New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-11
THE EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN.

After Mr.. Gates's announcement of the pro-
gramme adopted by the General Education Board
in dSbursing its two and a half millions
year the objections raised by various critics.
serious and otherwise, may be discussed to some
purpose. The alumni of picturesque rural col
leges and the advocates of cOeducation may IN
stinctvely revolt at the avowed intention OF
the board to favor city colleges and women's
schools To what extent do the facts favor the
critics?
Educators have long been filling the profess
slonal journals with discussions Of the problems
underlying the ideals of the board. With re-
spect to the relative merits Of city and country
colleges opinion has been far from unanimous,
The quiet and seclusioh of small towns GER
tainly make studying easier while the condl-
tons Of living make personal contact between
teacher and student possible; on the other hand,
the complex high pressure environment of
large city famiarizes the student with the real
world and its problems far more thoroughly
and quickly than village lanes and still hill
sides can. And so the pros and cons balance,
to all appearances, making the problem insol-
uble or-what is about the same thing-answer-
able according 10 personal tastes. Neyerthe-
less, both the alumnus Of Pans Academy and
the astute General Education Board might wipe
out their greatest differences If they would
agree TO distinguish sharply between rural and
suburban colleges. Most of the controversies
which have ragged about this theme have been
vain, simply because they have neglected the
counter phase Of the cityward tendency
namely. the enormous increase and improve
ment in suburban life. This phenomenon seems
destined to change the point at issue. at least
in many cases. Not few colleges heretofore
rated rural have become suburban, combin-
ing the advantages Of town and country quite
satisfactorily. And many more schools will
probably be transformed in like manner, as VII
lage becomes metropolis and the trolley and
commuters train reach out further and further
into the open With such an amalgamation Of
advantages the arguments of the rurallsts will
lose their force when used in favor Of schools
far distant from city streets. In q society
where wide human intercourse is the first means
and measure of deep human sympathy and So
cial efficiency the dying hermit colleges will
find few mourners.
There is a certain humor in Mr.. Gatess dis
covery that the coeducational problem must be
solved regardless Of all the psychological, ethl-
cal and other theories which have been labOri-
ously spun about il during past decades. Sepa-
rate colleges for women must be developed, Mr..
Gates says, because no other plan Is feasible:
mems colleges are overcrowded and could be
extended so as to accommodate women only at
much greater trouble and expense than are in
volved In perfecting the present system Of wom-
ems colleges. It Will be interesting to observe
whether the West. home of C0educational
schools. will also be driven in time by purely
economical considerations TO abandon its long
cherished system, which was itself founded on
earlier economical considerations. The chances
are that other arguments will have TO cooper
ate out there to establish the more conservative
order