Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-08
thigh SCHOOLS FOLLOW
BAD COLLEGE EXAMPLE"
Athletics Cause of Jugg|ery
With the Standards, De-
cIareS DR.. Small.

That the desire to win In athletic con-
tests has caused the colleges to '.juggle
somewhat with their own standards" and
that the secondary schools have followed
the bad example. was the declaration OF
DR.. Willard 8. Small. principal Of the East
ern High School. in an address last even
ing before the Federal Schoolmep's Club,
at the Highlands.
The subject OF DR.. Smairs address was
THE Relation Between College and Sec
ondary School" He gave the foregoing
statement as one of the reasons for the
dissatisfaction which is said to exist be-
tween colleges and secondary schools.
There is q great deal of dissatisfaction
between colleges and secondary schools,
said DR.. Small. Each complains of the
other. President Prichett OF the Carnegie
Foundation. in his fifth annual report,
summarized these complaints. The COM
plants Of the college, in a word, are that
the high school graduate is superficial in
his knowledge and is unready to apply
himself in q sustained and systematic
way.
las the same criticism is made Of COL
lege graduates by business men and by
the Oxford tutors. who have to do with
the American Rhodes scholars, it may
be assumed that tho evils complained OF
by the colleges are really defects char
acteristic Of American education rather
than defects Of the secondary schools. To
a considerable degree the colleges them
selves are responsible for the very evils
Of which they complain in the secondary
schools. College entrance requirements
play a very large part both In the man
ner and method Of high school instruc-
ton. The number and quantity Of re-
koC f11y m
creased by the colleges within the last
forty years.
Requirements Excessive.
''The requirements are SO excessive
that supernciality Is an almost necessary
consequence in the attempts OF the high
schools to meet them. In addition to the
amount required the colleges have pre-
scribed infinitely the details Of instruc-
ton. The result has been that the high
schools have been unable to keep up with
these exactions. Recently this tendency
to prescribe details has run into mechani-
cal absurdities under the influence Of the
supposed requirements Of the Carnegie
foundation for the advancement OF teach
ing.
Improvement OF conditions may be
brought about by recognition on the part
Of the college of the fact that the pubic
high school must solve it's own problems;
by reducing the number of specified re-
quirements for college admission and
emphasizing thoroughness, and by I'M
proving the teaching in secondary schools.
This last means keeping out the unit.
adequate training for high school teach
ers and more men teachers.
In q general discussion OF the subject
following DR.. Smau's address Prof. T.
w. Sidwell OF Friends School. Principai
Emory Wilson OF Central High School.
Prof. w. C. Rudiger OF Georgetown Uni
versity and DR.. K. c. Babcock of the bu-
reau Of education participated
Others who were present were: Profs.
X. c. Babcock. J. A. Chamberlain, Viii
bur Dales, II. z Day, II w. Draper. s
NJ. Ely, Harry English. Chastds Hart, w.
p. Hay. G. N. Henn:ng. H. l. Hodgkins.
w: S: Houeh; N. J; Jones; Z. g. Kim
Maurer, c. Meriwether. A. T. Ramsey. G.
A. ROSS. J. ]. Rothermel. w. c. Rudiger.
II. Schonfeld. c. J. echwartz, 7. W..