The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-08-26
Improving Our High School
(Contributed)

In recent issue of the Republican
mention was made Of the radical
stand taken by many of our leading
educators in the national convention
for more practical education in our
high schools and colleges. This is
another indication of the rapidly
with which the greatest modern edu-
cational reform Is sweeping over the
country. Some of our elderly sena-
tors boast of beginning the grind of
Latin conjugations before they were
seven years oil, and Greek when IL.
Such was the system of the years
gone by. But today, from the kinder
garten to the university, the hand is
trained as well as the head. The
girls are taught to cook and sew,
the boys to push the plane and WELD
the hammer. 1t is to be regretted
that in Idaho we are somewhat be-
hind in the recent trend toward the
PAaCtASoA, at iCooI Win IOopCCt W Jul
high schools, and while other states
are offering courses in Domestic
Science, Agriculture, Mechanic Arts
and Business, we are obliged to fol-
low a curriculum designed, not to
meet the immediate demands of our
boys and girls and make them more
useful citizens, but to fulfill the re-
quirements of the state university
Theoretically, every pupil who enters
the high school completes the course,
enters the university and eventually
graduates therefroma Practically,
few who enter the university ever
graduate, and still smaller per cent
of the high school pupils complete
their courses. 1t seems that under
such conditions schools supported by
the public should cater to the needs
of the many rather than of the few
With respect to the Blackfoot high
school it is our intention to SO AL
range the work that, while COM
plying with the legal course of study,
every pupil will gain some knowledge
that will be of value to him in his
every day life; that, while we urge
every pupil who matriculates to con-
tinue not only through our own
course but through the university, yet
we intend to SO balance the work that
each pupil shall i'ece.'e such train
ing as we would leem ft if he were
taking his last years work. To IL
Illustrate, in teaching Zoology will
continue with the prescribed line of
work in the state text, but in addi-
ton will take up the study of insect
pests and their destroyers, beneficial
birls aind mammals, together with
other economic phases of the science.
With chemistry, besides the regular
work, we shall give something of the
chemistry of fools in its relation to
animal nutrition and the feeding of |
farm animals, the chemistry of soils |
and minerals, poisons with their an
tidotes, detection of authorizations in
various foods, etc. The science of
agriculture, which was introduced
last year and which is the application
OF all the other sciences to farm life,
we intend to develop into a much
more elaborate and comprehensive
course, in as far as possible, CLEAN
ing the things most valuable from a
A years college course in agriculture
AMI condensing them into one years
work in the high school, supplement-
ed by number of laboratory ex-
periments.
In the same way we hope to
broaden the scope of various other
stulies, by no means neglecting the
course laid Town by law but merely
strengthening it. 1t is true that the
work will be more difficult for the
pupil, fact which should encourage
rather than discourage the ambitious
student.