The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-12-15
THE MEANING OF The HIGH SCHOOL
OIPl 0MA


concern, that its holder has completed
in manner satisfactory to the Board
of Education, n full four years course
of strictly academic study. 1t follows
that this course of study should he
| prepared in accordance with generally
accepted standards, that the sui iects
included IN such course should be
| academic in the widely understood
| sense, aud that satisfactory should
be interpreted as the educational
| world understands it. There can be
no such thing AS II "Iocal' standard
| III education any more than there eau
he IL local dictionary, or local way
| of writing II promisory note. School
authorities. the nation over, are nu-
der an obligation, moral aud ethical
If not legal, to make diploma mean
what it will be accepted as meaning
There are. no doubt, High Schools
where low standards or lack of stuud-
ard are concealed behind large aud
elegantly engraved diplomas, lust ms
there are still colleges that prosper by
the sale of degrees NJ bargain prices ,
hu, the officers Responsible for such
prostitution are mlsinformed, dlshon
est, or both.
The courses of study IN the High
School of this city were adopted
by the Board of Education III Novem-
Der, 1907. utter their approval by the
State Department of Education. Each
course consists of about twenty sub
five nov offered Groups OF subjects
are arranged about central idea, as
history, science, language, etc. \
pupil has free choice of his course.
but having chosen. he IL confined
within certain rather broad limits.
There are elective SUBJECTS III NIL
courses, but to take them the student
must have the approval of the super
vising principal. No pupil is graduated
unless his course covers four years
work IN English and Includes ut least
two i'll history, mathematics, aud sci
euce. The history mnSt include Ameri-
can History as a fourth year advanced
study In any subject he must earn
not less than 20 per cent. with Il gen
eral average not below -.
70 be graduated student must
have earned not iess than ~ counts "
The count system, under varying
names, is in use in the great majority
high school differ widely in quantity
as well as in purpose. aud counts >
measure the amount of work involved
III any snbieet A subject having B
counts" is one in which class re
citations are held five times week,
for the period of year A count
subject is one which requires -four
weekly recitations for the same length
Of time A "2-count" Subject ~ one
calling Tor two recitations II week for
"A yenr, or four n week for II half.year
Every high school subject has as-
| signed to it n definite number of
counts.
A year' work for student, then.
means an aggregate of at lensi Is reel
tations week, that is, of IL counts.
Nobody IL expected to take more but
if he has IL reputation for close npph-
cation aud for ability above the aver
age, be is permitted to take an add
| w. l.
defensible reason why ability should
not be- recognized rather than more
time. There is really no argument
worth insisting upoI why "A pupil who
can do five years work in four should
be held III school that fifth year Oar
own com ses have such elasticity TINT
a qualified pupil is able to complete
the five years covering the eighth grade
and the high school in four yenrs.
This Is the way Of recognizing the
fact that there IL no time Of life when
years are of greater value than III the
expansive aud formative period Of
youth. a rigid four year time limit
above the eighth grade mny be, III four
cases ont Of five, entirely correct IN
the fifth case II is a crime.
These are the requirements for grad
uation. Bnt we welcome short term
students, special students, and I'M
classified students. No limit Is placed
upon their work, except those which
the nature Of the studies themselves
impose No high school should be a
graduating mill, aud Que strong i'll
dictment that can be brought against
the high school system of the pres
ent day il that it has grown TO EN-
pbasize graduation too much Never.
theless, parents and pupils should un-
derstand that special work, or short.
hour work may lead away from di-
ploma, aud that the number Of sub
lects taken meaus nothing when con
sidered apart from the value in counts
placed upon each. A pupils work is
eighteen counts, not three subjects
nor four nor five There shonld he NJ
mistake about this. Supervising Prin
cipal, l.. G. Boutwell,, IN the HIGH
School ARGUS.
The choral society Of this city is
arranging to give n concert IN Ly
cenm Hall, Thursday evening, Decem
Der 30 Special soloists have beer
secured.
g Horace Williamson, letter carrier
has been suffering from an attack o
{ appendicitis. WINS Hendrickson wa
:. substituting on his ronte for few
r days.