New-York tribune., 1911-02-27
Whole Idea of American Schools
and Colleges Arraigned in
Carnegie Foundation Report.
SOME STANDARDS TOO HIGH
President Pritchett Finds Condl-
tions Chaotic-HarmOny
Colleges and Secondary
School Plans Urged.


itself with the relations of colleges ana
secondary schools. in effect, with the de-
fects Of the American system OF education
and their proper remedies. Considering the
college and the high school as integral
parts Of the same educational SYSTEM
President Pritchetts main indictment
charges them with lack of cooperation ana
articulation Incidentally. however. he per-
mits himself the luxury of an arraignmeht
of the whole idea Of education prevalent
in tho United States.
After reviewing the history Of the growth
of high schools and colleges in this coun-
try to account for the present rather cha
otic condition Of public instruction. Fresi-
dent Pritchett says:
"A great number Of colleges arc scat
tered over the United States having NO sat
isfactory relation to the secondary schools
from which they draw their Students eX-
acting entrance requirements with niue
regard TO the secondary schools. and re-
ceiving in return from the high schools pu-
pills who are in the majority of cases III
prepared for college work. The situation
IS unsatisfactory alike to the college and
to the secondary school and can be re-
gsrded only as transitional stage in the
development of our general educational sNs-
TEN. Such system can he created only
through sympathetic cooperation between
the two parties in interest-for both alike
are instruments forged for the education OF
our modern Industrial democracy.
Complaints from Both Sides.
The report then takes up at some length
The complaints which the colleges and the
secondary schools each make concerning
the work and the attitude If the other. the
complaint OF the college. he finds, is main
Nv concerned with the SupcrfCiality OF the
knowledge Of the high school graduate and
his inability to apply himself in a prolonged
and concentrated way. due 70 the large
number of subjects which he has SKINNED
over i'm the effort Of the secondary school
a. make itself miniature college. instead
of kccping contentedly within the bounds
best suited to il.
TIE high schools on the other hand. bit
terlv criticiSe the college for falling TO ap-
rreciate that society demands that a multi
pIicity Of subjects be taught in the pubic
schools and for practically prescribing the
high school course Of study for those who
intend to enter college. and particularly IN
the smaller high schools foisting this cur
riculum upon a larger number Of high
school students not destined for college.
Mr. Pritchett goes on TO say:
The difficulty in the present situation is
that neither the college teacher nor the
secondary school teacher seems TO realize
that the college and the secondary school
are not two separate and unrelated things,
but two parts of the same thing and that
the right conduct of both is possible only
as each appreciates the problems. the
needs and the work Of the other. II is NOT
necessary for the college teacher to decry
the work Of the high school nor yet for tee
high school teacher 10 belittle the work OF
The college. These two institutions form
supplementary PARTS Of our American sys-
tenn of education. and we must either learn
how to develop the two In harmony as
supporting parts of common plan of edu-
cation or else we must find another way TO
educate the democracy Of America
TESTIMONY concerning the quality Of
American high school and college training
is given from three dsinterested sources
college entrance tests. the experience OF
business mon employing high school and
college graduates. and the fve-year eX-
perience Of the oxford tutors in observing
Rhodes scholars sent from all the states
o. the Uniou
Students Unprepared for Business
The study OF tests for entrance to college
taken 10y 1850 students i'm 1909 elicits the
fact that a majority failed. OF the testi-
Jnony Of business men, Mr.. Pritchett says
that while il varies so in character that
81 can hardly he summarized briefly, yet
at may justly he said that business men
would much prefer to receive, whether from
high school or from college, the young
man who has learned to do something well
and who has acquired the mental discipline
which has come from this experience. who
& ready 10 receive directions and follow
Them. than 10 take into their business.
either from high school or college. the
Ordinary representative who comes with
little knowledge of many things, with no
taste for the grind OF business or Of schol-
ershp and who lacks that grasp Of his
own mind which can come only from hav-
inS acquired a grasp Of some one thing
His summary Of the friendly observa-
sous Of the oxford tutors. many Of which
are highly nattering. is still more en-
phatic along the same line.
They show" he declares Enthusiastically
that the average American. who goes as a
Rhodes scholar to oxford, even though
ne be a college graduate, finds the work
90 which he is there assigned fully worthy
OF his mettle. and they show also most
clearly that in the majority OF cases the
student finds difficulty in doing his work
arising out of the superficiality and the
d,fUseness OF his previous training in the
American secondary school and in the
American college. and the failure Of this
training 10 give him intellectual power.
1T is the characteristic weakness OF our
whole American life-the American has
not yet got out from the spell Of the
pioneer days. He is alert, resourceful. but
superficial. The pioneer stage however,
has passed Alertness and resourcefulness
can no longer take the place OF thorough
training and careful preparation. To-day
The grea, opportunity Of the secondary
school and OF the college is TO cure this
weakness not 10 minister 20 it,
Need Training in Fundamentals.
The writer contends that the same sec
ondary school can prepare the great mass
OF it's students for citizenship in a democ-
racv and a minority Of them-"perhaps 3
rer cent"-for college by insisting upon a
thorough preparation in few fundamen-
tails. and without sacrificing those studies,
like agriculture. bookkeeping. shopwork
and the like which touch the lives and
The yocations Of future citizens"
The difficulty has been" he continues,
..lhat i'm our haste 10 enrich and to diver
s'fy the curriculum we have to some ex-