The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-03-19
HIGH SCHOOL COURSE OF STUDY
An Address by Supt. W. W. Evans at State
Convention OF Superintendents.

At the recent convention of coun-
ty superintendent at Harrisburg,
an excellent paper was read by
Supt. w. w. Evans, his subject
being "Is the Prescribed Course of
Study for Township and Borough
High Schools Satisfactory" 1t is
reprinted here in full, and is wor-
thy of careful reading. He said:
"a modern thinker has said
that that man is best educated who
is most useful. If usefulness in its
broadcast sense, is true measure of
education, it is important that those
who plan courses of study and man.
age public schools keep this point
of view constantly in mind. Wheth-
er the pupils who graduate from our
high schools shall be able at once
to take hold of the work of their
community and become useful citi-
zens depends quite as much upon
the way they get their education as
upon the subjects taught. If one
were to study the science of swim
ming, wholly from books, in the
schoolroom, and then he suddenly
dropped into the water the next
morning after he had received his
diploma. he would probably drown,
much to the disappointment and
chagrin of his parents and teachers.
No sane person would attempt to
learn to swim cut Of tie aoater and it
is high time for us to recognize that
if the subjects we teach in the
schools are to result in the increas-
ed usefulness of those who pursue
them, they must be interpreted in
terms of the life of the community
in which the pupils live. We must
vocationalize the work of the
schools as far as possible. and edu-
cationalize the occupations familiar
to the pupils. We must recognize
the principle that school children
learn by experience and that it is
the chief business of the school to
bring about conditions which will
best enable them to begin those lines
Of conduct and experience during
their school career which we most
desire them to continue throughout
their lives.
We should like to see the work
of the high school as intimately
connected with the industrial, So
cial, civic and literary life of the
community as possible. The fol-
lowing illustrations of some Of the
work in which the high school may
participate educationally may serve
to make this idea clearer.
In the fall before the first hard
frost the teacher with his pupils
might go through a neighboring
corn field and select a number OF
the best ears judged according to
the most scientific knowledge of the
present. These ears could be prop
erly cured in the schoolroom in the
presence of the pupils. Some time
in February they could be tested
for vitality, by the pupils under the
direction of the teacher. Specimens
of seed corn could be tested from
each farm and great blunders in
planting thus avoided. 1t would
not be impossible, with the co-ope-
ration of a farmer near by to con-
duct a corn-breeding plot during
the summer. This training would
eventually lead to corn-growing
contests by the pupils. An ample
supply of bulletins on all the phases
of this subject may be had for the
asking. Their careful study is en-
tirely within the possibilities of any
ordinary high school principal.
Such a line of work could not help
being of interest to the people OF
the communities, and helpful meet
ings of the patrons and pupils would
surely result. The financial profit
from this one single series of exper.
ments would mean hundreds OF
dollars to any community in which