The Oskaloosa herald., 1911-03-02
HIGH SCHOOLS
TO Be ENLARGED
Senator Adams viii Fight for Nor.
NAL Training In Them.
SCORES BOARD OF EDUCATION
SENATOR ADAMS WILL FIGHT
FOR NORMAL TRAINING.
Says that the Carnegie Foundation is
One Of the Greatest Menaces to
Education that Has Ever A.
risen in This Country

4
Des Moines, Ia, March 1.-Spec-
ial.-Senator Adams, of West Union
didn't go home Saturday. He remain
ed over for a few days work compil.
ing statistics and preparing for a
fight. He confesses he started out
this session of the legislature with
but one ak to grind and he purposes
to grind it. He has been working
hard ever since the beginning of the
session. Now members of the state
educational board have Haunted a
red flag at him and he is ready to
go into heated fight If necessary
to win his point.
Senator Adams wants normal train
ing taught in the high schools of the
state. He introduced measure to
that effect giving state aid to such
high schools as teach normal train
ing with a review of common
branches. He provides in his bill
the appointment of state high
school inspector by the state super
intendent of public instruction. Now
it is stated the state board of educa-
ton will offer an amendment provid-
ing that the state inspector be ap-
pointed by the board of education.
Mr.. Adams will resist this on the
theory that it would not be in har-
mony with the purpose of the bill,
which is to put high school educa.
ton on a more practical basis. Con-
corning the situation Mr.. Adams to-
day said:
"The state board of education
should not have the appointment of
the high school inspector, as their
efforts have not been in the inter-
ests of the high schools. AS matter
of fact so anxious have they been to
get the colleges into the Carnegie
Foundation Fund accredited list so a
few professors might get pensions
that the have raised the college en-.
trance standard and widened the
breach that exists between high
schools and colleges. This Carnegie
Foundation Fund is one of the great
est menaces to education that has
ever arisen in this country. 1t has
encouraged, for the sake of few re-
firing professors, the raising of col
! lege standards, until graduates of our
high schools cannot enter them.
Look at Iowa City, how the attend.
ance has fallen off there. Now they
are trying to lay it to the saloons.
am not saying this because 1 favor
having saloons in Iowa City, for /
will vote for the five-mile-limit bill if
| get the opportunity. but it isn't the
truth. The increased entrance re.
quirement is the cause of killing off
enrolment. Our high schools have
gone too far in the past trying to
reach up to the college. freshman
qualifications. They have gone so far
as to eliminate much of the practi'
cal teaching. If they would do away
with Latin, Chemistry, Geometry, etc.
in the high schools and teach normal
training and agriculture it would not
take long for high schools to become
popular with the farm boys and You
would find we would have q great
many more high schools in the state.
Wide as the breach was, it Is being
widened by raising the college en-
trance requirements. Therefore, ] do
not believe it practical for the high
schools to attempt to prepare stu
dents for college entrance. Ninety
five per cent of our children now
never get through high school. So
say make it more practical for those
who rely upon it for their only edu
cation. Those who desire college ed
ucation can get it. We need teach
ers, we need good farmers. and the
high schools are the places to edu
cate them. Our state normal does
not furnish our country schools any
teachers to speak of. We must de
pend on high school graduates fol
them. Hence there should be norma
training there. To take the state in
spector away from the state superin
tendent and give it to the state board
. of education would be putting con
troll in board that has not shown
that 1t is working for the creates
interest of common school education
Il ansaot fighting any other meas
lure. | am working for this one bill
| hope to see it pass. Outside OF tina
would like to see the office OF sta
superintendent made appointive In
stead of elective, and the salary in
creased"