Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-01-06
The Letter.

Tic ue6uS OF Tie 0IaI6 III respect TO
education.
The Letter.
To Superintendent, Principals and
Teachers: The state superintendent
has in mind to send out within the
next few months a number of circular
letters bearing upon educational prob
lens and conditions in this state.
Doubtless some of these letters will
seem a bit iconoclastic to some and
occasionally they may wound sensi-
tive feelings. However, they will not
with malice afOrethought wound any
body's feelings, Or with handwriting
glee smash the cherished educational
beliefs of any man. In fact, it is the
commOn-sense and direct. SO much
by way of preliminary. The following
is the first installment
l am of the opinion that the high
schools of Wisconsin must awake to
a new situation, or they may ultimate
ly find OthellO's occupation gone This
is what l mean: The people at large
desire in kind of sub-conscious way.
the high school to change and develop
to meet modern needs. Generally
speaking, they do not see clearly what
they want, but they expect, and have
q right to expect, the schools to aid
in discovering and pointing out what
is needed. This they are not now do
ing efficiently. The highest ambition
of many high schools is, if one may
judge by appearances, to get on the
accredited list of numerous colleges
and universities, and not to study and
to meet the fundamental needs of the
communities they claim to serve
The high schools in Wisconsin, even
at the height of their present success
may, if they are sensitive to the stu
alton, discover that forces of disinte,
grafton are at work. A part at least
Of this disintegration is evident to
anybody who will merely open his
eyes. For example, a good many
years ago the state legislature passed
law requiring all free high schools
to offer courses in theory and art of
teaching. This was a plain tip that
the state desired high schools to
train country teachers, but the schools
did not take it as such. The work
was performed in a perfunctory and
inefficient manner At length the
state tired of this policy and estab-
lished the training school for country
teachers. This institution flourished
and today is on firm foundation.
There has likewise been a call, a
trifle less definite perhaps, for high
schools to teach agriculture, but the
schools have been asleep and have
not heard the call Accordingly the
state has established the county agri-
cultural school. Note how this works.
If l am correctly informed, the little
town in which the latest school was
established had a year ago some SIS
pupils in the high school and this
year it enrolled some 35 pupils. The
agricultural school. however. had ap.
plicattOns for entrance from some
ia pupils the first morning. The
agricultural school had found a need
in the county that the high schools
had not discovered.
That the work Of the county train
ing school and the work of the agrt
cultural school could have been done
in the high schools of this state. if
the schools had risen to the situation
as they might have done, nobody viii
question unless it be a partisan of
these institutions. Furthermore, the
course of study in the high schools
would have been four years in length
instead Of two and the work would
finally have been connected uD with
the state university and the advanced
course in the normal schools. This
is the beginning, but unfortunately rot
the end of the splitting up of tie high
schools If they are satisfied to rest
upOn their present laureIs. We some
times hear it said that the high school
is the peoples college. Potentially il
is, but it is not yet, and it never viii
be if it does not expand instead e.
splitting up and contracting.
The first condition for the real de
velopment of the high schools is free
dom,-freedom from all domination.
This is consummation that I believe
is near at hand. At least it is newt
able.
The second condition is that the
schools and courses shall not be
By standaTdizing schools
and courses 1 mean making them all
as nearly alike as peas in a pod, it
that is possible Schools that are
standardized are crystalized, and a
thing that is crystallized has no prin-
ciple of development within it.
The third condition is that the high
er state institutions shall unhesitar-
ingly accept the graduates Of modern
ICED courses of study. In other words,
higher institutions must adapt them
selves if need he RI the chances n,