River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-07-14
INDEPENDENT HIGH
SCHOOL IS URGED
Sees Danger in Domination by
Colleges of Lower Institutions.
BIG UPHEAVAL IN GERMANY
supt. Cary Has contended That the
Primary Purpose of Courses of
Study in High School Should Not
Equip Students for College.

Equip SLUuEHLS IOI NOi~J0s
Nadison.-State Supt c. P. Cary
sent a circular letter to city superin-
tendents, high school principals and
members of boards of education in
this state on the subject of college
domination in high schools.
superintendent Cary has long con-
tended that the primary purpose OF
courses of study in high schools
should not be to equip students for
admission to colleges, universities and
other high institutions Of learning.
TT has recently come to my no
tice," says superintendent Cary, that
people who have been convinced of
the necessity of putting an end to col
fege domination in our high schools
are casting about for solution in di-
rections that would seem decidedly
unfortunate. ] read one newspaper
editorial, for example, in which it was
stated that in view Of the fact that
W. have state university and nu-
merous normal schools which must be
looked after it is necessary for us to
establish academies for the purpose
Of fitting those who want to go to
college or normal school so that they
may be prepared to enter.
Another suggestion is in the di-
rection of establishing fitting
academy within the high school so
that those who want to go to college
may, on entering the high school,
take up the work of the academy.
This method is now in vogue in a
number of high schools in the state.
Both methods are most unfortu-
nate tendencies. The academy as a
separate institution is an idea that is
not likely to strike deep root in this
state, but the notion of developing an
academy within the high school has
to be reckoned with more seriously
since it is advocated by the higher
institutions of learning and the ad-
vocacy has been taken up by school
men here and there.
There are several reasons why
such plan or idea is untenable. In
the first place, it is an unnecessary
evil; in the second place, it is I'M
democratic and introduces the idea of
caste into the high school; in the
third place, if such an idea were car
ried out, the group of pupils preparing
for college would be less broadly and
efficiently educated than they would
be by a more modern type of educa-
ton, and in the fourth place, it neces-
fafn n
pupils at the beginning of the high
school course, or soon after, what
they will do when they get through
the high school,
"A bright and capable youth of
eighteen, whose work in the grades
was first class, but who never saw the
inside of high school, could probably
complete the college course in four
years.
Il wish to say a word with reference
to the claim that is sometimes made
that standards will be lowered if the
university is compelled to keep its
hands off the high schools. There is
no proof that this will be the case I'M
less we assume that a small school is
necessarily a poor school. 1t is well
known fact, however, that large
percentage of the ablest men in the
nation secured all their early training
in small schools.
There is an educational upheaval
in Germany over the question of ex
cessive educational requirements. The
claim is made that it is injuring the
health of the Germans and lowering
the physical tone of the nation. There
is a strong tendency today, though it
is resisted by many of the older Ger
man educators, to reduce materially
the strain upon the students. In this
country strenuous efforts have been
made to equal the Germans"