The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-28

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ttiai features Of the school witch we
are accustomed to think OF as typical,
ana ass s 2. ,%l exclusively virginlan--.
grade than the present secondary
schools, ana lower than the colleg es;
end while, on account of conditions
pcnsable to their general rank and
success that they should come into
tiafinonious relations with the organic
eational world, they have. ii, taking
up the college preparatory work, re-
tanned certain separate and Individual
features of STANDARD, or certain courses
OF the newer work, and which carry
a standard and diploma Of their own,
one not involved in the co-ordinneed
courses. This is true indeed. OF a very
large proportion IF the schools OF the
secondary or approximately secondary
grade, and Is accomplished BY divid-a
tie school work, those who expect to
go to. college and those @ho % not
and giving to the latter class in the
remaining time such different work as
may "a !, i, seem !, best suited to their less
academic and more DEFINITELY social
careers. In some schools, too, the
separate work OF those who are not
preparing for college is extended a
J
which the college preparatory work
ends. II has been the privilege Of
the writer to talk with one or more
of the workers III scores OF the rep
and perhaps In dozen of the schools
IN the West, and to gather from them
their Impressions as to standards,
methods and results The conviction
seemed general as TO the practicabiiity
/ of carrying on both lines of work--the
/ college preparatory and, the semi col
ieaiate-.f we may venture the term
IL is significant. however, that the
schools snow a growing tendency to
i5give to the girl not going to college
las much as possible OF the severers
I her more aspiring sister--that is. to
move UP further and further the line
of demarcation between the courses of
1 1.-THE two departments OF school work.
3leaying, II possible, only one final year
IN which the two are separate, because
1 1t is being found that the courses
4 worked out by the united thought Of
{. hundreds of the best educators OF our.
1 land are in general berter for the girl
lfwho is soon to leave school than any
| other special courses which may be
/ the, current phrase. they bring her
4 in better returns in the way of clear
mfndedncss logical processes of
thought, and power TO grapple with a
LOT schools Will probably continue to
exist, there can be no doubt that the
standards Of the o-ealled college pre-.
I OF much in ourEolder regime, bringing
lSabout notifications where actual sub
i stitutfon Goes not occur. All this in
Themselves. having admitted the regu
Hating influence Of some measure of
4 5co- ordination, are fradua,ly working to
4 enlarge its scope: SO that. their rela-
itton to the larger educational forces
lis apparently not developing any OBJ
+ noxious Or mpra cticable features.
4 Nor can 1t be said that in day so
Jailed as ours With insistence upon per-
4 AMI man, the student himself will be
4 likely 10 suffer seriously from any
4 sfareos tending to suppress his parti-
i 5cular PERSONAL equation and his tastes
I or talerts, by putting him through a
\ mil which grinds al alike to powder.
4 Many, indeed who have watched res
E5cent pedagogical theories and noted
4 how-by the Dewey system, for ex-
! ample the smallest child is practically
4 entrusted to sself-governmcnt how il is
4 always the teachers duty to be inter-
4 esting, and never the child's duty TO be
4 Interested; and how long before he goes
4 to college the child isseNpected to have
4 discovered himself and to be introduc-
/ ing himself to others-7are beginning to
!. wonder whether our age is not kelly
4 to be surfeited with even SO desirable
i commodity as personality, and that
Etoo. at the cost OF a certain delightful
scnts to be undistinguished. and takes
q its place am!cably In background
" which must always be filled. However
the system of co coordination does reeog-
n ntze certain danger IN the direction
. OF suppressing personality. and guards
against 1T BY electives or margins OF
choice carefully worked out through
both secondary and collegiate work
, and multiplied as rapidly as the matur-
= ing intelli Of the student enables
him to choose with any guarantee OF
A Wi g m
, college, he Is able to choose O field Of
work and pursue ! with a singleness
II os aim that has not long been possible
to the graduate students in our uni.
Versities
! That system so complete and in.
J elusive as that suggested above Is pos:
sible now for r., eur sch1ols, hardly on
!, yet to. decide whether they want any
J Of it. and If they should find that theS
do, 1t will BE a matter for patient in.
-siit are practicable and then, when these
haze beeen tried and proven, to decide
!, upon a later step
= II is in. a third and yet more moeli
fled form Of coordination that we MAY
l attitude, at least for the present; tina
in ordination, In the looser freel
$ sense of any establishment
or the kind which will no.
! even seem to demand TOO radi,
, which may not conform for 4 long ti,ne
II ever, to all the requirements Of tn
popular system. hut which will tend II
: the rlghtfjirection, and may soon bring
!, about such combinations and inter
J relations as shall make It easier for TN
schools to work togetner, and not onl!
3 save time and effort but improve tn.
: quality of the work IN both directions
!, As IT Is NOW our schools suffer seri
ously from lack OF some adjustment
!. which they might among themseive
. easily make gas, for eXampe acci
1 dental but troublesome differences II
: courses Of study in the secondary
! schools. such as all involved might .
g.ad TO clear UP. and 1t would be Sal.
7 pr!sing to discover how easily certain
$ Thus, even IL we constrneS our tern
: ordination" as meaning somethin!
hardly more definite than co-opera
\ tion OF standards among our oYl
schofnll;s;,, we SHAH find in y yariou