The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-01-20
RAPS STATE SCHOOL
CONTINUED from page y

man class, two enrolled in the fourth
year class, and about one out of every
three of the original number got a
diploma, and one in every three of
these graduates was boy. The total
number Of girls exceeded the total num-
Der Of boys by one hundred. What had
become of the hundred boys to CORES
pond with the enrolment of girls 2
What was it they preferred to the high
school and why? One is reminded of
George Eliot g Reverend Amos Barton,
of whom she said, Ellis plans, like his
sermons, were admirably well conceived,
had the state of the case been other
wise''
What is the troubled The first and
main difficulty is that the schools have
their attention and efforts focused on
college entrance requirements instead of
education. This is often not SO much
their fault as their misfortune. It is
| dangerous for any man to move off in
an independent way. Real freedom is
the first consideration. The state uni
versity seems to realize that the present
situation can not endure much longer
and is now proposing a sort of "com-
promise - in the form of a board to be
/ 10 r IL
"warring interests. - The university is
to be represented by the president of
that institution, the normal school in
terests by normal president, the high
schools by high school principal or
superintendent, the state department by
the state superintendent, and possibly
a fifth to represent some other interest.
Think of It'll Wouldn't this be a
splendid way to get real freedom in the
high schools! When the people Of a
city want a change in the course of
study they can send delegation up to
Madison to appear before this board,
if it happens to be in session, and argue
their case. The representatives of the
various "interests'' would then debate
the question among themselves and fin
ally, if consistent with the various in
terests and they could agree, permits
sion to change would be granted. But
if the board could not agree, things
would remain as they were. In near
by state such board was called into
existence, and the last heard was that
the members were in row with the
state officers about their large expense
accounts, and that they had got the
state legislature to write their course
of study into the Jaws of the state
Rest assured it fits for the university.
This illustrates the tendency of board /;
namely, to "settle" things and then
chock the wheels so the wagon can not
run over the horses.
There is need Of freedom which will
allow reasonable degree of fuidity SO
that courses of study may flow into the
mould Of the environment. On the
other hand, the state at large is deeply
concerned as to the nature and efficiency
of the education offered to children in
every nook and corner of the state.
Such concern is necessary for the gen
eral welfare of the people. The state
at large profits by the good health,
strength, integrity, intelligence and
good will of it's citizens. 1t is the be-
lief of the state superintendent that
the general interests have suffered in
the past by too exclusive bias on the
part of high schools in the direction of
fitting for the university, and this is
the reason why the superintendent has
in the past few years, with increasing
strenuosity, insisted that the grip of the
university shall be broken. 1t is not
for the good of the university itself
that the present order of things should
continue. We have, it is true, by con-
tinual viIigance and efforts secured
more liberty here than exists in many
other states, but we are still cramped
and will always be so long as schools
must apply to the university for per-
mission to take advantage Of the higher
education so freely offered by the state
to those who have fitted themselves to
profit by it. The state university can
safely take any student who has spent
his time proftably for four years in a
high school, and it should do it, and
that, too, without making wry faces.
There are beginning courses in almost
every imaginable subject so that the
ftting-in process is simplicity itself.
The only real concern is the student IS
maturity of mind, his moral character
and habits of study If students prove
incompetent, as many always have and
many always will, the university knows
how to deal with them.
Yours very truly,
] G. 2. Cary,
State Superintendent.