Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-06
TIE PRIVATE SCHOOL
ITS IMPORTANCE TO THE RIS-
ING GENERATION.
BY THOMAS ". SIDwEL.


The importance of private schools has
grown enormously in recent years. The
extent of their growth in Washington may
be understood by referring to the ad-
vertisements in the daily papers. The
papers of other cities and the leading
magazines of the country show this
growth to be general throughout the east.
The west and middle west haze COM
paratively few private schools, but they
are sending students to the eastern
schools in ever increasing numbers. AL
ready vast sums of money and many able
educators are employed in private schools.
and yet we see only the beginning of the
work.
There is no conflict between public and
private schools. Our country needs both.
for each Is doing work that the other
cannot do. The writer as student
and teacher has spent many years in both
private and public schools. and as a
| teacher from long experience In both is
familiar with their work and is familiar
with their possibilities and limitations.
He recognizes the splendid service OF our
public schools and the value of the work
of its many noble men and women teach
ers, and yet he recognizes what every in
vesttgator does, that there are serious
defects and limitations in them which
seem to be inseparable from so vast
system. Through lack of appropriation
for public education many school build
ings are unfit for their purposes, all of
them are crowded, classes are too large
and the courses of study made for the
masses do not meet the needs Of indi-
viduals. Parents have little choice in
determining what their children shall
study. who shall teach them or who shall
be their friends and acquaintances.
Work of Public School.
f1,o oct off ho 1io
machine methods with all their advan-
tages and disadvantages must be used.
The most perfect machine with its me-
chanical and uniform methods is not cal
culated to train children in the most ef
aged. but when those who are supposed
to run it are frequently in disagreement
and work at cross purposes, the results
are still more unsatisfactory.
There has been a growing conviction
that with greater freedom to plan and
with more money, it would be possible to
provide private schools free in a large
measure from these objections.
The private school by making its course
Of study more flexible can take into con-
sideration the needs Of the individual.
When desirable 1t provides for beginning
early Latin or the modern languages. and
for disseminating drawing, manual train
ing or music when nothing Is accomplish
ed Dy IQelT STUDY. OF tic stIOhS IL
provides heavy courses and for the weak
light ones.
Special teachers are chosen to teach a
few subjects for which they have spe-
cially prepared themselves, and they are
not changed with the change of every
grade. Teachers and pupils have the OPP
portunity to become intimately acquaint-
ed through years of association. The as
sociations and moral atmosphere of a
school are It's most lasting influence
Children are susceptible to environments
and for this reason the choice Of a school
Is of more Importance than that of the
church or club or kind of society for the
adult
The conditions under which children
work are more natural and less taxing
and contribute to ease of manner nat
uralness and originality.
Not every private school is a good one
Some are poorly equipped and super
fetal in their work. They are not in
sympathy with American ideals and
spirit and will not last But the better
ones are overcoming the prejudice
against them through the scholarship
character and personality of their stu
dents. The colleges recognize the thor
oughness of their work, and more and
more thoughtful people are sending to
them. Already some of them are well
endowed; more of them will be as they
are recognized as factors of increasing
Importance in our natural development.