The log cabin Democrat., 1912-10-31
CITIZEN DfN0UNCES
 nALf-DAY SESSION
PROF. BRENNAN WRITES
NORMAL PROFESSOR RAISES PROTEST AGAINST SCHOOL
 BOARDS DECISION.

A short time ago the patrons of the public school were gratified to learn that the school term was to be ex- tended to nine months so as to put our children on an equal footing with the children of other towns in the state. But at the opening of school we found that the first three grades, nearly half the school, were to have but halliday sessions. This week comes the announcement that the fourth and fifth grades are to be put on the same allowance! So that more than half of the public school children of Conway will actually have in the aggregate fewer days of school than any rural schools in Faulkner county. But we are told they will have continuous recitations for the half day and that therefore they will do quite as much work as if they had alternate periods of recitation and rest or study. To anybody who has any knowledge of children at all, this statement is absurd, if not foolish. Who can believe that children of six to ten years of age are capable of three hours of continuous concentrat- ed thought? How many high school students are capable of it? How many grown folks, even?
 Let us not fool ourselves with any absurd notions on this matter; it is better to look the truth in the face. AS our public school course of study is now arranged, it will be found to attempt to cover in seven years, five of these of practically four and one h alf months duration, what IS at tempted in northern and eastern schools in eight years each of 10 duration. That is, in 40 months we can prepare our pupils for the high schools as well as those do in 80 months. Of what material are our teachers and children made, that they should be able to perform such a wonderful feat as this? Will any body pretend that we are doing this or that it is possible of accomplish ment?
 But it is not only the grades which are going to suffer from this sad state of affairs. If builder should to erect a second-story of stone on a first-story of adobe he would be looked upon as Intellectually weak. How much better are we when upon the slim training of the grades We attempt to build the maturer studies of the high school? It is an utter absurdity to attempt 1t, and We can have a high school in name only.
 For the same number of pupils the high school will take three times as much space as the grades and require more than four times the cost in teaching force; and yet nothing worth while can be accomplished be- cause there is no solid foundation on which to build. If we must cut out somewhere, let us cut out at the top, out keep the foundation secure and strong.
 There is no other town in the state that can as we'll do without high school as Conway. Hendrix has a department doing high school work, Central College has a similar department, while practically all except the work in pedagogy at he Normal School is high school work. So that if the public school were to cut out it's high school de oartment, which, in face of the prep aration made for it in the gre des night as well be done, We Woulu sun oot suffer greatly for want of high school w5rk. But whither shalt we urn when the elementary work lS cut put?
 The disease is in desperate stage md requires desperate remedies, per laps the surgeons knife. But let us not cut off the wrong limb. This will lelp neither the limb amputated nor he general condition of the patient;
 Lei us cut out the high school and ,uild from below up. Then when we ire ready to run a high school we shall have the material upon winch to work. Under the present arrange nent We can have neither elementary aor high school.
 F.. A. BRENNAN.