Newark post., 1912-03-06
THE GROWTH OF THE
AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL

thoroughly as they are destined to
do in the next few years. In spite
of the extraordinary rush into the
secondary schools. beginning with
/ 1890. there are hundreds of thous-
ands of childrenof high school age
many Of them quite unable to
take any sort Of traditional course
who have a right to be fitted
somehow for efficient work. The
| State stands ready theoretically to
make better citizens out Of any of
these boys and girls: but until late
" the educators have lacked pro-
gram
The program is still hampered,
both by the believers in culture and
by the college. In a most sifini-
ticant report, just put into clrcula-
ton by the Secondary Department
Of the National Education AssO-
ciation, an attempt is made to free
the high school from its close ar
ticulatiou with the college. in or
der that if might articulate better
with boy-and-girl needs. Character
is given to the report by the high
reputation Of its signers.
The report advocates a simpler
and more flexible high school
course. the certificate Of which
shall be accepted by the college
without restriction. even though
the secondary school is to permit
wide election Of studies. includ-
ING practical courses that prepare
for business and trade. Many
students. - the report explains.
do not 90 to college because they.
took those courses which were die
tated by their aptitudes and needs
instead of courses prescribed by
the college. On the other hand,
many students do not take the
courses which they need because
! they think they may 90 to college. y
TO quote a most significant
statement from this document 1t
is coming to be clearly recognized
| that the chief characteristic Of ed
ucation in a democracy, as con-
trastad with that in society dom
mated by class distinctions, is the
principle of the open door The
principle Of the open door is part
of the great idea Of the conserva-
ton of human gifts. 1t demands
that personal worth should be rec
ognized wherever found The col
lege is only one Of the many doors
that should be kept open. -
The modern notion of the open
door, as applied to secondary edu-
cation. has in it. therefore, no an
tagonism to culture or to college
but it means more than CONNER
cial course in stenography beside a
course in Latin and Greek. It sig
nifies a study of individual needs
and an attempt to fit that individ-
ual for what the best wisdom OF
the moment considers his welfare
In the West. particularly. this has
meant a program Of studies made
afresh for each boy and girl-ex.
actly as nowadays corrective ply.
steal exercises are prescribed diff
ferentlv for each pupil. The res
olute following out Of this demo
cratic formula has created a stir,
: as is always the case-remindine
, us that, ''when the chemist dis
, closed what was in the preserva
) tive the result was a shock to the
: ultra conservative.
5 The community has rediscoverre
the high school-the whole com
| munity, including those ''person'
, of the better sort who desir'
g Greek and Latin and theoretica
a mathematics. The high school, a
s nowadays conceived, is a demo
? cratic institution that is attempt
A ing to meet every legitimate edu
4 cational need of boys and girls be
: tween the ages of twelve and eigh
e teen. Preparation for lifework i