Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-03-14
Experiment in Education Re
form to Be Tried BY General
Educational Society
JOHN o. AND CARNEGIE BACK IT
Smaller Schools to Become sJunior
Colleges" and Work Of Higher School
to 30 Put on Broader Basis - Plan
Has Been Under Consideration for
Ten Years.

has been selected to be the scene OF
great educational experiment, backed
by millions upon millions Of dollars.
A plan for the reorganization OF the
higher educational system of the coun-
try SO comprehensive as to be almost
revolutionary has been worked out by
the General Education society. 1t has
been preached to local educators ana
the preliminary steps to put It into
effect are already being taken.
The society is backed by the Rookie
Teller Foundation, amounting to S4O,-
0oO. 900: by other millions already At
Its command; and it's plan has the In
aorsement Of Andrew Carnegie. who
has promised to give financial aid to
such an extent as may be necessary.
Should the plan as now conceived DO
carried out, half decade will see the
higher educational system or the
United States on new footing.
1t is the outgrowth Of ten years de-
liberate and painstaking work and
study of the educational institutions of
the United States, during which no
hint of this plan has ever before been
published.
The substance Of the plan is the uni
flying OF the courses Of study In the
denominational schools and colleges
and making their curriculum end with
"a cocon6 VaafSa
work in the University Of Minnesota.
In this way the universities will be re-
lieved of the preparatory work of their
first two years and left free to devote
all their efforts to the higher branches
of study and graduate work.
The General Education society has
made a searching study of the second
airy or preparatory schools. the colleges
and the universities Of the country.
The conclusion has been reached-and
most OF the prominent educators OF the
country are said to agree with it-that
the universities should be relieved OF
the first two years OF college work.
The plan therefore proposes that the
secondary schools OF the first rank shall
add to their present curriculum the
uTSl TWO years VI SollCSC WOi II e1hN w
come "iunior colleges" The small de-
nomlnational schools will be advised to
20 no further with their teaching than
the second year Of college work. This
will unity the schools which are now
in two separate classes into the one
class Of Junior colleges and give two
uniform grades OF institutions for high
err education-the Junior colleges Of
fering studies to the second year OF
college work and the universities. re-
lieved Of the first two years OF college
work. devoting their attention to what
are now the higher two years OF college
work and that which is considered the
proper work Of the university-the
post graduate.
Broached to Three Colleges.
This plan has been definitely taken
up with Pillsbury academy and Macal-
ester college. 1t is suggested that Pills
bury academy take the lead by add
ing to Its present curriculum the first
two years Of college work. The idea
of dropping the last two years of their
college work and devoting all their at
tention to the work of the preceding
year has been preached to Manchester
and Hamline, tho it is believed to have
been received unfavorably by the lat
ter institution.
| DR. Wallace Buttrick. secretary OF
the General Educational society, was
| in Minnesota two weeks ago and dis
cussed the plan with representatives OF
some Of the institutions of the state.
Altho it has not been formally taken
up with the board Of regents Of the
University of Minnesota, it is believed
to be looked upon with much favor by
| those of the faculty who have been in
| formed of 1t and who see the oppor-
tunity to relieve the state university
of the first two years work.
| 1t is urged in favor of the plan that
1t would not only relieve the universe
ties Of work which is outside their
proper sphere and allow them to devote
all their abilities and resources to the
last two years Of the college course and
| to technical or postgraduate work, but
1t would greatly strengthen the smaller
college, and would, by adding the first
two years of college work to the curri-
culum of the academies of the first
class, permit many students, who now
end their education with the prepara-
tory schools, to get the first two years
of college work and a better education
than they now obtain.
The General Society.
r,bo Ceooro1 EducotiOp Cnpiefv has