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

| Principal Farn"Worth G. Marshall of
the Cony High school to the commit
tee 1t is Of much interest to the par
cntS and taxpayers of the city and
| merits Il careful reading.
| ]" th" Committee on the Conv E,ar
| High School.
Gentlemen: | have the honor to sub
| INIT to Your consideration the follow
ing report on the course of study in the
| Cong Free High school. and its alapta-
| bllity to I'll" needs OF the students in
| this city. I herein recommend three
| important changes in the prcscn4
| course of study. First: That i'm the
| cil''ic" ot electives til" students be linn
| tied to Il particular field Of work. See
| oni: That the Mathematical and Eng
| fish courses he enlarged. Third: That
| a Commercial Course be established.
! The third recommendation is dependent
| upon the result o. the present move
melt for enlargement of the school
building. Tho first and second can he
| made partially 1T least under the pres
| cnt conditions.
Cony High school las an enrolled at
| tendance OF two hundred students, with
1
five. Twenty-Five per cent Of the rli-
tering class for the past ten years has
dropped from the school during Tho
first year. and fifteen per cent. Of he
remainder during the last three years;
so that the school graduates n fraction
| better than fifty Ter cent. of the stu
dents which enter it. The reasons for
this condition ar" various, such as Jack
Vf,fr
failure OF health. moving from tho CITY.
etc, but III my opinion the reason
which affects uIt. !; majority of ,hIs
flity ptr cent. Of d"linqucnts, is 1 lack
Of course Of study fitted to ,heir
needs.
Cony High school is essentially n
S'hon! for classical students. and is cs-
pecIally devoted 10 training for college
us best and strongest courses arc all
devoted to that purpose. IT presents
inll una adequate opportunity in Latin
Greek and French to fit Il student for
any college in the United States. 1t
does not off"r suitable and effective
courses FOR the training Of students
VINO are To enter directly into the world
oI business without further school
training. It's courses in English and
MathHmatIr" are not quite equal to the
demands of the colleges upon them
wlile little is done for the average
student i'll the way of general Mathc-
NAUTICAL training which will fit him to
determine" the interest on a note. write
business letter or understand ), SIM
PIE I'r"hl"m ii business law. Tho IL
io''l'+ti arrangement of The Mathemati-
CAV C"urS" prevents the Science stu
dehf from obtaining the necessary
Malhematical knowledge for his work
until he has nearly completed his
SCic rec courses
1t X my opinion that only a small
percentage Of our students receive tho
proper benefits from our present
course. Leaving out Of the question
IL" nifty per cent. delnqucnts of the
present two hundred students only
l"itE or twenty per cent. are intending
70 enter college. While one hundred
and sixty or eighty per cent. will not
pursue their studies beyond the High
school 1t is evident then that our
course IS adapted to Il small minority
ana not 70 the large majority.
II IS also ;rrI" that the percentage Of
the n"n-collcc" students is growing
larger each year. The proportion of
graduates from the grammar schools
TO tire total number Of children is
yearly increasing. The idea that an
edlc3tlnn is II necessity i'll life is be
coming yearly more firmly fixed III in,
minis of the people. The number Of
students seeking an education in the
secondary schools Of our country is in
vrcasing al 4 rapid rate. Twenty-Five
M. la
education We're classical in their ten
Gencies. studying TO enter the profess
SinnS. It was not a general opinion
that the average man required Il sec
ondary school cducation. | have only
to point to the schools offering u bust
ness and technical education to show
thar a new class Of students is present
in our schools today; they are not
classical in their tendencies but arc
eager for knowledge in business and
technical lines. This does not mean
that classical education is a failure or
falling into diSfavor. The professional
classes must always be recruited from
the classical school. He that would bc
truly educated. that would make the
most Of the best in him, can only find
enduring satisfaction in the classical
field. 1t means that a new class Of
students never before id the schools are
seeking an education along special lines
of work.
/ believe that the public schools
should respond T." this demand. ] be
licvt that the hoy who wishes to be
com" a business man or a mechanic
should have as good an opportunity in
the public schools as the boy who
wishes to become lawyer. The