taught"
To discuss the effects Of this general policy
| might approach too closely 70 contentious do
mestfc questions. One may be permitted how
ever. to say that N the prevalent American view
! certainly throws greater work upon the
FAMILY and the church; but that. where these
both do their full duty, IL is probable that no
| harm results.
As to the erteHt of the public school education
Inc doctrine is rapidly gaining ground IN most
| or the states that it should be carried at the
public expense from the primary branches
20 the universities. for all who are found cap
In more than half the states free universities
are already TO be found.
! As to its character. II would found an institu-
tion, said Ezra Cornell, where any person can
ind instruction IN any study" The sentiment
mas been inscribed on the walls Of the Capitol In
his native state at Albany and It is beginning
TO expand the available courses of study not
only in the colleges and universities but largely
also in the secondary schools and sometimes
even in the primaries. reaction against the
excessive extension of this elective system Is
setting IN; and there is good deal OF CON plain
especially in the primary schools. where it Is
often said the attention of the children IS dis
tracted TO so many other things that they do not
learn reading, writing and arithmetic as we'll as
they should But in the secondary schools and
the universities there is enormous multiplies-
ton of studies and OF separate courses of study,
designed for the varying wants of the pupils.
with reference TO the varied vocatiOns they ex-
pect TO enter. The tendency is strongly to the
practical side, and scientific and chronological
studies are greatly in favor.
As to the time taken for public education This
tendency to specialize al school with reference
TO what the pupil expects 10 do to living
is accompanied with another peculiarity-a
haste. once almost a craze. to get out OF school
and get to work at ones life business at the
earliest practicable moment. Nowhere else has
there been the like fevertsh anxiety 10 keep the
studies of the secondary schools or Of the uni
VerS1ttes within such range that the pupil may
think he has received a liberal education but get
through It in fewer years than formerly Hs
even tries now to complete the usual cOlegs
course In three years. instead Of the traditional
four; and would like the course in the profess
sional school for doctor or lawyer 70 be two
years instead Of three or more. In fact. he often
begrudges every month between the primary
school and the entry his business or profess
sion, and fears that those taking still less time
than himself for liberal studies Will get ahead
of him in the race of life.
As to tcomeR. In all the public schools. pr-
mary and secondary, there are apt 70 be aS
many girls boys. In the colleges and uni
versities the proportion max be smaller but IN
those supported by public taxation both sexes
are admitted on equal terms. as well as in many
others. II begins to be considered. however
that co-eduCatiOn IS chiefly commended by It's
economy. state university can, Of course,
educate such girls as seek its classes less cost
10 the taxpayers than II a separate inStltuto..
had 20 be built up for them and second set OK
professors engaged But aside from this, II s
coming TO be thought in many quarters that DeI-
ter results may be had I'm separate institutions.
Thus one OF the richest and most iudeDendens
OF the new universities. that of Chicago. en-
dowed by Mr.. John d. Rockefeller. has Just de-
termined 10 admit only male students hereafter.
Another, the Stanford University OF California
is limiting the female students hencefOTth 70
one-thlrd or less or the entire number 4he1te
are. however, many well endowed and admiraoy
equipped colleges for women alone. sometimes
independent sometimes affiliated with a greas
university like Harvard Columbia; and tho
number OF women pursuing their educauon
through colleges and universities Is ALREADY
large and rapidly increasing.
A final popularity OF tho American system