The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-15
The HIGH SCHOOL.
Mrs. Whitcomb Asks for Friendliness
and Fairness.


Mrs. Jessie Wright whitcomb. an
authority on educational matters, and
| whose children are graduates of the
| Topeka high school. makes a statement
that should be generally read. She
! speaks of the high standing of the To-
, peka school and what it is accomplish
| ing, suggesting that criticism where adj
visable should be with a view to help,
not hinder. to build up, not destroy.
Here is her article:
mo one believes our present school
system is to be beyond and above crit
icism. To be above criticism is to be
below progress. Fair, honest, friendly
criticism, whether of much pedagogical
value or not. is welcome; but when it
comes to criticism singing out school
like the Topeka high school as unique
for gross inefficiency. the plain, COM
mon every day citizen may we'll revolt.
Whatever may be said about our ed
ucational system in general by re-
formers or ieonoclasts. any criticism in
Sinuating that our high school departs
from or falls below accepted standards
is not only incorrect, but is bad civics.
The only way in which our high school
differs from other first-class high
schools is that it is better.
when so many people have come,
and are likely to continue to come, to
Topeka for the sake Of educating their
children, any catch phrase beitttling OF
our high school as inferior to others
is ID QGLIln1cIlI ~ Tile CITY. GNOI OHC
widely circulated slam at the high
school, no matter how unfounded may
cost the city many a good citizen.
although such general adverse criti-
cism is not entitled to much notice.
there have been of late certain specific
criticisms that are fairly taken, and in
line with a type of modern thought.
For example-why should Greek and
Latin be taught in our high school?
Just as long as the state of Kan
rsoc n 11piUnrCffu Uhnra al
vanced courses in Greek and Latin are
offered-and any college of liberal arts
which did not do SO would be an alb
surdity-just exactly so long must our
first rank high schools. of which the
Topeka high school is the chief, offer
preparatory courses in those languages.
Not to do so would be as absurd, in
its own way. as to offer courses in ad-
vanced mathematics at X. U. ana
knock arithmetic out of the grades
Even if this were not so-and II
alone settles the question-why should
not Greek and Latin be taught in the
high school? Why should your boy
who wishes Greek be Disseminated
against and my boy who wishes chemis-
try be favored. Are you not also a
taxpayer? Does it harm me or my boy
that your boy should have a training
valued for ages for it's peculiar efhc1-
epcy? Neither Greek nor Latin is COM
puIsory. Neither is taken as study
his parent.
"Another general criticism that finds
some support is that graduates from
the high school--any high school-are
not Immediately able to become money
makers.
of course, no one expects students to
blossom out as lawyers, doctors. min
listers, civil or electrical engineers,
architects, or sculptors at the close Oh
q high school course. Such things take
wears of specialized study. to which a
high school course is but necessary
preliminary.
Neither does any one expect stu
dents to be graduated as mayors, COM
nissioners, senators, representatives or
Judges. Such Offices are reached by
other ways to which our high school
course is but a fitting preliminary
1--WE could run through the list
with the same result, until the truth
would be forced upon us-the truth
that the high school course is one OF
development. The immature human
is taught to find himself, to know MS
powers, to adjust his instincts, to as
semble his perceptions. to corelate ms
inclinations, to master his impulses, to
realize his relations to his fellowmen
and to feel his responsibilities. The
high school does more for your boy
than you could in any possible way 90
for him yourself, and does it immeas-
urably better.
s'The high school turns out girls who
are stronger and in better health the
dav of graduation than the day they
entered 1t Goes this in many cases in
spite of the combined effort of girl and
parents in the way of thin soles, t1ght
clothing late hours, bolted meals, un-
ventilated rooms, extra music Iessons'
unlimited candy and the whole gamut.
"The high school turns out boys
with keener moral perceptions, better
principles, higher power Of concentra-
ton, more correct judgment and saner
been believed possible from the hours,
books and friends their parents al
lowed.
Another criticism is directed
against our manual training system. II
1 is labeled impractical This system Is
| a comparatively new thing. Just what
1 effect it has had on the earning ca
pacitv of the 1igh school graduates we
have scarcely had time to determine.
But this we know: it is doing right
here and now, in no uncertain way,
what it was intended to do. 1t was
intended to train hand and eye, to
develop patience. neatness, accuracy
I in fact, to give the brain more per-
J cisnn that the manual training school
does not turn out finished milliners
1 and blacksmiths is far afield.
Until this nation is a nation of
! caste and class-until this nation has
! retrograded to the standards of the old
world where families are hucksters
/ and bricklayers, merchants and farm
ers for generation after generation, we
must have a highly specialized high
/ school.
Until our principal can be required
to meet incoming students with the
! formula, Is your father ditch dig
| ger? Enroll for that course. Is your
father a lawyer? Enroll for the col
lege preparatory. Is yours a clerk
! So enroll-untiI such formula would
be in accord with our social structure.
may we never have a high school
striving to turn out a finished mechan-
| ical product.
'sNo-our present system is infinite
| " superior. Equal rights for all. The
RIGHT to learn how to live. how to
/ think. how tc reason, how to act--a
| =. hrrnir