El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-08-24
Ell Paso Places Much Value On
Education; Public Schools Excellent
Manual Training Is Taught;
Selective Courses In
High School.
New School Buildings
Stadium for High
School.

CBy Prof \. r Crosier. superintend-
ent FL Paso Public Schools).
- GOD schools are an asset to any
community. and Fl Paso is par
ticularly blessed in this respect
1t is the consensus Of opinion among
educators that have visited and inspect
ed our SCHOOLS that FL Paso has the
most substantial and best equipped
school buildings in the state, taking
the system as a whole. There is not
a frame or an adobe building In the
system. All are constructed OF SUD
stantial brick. But the Board OF Edu-
cation is not satisfied with brick bul4e-
ings. so new era has begun in school
buildings in FL Paso with the erection
OF the handsome reinforced concrete
building in the eastern part OF the
city Nothing but the modern fire.
proof construction viii ill the demand
from now henceforth.
There are thirteen school buildings
in the city at present with total OF
6O6S single desks. The enrolment OF
pupils during 191l-12 was 9l4e out o.
a census enumeration of 1888 pupils
of state school age The census
enumeration for the present years is
1920, so it may reasonably be expected
that over 5000 children VIII De en-
rolled in the public schools during the
session 1sI2-13- The parochial schools
accommodate 1900 or more children II
can readily be seen that business ana
moneymaking are not the sole thought
Of the people but that education ana
culture are considered worth while.
Need of Adequate High School
The greatest need Of the schools re-
Gently has been an adequate nigh
school building. The high school
building erected more than eleven
years ago for a town of 1900 people
could not begin to meet the demands
of 2 city of $4,000. Fl Pase must
build for the future, a fact recognized
recently by the board OF eaueatlo
when they purchased a magnificent
site of ten acres just below the mesa
at a cost Of $4,000, easily accessible
for rs percent of the high seheol
population No doubt in two years
time plans will be under way Tor the
erection of a new high school with
ample provision made Tor the Manual
Arts and commercial branches, build
ing that will prove q credit to the
whole southwest Doubtless a Greclan
auphitheatre of concrete on the side
of the hill, where athletic contests
may be witnessed and open air meet
ings held, will be an attractive Iea-
ture. It IS to be hoped that IL Faso
will have a building that viii compare
fa7orably with the beautiful structure
at Tacoma, where so much attention
Is paid to the physical welfare OF the /
students. Their stadium IS noted /
country wide.
a ssJuniOr High SCHOOL,
What will be done with the old high /
scbool2 We have not far to seek Tor 4
q use It will become an intermediate
school, a sort of junior high schooI as
1t were for eighth grade pupils Ihal
Is the custom pFaetieed now IN many
communities. and the results obtained
Justify the departure from precedent
1t has been found that TINS poliey /
bridges the sap that exists between !
the grammar grades and the hlgh !
school more successfully than any i
thing that has ever been tried 1t re-
suits in more pupils entering the hlgh /
school. thus enabling the system 0eI-
ter to prepare them for life
During the past session, 1lS teachers
were employed in giving instruction 1
in the public schools Each month on
the pay roll more than zoo names ap-
dawn for about SIG 600 a large sum- /
No: think of the good that IS being 1
the lives that are oelns 4
made clean, the characters that are pc /
other expenditure OF money brings IN /
IN thirteen years for \ Course.
It requires thirteen years to com /
plete the public school course OF II !
Paso. Children are admitted at the
age Of six to the kindergarten, ana I
If they make a grade each year VIII l
graduate at the age of nineteen Inc
graduates are more mature Jhah II 1
MANY places, and as a result make ex-
ceIlent records in the colleges and /
universities 1t is not advisable TO !
load the responsibilities OF life on 1
young people too soon. Don't eurtah 4
the school course
The elective system is in vogue IN 1
the high school but in order that no \
student may neglect any essential /
branch, elective groups or studies are /
offered rather than elective studies. |
Seven groups are offered: College pre-
paratory. history english mathematics /
science modern language, commercial. |
manual training, and domestic econ
ouy. Thus it win be seen that the 1
curriculum is varied, consisting OF /
English. history, Latin. French, Ger /
man Spanish, mathematics including /
trigonometry. physiograpny, physiol- 1
ogy and hygiene, physics, chemistry, |
bookkeeping. commercial law, arithme- /
tic and geography, typewriting, stem |
ography. cabinet making, mechanical !
drawing, freehanda drawing, music, J
domestic science. domestic art, and /