Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-04-10

SnoulG provide two equally balance
departments of work, one ADAPTED +,
Inc classical student and the other I,
the So-c3llcd English student. Ever,
school has its backward students an(
those who fail to continue their work
through the first year but | think il
the wcrk of the High school was
BROADER along the lines that / have
mentioned that the percentage OF
failures would be lessened and at.
tendance of The school considerably in
creased.
THE ELECTIVE SYSTEM
am firmly convinced that the cleo
tive system now in use is fUnuanent.'.-
ly wrong. High school students are
too young ana know too little of their
needs to be permitted free cholce il
the selection of subjects. ONLY Il very
few of the parents inquire diligently
into the courses Of study and decide
which is the best for their children.
VERY few colleges permit free choice Of
electives during the Freshman year
1t hardly seems reasonable that stu
dents five years before are capable of
making Il wise choice. Under our
present system Il student may take a
subject for onc-half year, drop it for
any reason and try another for the
next half v.;,r and 50 on Indefinitely.
The student graduates with Il smattcr-
ing of a dozen subjects and without
knowledge of any. l would recon-
mend that prescribed courses be sub
stituted for the present system. If
special cases require deviation from
tEis they should be left to the diScrc-
ton of the principal.
ENGLISH
The increased demands Of the col
lcgcS for the study of Literature in the
last six years has greatly encroached
on the time formerly given in our High
schools to the study of English Gram
mar and Composition. At the present
time two years must be given to the
consideration of College English alone
leaving in our three years course but
one year to the consideration OF funda
mental English. This is tco snort a
time for gaining an accurate knowl-
edge Of the principles of the language.
This fact has been recognized by near
iy all our standard High schools and
had resulted in Il general extension OF
the English courses. one of the latest
t. recognize this is the Jordan High
school of Lewiston which in rcorSani-
cation of It's English and Mathematical
Departments last week increased its
English Course from three 10 four
years | would recommend four full
years Of English giving the extra time
to the study of English Grammar,
Composition. Business Correspondence
ard other practical English subjects.
MATHEMATICS
Mathematics is taught in our school
for three purposes. First To prepare
students for college. Second: To en-
able students to master the mathcmati-
cal problems Of Science. The re-
sponsibility of this work should rest on
the mathematical department and not
On the Science Department. That &c
partmrnt has enough work i'll present
ing its own subjects without the Dur
den of Mathematical instruction.
Third: To enable students to solve the
ordinary mathematical problems of
business. am Of the opinion that our
Mathematical Course ut the present
time does not supply either OF the three
quatc. not extended enough nor ar
ranged at the proper time i'll the cur
riculum.
recommend the following as an
adequate and necessary Course: Age
bra two years. with fundamental work
in Arithmetic. Plane Geometry one
year. A Review Of Algebra and Plane
Geometry in Senior year for college
students. Solid Geometry onc-halt
year TriEonometry one-half year for
college students who are to attend y
I, chuical school. The change from our
present course consists Of an aidi
tional year in fundamental Mathcih;tt-
les AMI the addition of Trigonpn"tr,.
This is the course recommended b all
the colleges and no adequate Matnr
NAUTICAL instruction can be given IN less
time. This course will answer the
demands Of the Science Department.
Trigonometry cannot be introduced for
two Years as no student Will be ready
to pursue that subject before that time.
LATIN, GREEK
The present courses in these subjects
are we'll adapted to college require
ments and are the standard courses il
New England.
FRENCH.
The present instructor i'll French has
outlined a systematic three years i'll
fnat subject which covers the French
college requirements. The work Of
her classes is row being conducted in
accordance with this outline.
GERMAN.
would recommend that the present
one year course in German be either
dropped from the curriculum or in
creased to a two years course. A one
year course serves no practical purpose.
NJ practical knowledge of the German
language can be obtained in a one year
course, and two years Of Il mode IN Ian
guage are required by d majority of
colleges as an admission requirement.
Its only use in the school curriculum is
to serve as an elementary requirement
for colleges like Smith or Wellesley,
and this need can be supplied by other
subjects
HISTORY.
If the proposed engagements Of tile