Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-01-20

to move off in an independent way.
neal freedom is the first consideration.
The state university seems to realize
that the present situation can not en-
Gure much LANCER and is now propos-
ing sort Of compromise" in the
form Of a board to be made up Of men
who will represent the warning IN
terests." The university is to be rep
resented by the president OF that in
stitutiOn the normal school interests
BY a normal president, the high
schools by a high school principal or
superintendent, the state department
BIZ the state superintendent, and pos
siblv fifth to represent some other
interest.
Think of it! Wouldn't this be
splendid way TO get real freedom in
the high schools. When the people
Of city want change in the course
Of study they can send a delegation
up to Madison to appear before this
board, if it happens to be in session,
and argue their case. The represen-
tatiyes Of the various Interests"
would then debate the question among
themselves and finally, if consistent
with the various interests and they
could agree, permission to change
would be granted. But if the board
could not agree, things would remain
as they were. In a nearby state sucn
a board was called into existence,
and the last / heard was that the
members were in a row with the
pense accounts, and that they had got
the state legislature to write their
course of study into the laws Of the
state. Rest assured it fits for the unf-
versity This illustrates the tenden-
cy of a board; namely, to settle"
things and then check the wheels so
the wagon can not run over the
horses.
There is need of freedom when
will allow a reasonable degree of hu
idity so that courses of study may
flow into the mould of the environ
ment. On the other hand, the state
at large is deeply concerned as TO
the nature and efficiency of the edu-
cation offered to children in every
nook and corner of the state. Such
concern is necessary for the general
welfare Of the people. The state at
large profits by the good health,
strength, integrity, intelligence and
good will of it's citizens. It is the
belief of the state superintendent
that the general interests have SUI
fered in the past by too exclusive a
bias on the part of high schools in
the direction of fitting for the uni
versity, and this is the reason why
the superintendent has in the past
few years, with increasing Strenuos-
ity, insisted that the grip of The uni
VerSity shall be broken. 1t is not for
the good of the university itself that
the present order of things should
continue. We have, 1t is true, by
continual vigilance 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 high
er education so freely offered by the
state to those who have fitted them
selves to profit by it. The state uni
yerSity can safely take any student
who has spent his time profitably for
four years in high school. and 1t
should do it and that, too, without
making wry faces. There are begin
ming courses in almost every imagin-
able subject so that the fitting-in pro-
cess is simplicity itself The only
real concern is the students maturity
Of mind, his moral character and hap
its of study. If students prove incom-
petent, as many always have and
many always will, the university
knows how to deal with them.