The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-24
For System of
Public High Schools

High Schools |.
ideals OF Thomas Jefferson, cllni-
mating IN tile University Of, Virginia,
have furnished the sting or emulation
and the aNurement toligh achieve
mcnt In every OTHER American State
u sting and an nllureinent which have
been felt, as we are told, evcl, in the
old and the new vili2ntions beyond
the seas. Just now the state Depart
mcnts OF Education In the several
States cannot do better by way or
furthcrng the establishment Of ctii-
cient systems Of public high schools
than to become informed and spread
abroad tho information with reference
to what is doing in ncighboring states.
In the last twoeyears at least twelve
states have adopted now Legislation
with reference to high schools, and
some or this Legislation is OF far
rencl1ing Significance. Georgia has
provided for Industrial nnd ngrcul-
tural schools in the several congress
sional districts OF the State, to be
branches of the State College OF Agri-
culture, a department. OF the Univer-
slty OF Georgln. Indiana has distinct
~ authorized the acceptance OF gifts
for county high schools In value not
exceeding $4,000. ct Is worthy OF
note that prvare benefac.ion has be-
gun to turn in some measure In the
direction of experimenting the bounty
OF tho State in tho support of public
educational institutions3 Kansas has
Increased the length OF the course of
study in county high schools from
three years to four, and has made other
liberal provisions. New Hampshire
has made n legal definition Of II high
school or academy, and has required
towns in which there is high school
to raise and appropriate this year sufli-
ctcnt money properly to maintain such
school. North Carolina has adopted
Its law of March G. 1906. providing for
special elections 4or n special tax of
from one to three mills. and making
regulations governing the course Of
study. Pennsylvania has extended op.
portunities for high school education
to children residing in school dis
tricts having no public high schools,
and has appropriated 100000 for the
support Of township high schools dur
1rT the years 1905 to 1907. Vermont
has REQUIRED the establishment OF high
schools In all towns OF the State, or
other provision for high school In
struction, and has voted special State
| aid for payments for tuition Of pupils
7, ltsiuins IN towns OF less than 1000
population. Virginia has passed the
! important act, approved March IA.
1906. relating to the establishment OF
high schools, with State aid. under tho
general supervision OF the State Board
{ of Education. Wyoming has provided
Tor the establishment and maintenance
of free high schools. Such examples
as these. even though tho presidents
of one State cannot be strictly followed
n q ~ I, III 4 -,
stimulating for all of the States.
In the first place, it Is necessary to keep
before the people this great and grow
Ing PURPOSE of American education, that
It shall be In all of its grades an educa-
ton for ALL and shall be so organized
that every man shall find encouragement
and opportunity to pass up freely from
grade to grade, so far as his abilities and
his prospective usefulness to society shall
| determine AS regards the high school. 1t
| Is desirable that 1t shall be a thoroughly
sound link between the elementary school
and the college. One great advantage or
| our American system is that every high
| school Is exerting a constant pull up
ward on all of the lower schools. The
| high schools are Of more value to the
lower schools than the money which they
cost would be it it were distributed to
| the lower schools and the high schools
wiped out OF existence. The high schools
ii''oS Soi'tuiuuliS ne drawing the eIencn-
| tary schools upward to higher attain
ments. The colleges and universities
| must continually draw the high schools
upward to higher attainments am well
aware of the DANGERS Of this situation.
1t calls for the 1Hfrcise of the utmost
patience on the part of both the higher
! and the lower schools They must snn,r
to understand one another ana must not
| be unreasonable In their demands ono
| upon another, but the upward drawing
| must never be lost. In the high schools
| particularly we shall have. as we have
had. long-continued discussion Of the
| apparently conflicting aims Of the courses
winch prennre for college and the courses
! WhichHprepare for life without preparing
| for college. It is through these very dis
! cussions that our high schools have come
I! into that fine self-consciousness which
has enabled them in recent years to in
fuence the whole educational situation
instead Of being simply and blindly sub
1ect to tho demands OF the colleges on
4 the one hand. or to the demands Of
local interest and prejudice on the other
l hand. Let this discussion 20 on and
work itself out In the better fulfllment
/ OF our American ideals. and let us not
forget that In the establishment of our
1 high schools we are continually setting
up anew that educational ladder which
shall indeed reach from every school dis
i trist In the land up to the highest ranges
of university life
My first suggestion is then in effect
that high schools should be established
with wel-organized secondary course
of study. In the second place, It seems
clear that we are to attain the best things
IN our high school organization by COM
bining State support with local support
It is not so important that the State
should give a large proportion of the
money expended by the high schools as
q It is that It should give something. The
1 chief advantage in State appropriations
for schools is that they encourage ana
stimulate local taxation. A fairly sub
stantial State appropriation or State tax
for secondary schools, fairly distributed
throughout the State will give that hope
and stimulus to local schools struggling
against local Indifference and local parsi-
mony. and will help nightly to win the
: victory for adequate local appropriations
for schools Of this grade, The State APP
proprlaton moreover, gives added and
: obvious reason for the moderate amount