Omaha daily bee., 1911-08-14
SCHOOL And COLLEGE NEWS
High School and College as They
Compare in Influence.
PROBLEM IN EDUCATION IS UP
what f. Necessary 60 Get the Best
Results for All the Young
Folks is the CUES

few years ago in the rivalry between
the high school and the college. the col
lege had the better of It, and a commits
sion with President Eliot at its head ar
tculated" the high school on the college
1t was the needs OF the college which was
IN mind. and the high schools were au-
thoritatively told what they should teach
and how much. The colleges set the stan
dard; they dictated the subjects. even Sc
lecting the texts in English literature to be
taught. The college was master; the high
school was servant
But n could not last, declares the indie
pendent discussing this subject, and the
session Of the National Educational asso-
citation at San Francisco records the re-
bellion. And why should they not rebel ?
The high school has had a tremendous
growth in these few years In the two
last decades high school attendance has
increased almost fourfold The high school
is the peoples university. The overwhelm-
ing majority OF boys and girls do not go
beyond II. II but one in twenty OF the
graduates of the high school goes to col
lege, It is too much to ask that the high
school curriculum should be dictated for
the advantage OF the 8 per cent. There
must be considered also the advantage OF
20 complete the high school course.
The special committee appointed by the
National Educational association last year
accordingly gave the high school the preee-
dence, and babe the colleges follow after
They hold to the fifteen educational units
but not for the college primarily. They
make much vocational instruction in me-
chanic arts. agriculture, or demosetic
science which they regard as rational
elements in the education of all boys and
girls, and especially of those who have moi
as yet chosen their vocations." Accord
ing they allow from the total fifteen units
four units for such vocational instruction
but they are careful to add. "or for add
tionel academic work" So there is a
choice left, and the curriculum should be
flexible. The courses are divided into ma
jors and minors. and each student is ex-
pected to complete two majors Of three
units each, and one minor of two units
This leaves room for the vocational studies
and for such other studies as will be re.
quired by the boys and girls who expect tC
go to college. We take It that the full fif
teen units now required for entrance tC
college would not include the four voca
tional units.
Beyond question II would be an advan.
| tage to every student entering college II
he or she has had a course in agriculture
the mechanic arts or domestic science, but
he needs a good deal more. He cannot
now give to these studies the four units
allowed in the high school course. and
the colleges cannot well accept them ir
making up the complement without lower.
ing the standard. The chief purpose of thu
college is not vocational but cultural. And
yet the chief purpose Of the high schoo
is not TO fit youth for college, nor is Il
simply for culture; II should be for both
Those who do not go beyond the high
school should be allowed to pursue thu
vocational studies. so as to be better
farmers, mechanics and home-keepers
but other special studies should be pro-
vided for those who need them.
The high school is the most democratic