Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-10-28
State NormaI's President Points
Out Criticisms Of Common
Education
THE NEED OF TRADE SCHOOLS
Chief Criticism is That Schools Pre-
pare for Higher Education and Not
for Practical Work Day Life-Reads
Statistics On Education That Arc
Astounding.

President n. H. Seerley, of the State
Normal school of Cedar Falls. opened
the fourth season of the Scarchlight
club at the Railroad Y. M. c. A. Tues
day night with a lecture on What Is
the Matter With Our Public Schools ."
President Seerley has become a popu-
lar speaker on educational subjects
locally. and he gave the large audience
that gathered to hear him a character
istically, straight from the shoulder
talk.
President Seerleys address was
chiefly one of criticisms--not his own
but compiled from articles written by
authors who had attempted to point
out the defects in our common schools
educational system-and read to the
discussion.
Fails to Reach the Needy.
one of the chief points of these crit.
1c1sms, and one made doubly clear by
remarks of the speaker. is that. while
our school system is supposed to be
democratic, and is in fact free. that it
has been developed more especially for
the middle and upper classes than for
the poor who most need It, Evidence
of this is in the fact that the -.tend-
ance at public schools of Il of a
school age--from . ITO 81 years-is alb
normally low, in some cases President
Il
cent, and In many ices not over so
per cent. The eau he said, was the
privations of tb oor which made it
imperative in y. y many cases that the
children should go to work at as young
an age as possible to lend support 10
the family
Statistics an Eye Opener.
Statistics the speaker read. compiled
for the year 1907 on attendance in the
public schools of the United States.
showed a remarkable condition OF at
fairs. and indicated Of what small
value the high school is. when consid-
cred solely as preparatory school for
the colleges and universities. Accord-
ing to the statistics read there were
in the elementary grades in 1907, 49,
100000 pupils. This number decreased
to 714.900 in the high school The total
attendance in colleges and universities
was 51,330, indicating that not more
than 5 per cent of those who start in
the public schools ever reach a. college
or university, and that a very large
per cent never get beyond the grades.
A Suggestion for Remedies.
Taking for granted the truthfulness
s,t, Inv
does not doubt. the remedies suggested
tend to benefit that large percentage
of children who never get beyond the
grades, rather than the Improvement
of high school courses to strengthen
them as stepping stones for higher ed.
ucation. Some of the remedies sug-
gested are the establishment of trade
and technical schools, and providing
short courses in trades and businesses
in the present schools, and In general
the training of children for trades and
vocations with which to earn living.
President Seerley made it plain that
he did not refer to any particular city's
schools in his lecture, least OF all this
city's schools.
When the question was opened for
discussion, which was at some length.
Palmer told the audi
ence that very many of the criticisms
offered did not apply to the city's
schools.
Before President Seerley began,
President C. G. Urine, of the club, de-
livered short annual address. Almost
100 were served with supper by the
Ladies' auxiliary.