The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-07-09
Our COLLEGES Have Failed.

l per cent of our young men and
women, but onetenth OF / per cent OF
the population. II has permitted va
rious institutions, notably correspon.
dence schools. private business
schools. Industrial and agricultural
schools to usurp It's functions, because
OF illlberaity." So declared Prof.
Samuel Wendell Williston, OF the Uni.
versity OF Chicago, at a meeting OF the
department OF higher education. held
In connection with the convention OF
the National Education association.
ut has lost discipline, both mental and
moral" continued the speaker, till
the charge is freely made, and in
great measure truthfully. that n very
large proportion of its students are
seeking merely the diploma rather
than an education which will fit them
for higher pursuits In life; who work,
upon an average, but three or four
hours daily, and who acquire habits
neither of industry nor application;
that there has been decided lower.
ing of the moral standard among col.
lege students; that, upon the whole
the bachelor degree Is losing its sig.
nificance as an indication of fitness
for most Of the pursuits of life.
Elective System DemorallzIng.
"Undeniably the college has lost dis.
cipline by the general adoption OF the
system of electives, which leaves so
much to the caprice and unintelligent
choice OF the inexperienced student.
There has been, also, demoraliza.
ton both of discipline and require.
ments as a result of the rivalry among
institutions, especially the state insti-
tutions for numbers; institutions are
still for the most part gagged by their
size, rather than by their product.
Furthermore, the elective system has
lowered the discipline by the rivalry
among the different teachers in the
same institutions for large classics
with the development Of soft courses
concessions to the all too obvious in.
clinations OF most students to seek the
easiest way to their diploma with lit
tie regard for the value of the work
accomplished
High School On Wrong Track.
perhaps the gravest charge which
may with justice be laid against the
college is that 1t has hindered or re.
tarded the best development Of the
high school; or has perverted 1t from
the highest uses to the people. Most
high schools still arrange their course
of study chiefly for the needs of the
3 or per cent Of its pupils who are
preparing for college, to the detriment,
or at least encouragement, of the So
per cent who have neither the desire
nor the opportunity to continue their
education. The fact that only IL per
cent of those who enter the high
school ever graduate is also largely
due to the influence of the college,"
The speaker said he believed that
the only hope for the regeneration,
not only of the high school, but the
college also, lies in this complete sew.
erance of this control; that the leav.
ening of the. whole system of higher
education must begin from below, in.
stead of from above, as has been the
case hitherto; that the high school
should seek the highest and widest
field for development without regard
to the college, whose field Of useful.
ness is still far too narrow to permit
it to denominate the whole province OF
education.
Need More Men Teachers.
He also believed that the discipline
of the high school has largely suffered
by it's aping the methods of the col
lege, and that this discipline must be
regained at all cost, first by a return
to the most essential disciplinary and
useful studies which should be made
compulsory for all; and by the aban
donment of many of the educational
experiments introduced either at the
behest or in imitation of the college
and especially by the elevation of the
standard of the high school teacher
and the employment of larger pro
portion of men as teachers, teachers
who are trained as teachers and not
as research men. He also said that
when this regeneration of the high
school has been effected, secondary
education, socalled, will not only
broaden out greatly, but that it will
reach upward to include all the dis
ciplinary and cultural work of the col
lege. In other words, the democrat
ization of secondary education will
drive out the socalled college of lib
eral arts, which occupied no indispen
sable place in American education.
Whenever every pupil who leaves
the disciplinary high school is com
PEELED to choose some definite course
of study leading to some definite end
and not be permitted to spend four
years more in aimless work, the prob
lem Of the American college will have
been solved, and not until then" said
Professor Williston in conclusion.
The HooIigans.
The English problem Of how to
eliminate the "Hooligans" does not yet
confront us seriously, but intelligent
and systematic action along we'll de,
fined lines covering the whole coun
try through the common school is
necessary to prevent degenerate