Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-01-13
HIGH SCHOOLS OMIT PRACTICAL
[Continued from page II


said that the high school is the PEG
pies college. Potentially it is, bu
it is not yet, and it never will be Il
| it does not expand instead of split
ting up and contracting.
The first condition for the real de
velopment Of the high schools IL
FREEDOM. FREEDOM FROM ALI
DOMINATION. This Is a consuma
ton that / believe Is near at hand
At least 1t Is inevitable
The second condition Is that the
schools and courses shall NOT BE
STANDARDIZED. By standardizins
/ mean making them all as nearly
alike as peas in pod, If that Is
possible. Schools that are standard
lied are crystallized and a thing
that Is crystallized has no principle
of development within 1t.
The third condition is that the
higher state institutions shall unhes
itatingly accept the graduates OF
modernized courses of study. In 9th
er words, higher institutions must
adapt themselves, if need be, to the
changes in highschool courses.
Schools should meet, in SO far as
the size of the schools and their ii
nancial resources permit, the reaI
needs of the communities in which
they exist. In SO doing they are like
ly to use the best educational ma
terial within the environment for ed.
ucational purposes, and the environ
ments of different schools will, in
some degree at least, differ. In
some communities agriculture may be
the most prominent thing In the en-.
yironment Of the school. For anoth
er school it may be the commercial
element. 1t is not my purpose here
to develop this idea, but merely to
ly drop this caution, that no one
should assume that the entire high
school course should be made up in
this way, or even the major part OF
it; but this will be discussed later
Every community would have its
special problems to work out. This
would doubtless make serious work
for the principal or superintendent
1t is becoming painfully evident tc
us today that boys In or towns and
cities are almost as much in need
of All opportunity to do some kind
of useful work to take the place OF
the farm training that most boys
used to have, as they are In need OF
what we commonly call education.
1t is a conviction with many thai
boys in particular who have no use
full work to do with their hands In
the adolescent age, and pass over the
nascent period for such kinds of ply
steal activity, never develop the in
stinct of workmanship, or power anc
persistence as workers. / recall witt
a good deal Of pleasure that twenty
five years ago In little school OF
two departments, l made a prac
tice of studying SO far as time per
mitted, farm problems in connection
with the school work. 1t was done
in a crude and unsystematic manner
but 1t was useful also followed
the practice of helping the boys il
getting places out on farms for the
summer vacation. | think the sum
mer work was almost as valuable te
them as the school year The farm
ers were greatly pleased, and fre
Quently said to me that they hac
learned much from these boys Is Il
not feasible for school men today tC
assist their boys in finding work OF
valuable kind at least during the
| long vacations. In some cities, no
tably in Fitchburg and Cincinnati
the school authorities are managing
| to find work for the boys during
term time in the manufacturing es
Establishments, by some system OF al
formation of study and work. A brief
article in the Technical World fol
December may prove interesting read
| ing in this connection.
The criticism of the high schools
is growing in volume and is taking
on more definite form. The trivia
criticism the schools may we'll ig
more. but it will be great misfor
| tune if they do not listen To the crit
icism that is deep and well-founded
The criticism that the schools do moi
connect with life as it is today is
serious, because true in too large 9
measure. Pupils may well study
some things foreign to modern life
before their school days are over, OF
the school has served the purpose o.
alienation
| But it may be asked would you
throw down the bars in every con
ceivable direction and admit the right
of every community to establish any
sort of freak course that it might oc
cur to some shallow-pated individual
to foster? Emphatically, NO. But
that story will be told In our next.
kindly show this letter to some Of
the most intelligent and progressive
men in your community, and then file
| it away for future reference. | shall
be pleased to have you write me il
the spirit moves, but / can not prom.
Use to write personal replies to all
Yours very truly,