CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1907-05-30
Commencement EXERCISE
SOUTH CANON HIGfE SCHOOL
Class Of Twenty PupAs-Fine Program Co aded With
Brflltant and Instoctive Adde'S. "
Dr.. Sanford Ben.
sded With a

III SCuOOl OuiIuiuS6 anu every year
$500 .00O. 900 is spent in education of
those who are enrolled in them as stu
dents. We have in the United States
billion-dollar school system, the
maintenance and support of which
comes out OF the pockets OF 80 .000, 900
people. 1t Is a stupendous feature OF
our national life. but in spite OF 1t all
there is nothing of general interest to
our people about which 80 little in
quiry Is made rs our public school
system. In view of this almost uni
versal Indifference upon a subject that
Is OF primary consequence to our peo-
pie. indeed to our ciuvilization. one
may be pardoned for asking the Ques-
ton: Does It pay?
Il have been coming to Canon City
at intervals for four years and am
familiar with your schools. which l
have no hesitancy in saying are the
equals OF those In any other communi-
ty in Colorado, but considering the
enormous amount OF money spent in
the support OF the schools OF the coun-
try, even your people have a right to
inquire whether the nation is getting
value received on its Investment of a
billion dollars. Name. II you can, an
enterprise In which S0.0oO.0O0 people
are concerned in relation to which
there is so little inquiry as our public
school system. Do we get the best
results from our schools? Cannot our
educational system be 30 changed as
to pay US bigger dividends on the bill
lion dollar Investment?
a famous statician has computed
that the boy or girl who completes the
course OF study in the grade schools
has one chance in 100. 900 Of attaining
an eminent degree Of success In life.
Those who finish the course Of study
In the high school have one chance in
500 OF reaching great success in life.
while those who graduate from the
university have one chance in thirty
OF achieving distinction In the race of
life. The superintendent of public in
struction in Pennsylvania asserts that
the average attendance of pupils In
the public schools is 1000 days. which
is worth to him an average OF $40 n
day. Our public school system costs
$4,000 an hour and We may well ask
ourselves the question: Does it pay?
Between and 10 per cent OF the chill
dren enrolled under our educational
system get into the high school and
only per cent into the colleges and
universities.
Our school system was inherited
from England and is not suited to the
requirements OF n republic. 1t was
designed to make courtiers and diplo
mats rather than men and women up
on whom fall the duties and RESPONSE
bilities of citizenship under a free gov
ernment 1t Is to a large extent up
side down and. On this side OF the
Atlantic, Is out OF harmony with its
environment The educational system
Of England was founded at a time
when only those who held a patent
OF nobility from the king were thought
worthy of an education. Greek. Latin,
mathematics and a little philosophy
were fought to the select few. but the
colonists in America adopted the same
system and 1t has come down to us
to this day.
Il would not entirely eliminate
Greek and Latin from the curriculum
of our schools, although l would give
less attention to it than is now the
case. would have all studies of an
entirely practical character. in order
that they might subserve the student
in the struggle for bread and butter.