The weekly herald. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 1906-19??, 1908-02-13

sacred yearnings and influences that
are the determining factors In most
human lives. Such a theory, carried
TO It's ultimate conclusion, would adj
Just by chart and formula the status
OF every boy and girl In advance Of
those complicated sublImatlons of
experience which mold character and
crystalline individual adaptabIlty.
Assuming, however, that Or. Eliot
saw far beyond the llteralness OF his
statement and taking account Of his
somewhat surquedous disposition for
picking flaws and finding fault, the
broad proposition presents Itself that
our educational system is seriously
lacking In providing adequate meth
DDS by which boys and girls may find
out for themselves the courses they
should pursue in fitting themselves
for chosen careers. Under the loose
and somewhat haphazard schemes OF
elective courses in almost all OF our
higher institutions OF learning the
field is perplexing and confusing, A
very large percentage OF the students
who present themselves for entrance
in colleges and universities have no
definite idea OF the ultimate careers
they will follow. They need advice,
but they do not know where to go
to get 1t. Members of faculties, es-
peclally at the opening OF terms,
have little time to give each appli-
cant that earnest hearing and sym
pathetic consideration that begets
confidence. The result is that for a
year orr two, at least, many OF our
undergraduate go blindly into their
selected classes to the cost OF their
time and opportunity for specialized
learning.
The average American father who
perhaps, has never had the advant-
ages OF a college education himself
believes his full duty has been done
by Son or a daughter when the
means is provided for attendance at
college and the student Is duly sent
there. When the student arrives al
the Institution selected he has nc
very clear idea Of what he wants tc
study Even II ne knows what bus
mess, trade or profession he desires
to follow ultimately. he Is left In
doubt as to what courses of study
are best calculated TO aid him. Col
lege professors will deny this and
say that they are at all times pre-
pared to give advice, or they will
point out special schemes of curric
ula leading to various degrees II
which certain and sure guideposti
are set for the student. But this Il
not enough. Thousands and thou
sands OF students have flounderet
about in a labyrinth OF educationa
opportunities for several years, only
to find when too late that much o.
the preliminary work Of their col
lege courses was foreign to the fina
careers.
DR.. Eliot may have had something
of this kind in mind when talked
about sorting out" boys and, girls
But they do not require sorting.
What they need is intelligent direc
ton. Each student has a nebulou'
idea Of purpose, but there should bC
some way for him to measure hi
own qualifications and tendencies
Many physician IS a failure because
he did not know at the outset tina
he had better qualifications for en-
gineering, and there was no one tC
take the trouble to tell him. Here
in lies the weakness of our educa
tional system. Let the boys anC
girls do their own sorting bu
give them the machinery for meas
uring themselves and gauglng thei
capacities and aptitudes,-KansaI
City Journal.