Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-01
AIMS OF EDUCATION
Dr.. Davidson Outlines Pur-
poses of Public Schools.
ADVANCE IN FORTY YEARS
Average -Four Decades Ago Only
That of the Fourth Grade To-
day-Defense Of System.
ADVANCE IN FORTY YEARS

| The question Of the cost of the public
schools. not only in this city, but through
| out the country, was discussed by DR..
| William NJ Davidson. superintendent of
| the District public schools in an address
at the midyear graduation exercises of
Business High School last night. DIR.
Davidson took the place Of Director John
Barrett of the Pan-American Union, who
/ was unable to be present because of the
serious illness of his mother.
| DIR. Davidson declared that ut can be
! said to the credit of the Management of
| the schools of this country that they
| are run with less waste than any other
institution connected with the govern
| ment''
| TT costs money to run the schools
I he remarked "Of course it costs money
and Ito run good schools 1t costs a deal
| of money. But every dollar spent upon
the schools should be looked upon as an
| investment and not as an expense. 1t
has ever been the principle in this coun-
| try to furnish free education for the
common people. The funds which have
| been appropriated in nine cases out of
every ten have been too small instead of
too big
| Why the Public Schools.
The superintendent gave as the pur-
pose of education three aims. First he
said, that the boy or girl may know
something. The individual who doesn't
know something can't get anywhere in
America. Second, that through knowing
something may be able to do something
| in life. The first question of every en-
| ployer is, What can you do?' And the
| third purpose is that the boy or girl may
no ,af1, tr ho6x- no
ents and as teachers, encourage our chill
dren to achieve because We want them to
be something or somebody.
The speaker declared that the average
education throughout the nation forty
years ago was on par with only the
fourth grade schools of this city. Now,
he said, the average had been raised to
the sixth grade In twenty years more
he predicted, if equal progress was made
to that of the past the average would be
| raised to the eighth grade.
The schools have become "a place or
| joy in the estimation Of the speaker,
| because Of the diversity of studies. why,
| We have actually SO degenerated IN the
public schools that We teach music and
| let the children waste their time study
ing drawing he said, ironically.
Critics of the Schools.
"These people who are constantly bark
| ing back to those good old days of the
three Rs and without knowing what
| they are talking about constantly criti-
| else the schools and find fault with this.
| I thank God that these young people have
| not had to tramp those narrow paths.
| These boys and girls are not to be pit1ed
| because they did not study under the
| old three r SYSTEM but to be congratu
| lated because they had had broader
| field of study. We need routine and drill,
| but we need inspiration as WELL
Mrs. Ellen Spencer MuSSey, vice presi-
| dent of the board of education, presented
the diplomas. Capt. James +. oyster,
president of the board presided. Rev.
Samuel H. Woodrow. D. D., delivered the
invocation. Leroy Taylor played two VIC
lin solos. Musical selections were played
by the Washington High School OrcheS-
ira, under the direction of j. r. Wells.
Those Receiving Diplomas.
Those who received diplomas for hav-
ing completed the four-year course and
those who received certificates for COM
pleting the two-year course are named
below:
Four-year course - Catherine Edna
Bailey, Florence May Beall, Christine
Lee Birmingham, Mary Bernardine
Bridget, Sallie Jane Chalk. Mary Ella
Mann. Shirley Parkhurst Marston,
Katherine Parsons, Annebel Lee Tillett,
Phoebe Evangeine Tyrell Arthur Bull
Cole, Julian Eiseman, Robert Sloat Nash
and John Thomas Schram.
Two-year course-Elsie Anastatia Bran
son, Ethel May Brooks Hazel Cecilia
Browne Annie Cohen, Elsie Christine
Coon, jeanette Fischer, Florence Mary
Agnes Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Cecilia
Grady, Edith octavia Hainsworth. AIDE
laide Ruth Harbers, Marion Stewart
Hardy, Miriam Louise Hobson, Lillian
Gertrude Jones' Margaret Evelyn Keane,
Jennie Sanderson Keely. Elizabeth Mil
dred Kintz, Emily Espey Law, Frances
Lazerow, Elsie Louise Leishear, Helen
Emma Morgan, Daisy Helen Murphy,
Pearl Augusta Putnam, Alma Elizabeth
Schmidt, Edna Eugenia Struble, Maude
Elaine Wilson, Lena Weinberg, Frank
Herbert Bonnet, Percy Allen Brunger.
Herman Chairman, William Eugene Hart,
Clarence F'itzhugh Lee, Normal Samuel
Smith, Henry Charles Spengler and Don
aid Richard Sweetman.