The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-01
ALABAMA PUSHING
AHEAD RAPIDLY.
AT; Threshold of Wonderful
Educational Development
FINE SCHOOL SYSTEM
President Abercrombie of University
Declares Standards of Education
Are Being Raised in All
Schools of State
By WALTER HARPER

University, May s1.-(special Ala
bama stands at the threshold of wonder
full and unprecedented educational oppor-
tunities," said DIR. John w. Abercrombie,
president of the state university.
THE past few years have wrought
marvellous change in the states activities
along all lines and especially is this true
of educational matters. The movement Is
as 1t should be all the way down from
the university to the district school, or
rather from the district school up to the
university.
THE primary and high schools of the
state must be made more efficient to give
the university the support 1t should have
and make 1t as efficient as 1t should be-
This improved condition Is being attained
and that at most satisfactory rate.
THE standards of education are being
raised in all the schools Of the state. The
requirements for teachers and pupils are
more difficult and as result more eff
cient in good results. The university has
been hampered in the past by a lack of
more thoroughness of work and academic
requirements in the high schools and
preparatory schools of the state. The
University of Alabama should rank in eff
ficiency with any other institution of the
kind in the United States, and 1t will un-
der the new and higher standards that
are being set by the educational system
of the state.
New Unit System
ol~I al
vance its unit requirements for entrance
during the past year and We hope to
still further advance in this respect. The
university must keep we'll in advance of
the other educational institutions of the
state to render the service for which 1t
is intended, but we cannot go too far in
advance of the others. We must keep
In touch with the system of links that
extend back to the remotest rural school
In the state The university is but a link
In the great system.
But Alabama is making wonderful adj
vances just now. Really the great for
ward movement has Just begun but the
progress is most gratifying to the student
of our educational system.
lneTe are now lllOTe tudn oV ugh
schools in the state doing exceptionally
good work. They are being supported by
better primary schools. The university,
we believe, Is doing some good work in
the improvement of the system all along
the line. A few years ago one of the
best men in the university was selected to
go out among the high schools of the
state and work for uniformity and a
higher efficiency in these schools. sie7s
Professor Doster, who was selected for
this work. is most singularly fitted for the
place and Is doing great good. He
teaches in the university about half the
time and the other half he spend in the
field. The results of his labors are not
only felt in the university but In almost
all the high schools of the state. OF course
the university is fed and supported by the
high schools. just so far as the high
schools are advanced in efficiency will the
university be supported and advanced in
its work.
Generosity of State
THE great generosity of the state dur
ing the present administration which has
enabled the university to greatly improve
it's material efficiency has given an i'm
petus to the institution that can hardly
be estimated. The results are cumulative
and will perhaps be endless. The several
handsome and important new buildings
that have been already erected and that
are yet to be built add power and
strength to the college that will result in
inestimable benefit to the state. The uni
versity by reason of these important ma
terial improvements and the general edu-
cational uplift that has seized upon the
people Of Alabama. is at the threshold of
a wonderful new era of development
with the vital impetus that has been
given the educational work of the state
Alabama will not be found tagging behind
any of her sister states in the future
There may be some friction for a few
years until all the problems that con-
front us are worked out, but from the
labor of adjustment will evolve sys-
tenn of education in Alabama that I feel
certain will put us in the front rank.
1.-The University of Alabama prides itself
not so much In numbers as in efficiency
of its service to. the graduates who are
permitted to enter and go out from its
portals. We are striving for still higher
standards and greater efficiency