New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-16

stupid heresy TO say that there shall
and the unskilled that place Is Uni
versity. IL has its own aristOcracy-
Of talent
The conception Of popular education
which those hold whom the State Of
New York has intrusted with its edu-
catlonal system centring here Is not
quite The conception hitherto most
prevalent elsewhere. 1t is catholic
vlew-free education for all purposes;
first and highest to preserve and i'm
prove the old American character to
make good citizens for the Republic,
good men and helpful In their several
communities, and next, in all cases Of
need or choice, education to make
living. Accordingly we are trying, on
behalf OF the state, TO provide for
teaching everything. from A, b, c to
the degree OF A. B.
Tho Work Of tho Board.
! "All the educational institutions OF the
state are. in varying degrees, under the
supervision Of this one department.
Pupils from the public elementary
schools pass direct, on certifcatlon, TO
the public secondary schools. In these
also the department prescribes course
of study. on the satisfactory compile
ton OF this, It issues an entrance
diploma, which is accepted at once by
the colleges that crown the public
school system in New York, and meets
the entrance requirements OF most Of
the other colleges. The board selects
the examiners. who prepare and pass
upon the questions for preliminary and
academic examinations: and II Issues,
on the report OF special examiners.
whom It also appoints, the quail
flying certificates for law, medicine
pharmacy, and a number OF other
| professional occupations, over the en-
try TO which the state expects 1t to ex-
ercise a supervision. It registers study
! clubs throughout the state, and while
they continue efficient aids them In
preparing their programmes and In Sc
| Letting and buying or borrowing from
the state the books they need. 1t issues
many educational publications. and
! through the science division sends out
| frequent circulars. giving the latest re-
suits OF investigation and experiment
| in the care OF shade and fruit trees,
the identification OF flowers and plants,
and in dealing with the ravages Of in
sects and pests-to say nothing OF It's
| geological and other scientific reports.
Meantime the states provision OF
elementary and secondary free schools
| had been developed 10 what was
thought n well-knit and unified system.
when II was suddenly complicated by
the new law for vocational schools.
| This might have been so administered
as to damage tho old system. our
problem was TO make the new and the
old fit into each other, each helping
the other and neither becoming in any
way antagonistic. As II has worked
out, the elementary schools give GER
tain instruction In manual, household,
decorative and agricultural details.
which connect themselves naturally
with the standard studies, and also
with the home life. Then In the sec
ondary schools offering vocational
courses. these stand on an equal plane
with the old fixed studies. Practically
all pupils In such a school must study
English for four years, English and
American history with CiviCs, algebra
and plane geometry. biology and
physics. and to these seven-twelfths
OF the time OF each pupil IL given.
Then fve-twefths must be given 10
vocational studies, selected as may
seem most useful with reference 10 the
pupils expected pursuits and needs.
whether agriculture. manual arts,
drawing, domestic science, household
decoration. sanitation or personal n.y.
giene. Then comes either a vocational
course in the high school, or trade
school. The latter requires that nine
twelfths Of the whole time be spent In
SpeClUC sDOp lTdlUInBt anu hDdiluOHS
any further instruction in liberal
stlIdies. II has smaller classes, and
its pupils have longer hours, and get
more Individual instruction. Then pupils
NAV pass TO continuation schools, for
either day or evening attendance; and
# is earnestly hoped that by amend
ments to existing law the employment
in the trades Of any one between the
ages OF fourteen and seventeen Will be
positively forbidden unless the en-
ployer binds himself to make the youth
attend one OF the day continuation
schools for AT least six hours a week.
Development Only Begun.
Now az to the present condition OF
tbis new work: All public schools.
whether in cities, villages or rural dis
tricts teach drawing. Three-fourths II
the city schools offer courses In manual
training, cooking and sewing. One-half
the village schools give courses In sew
ing one-third In manual training and
cooking. There are forty public Indus
trial and trade schools. with day en-
roIment OF four thousand and an
evening enrolment OF three thousand
pupils. Twenty-cight village high
schools have vocational courses in agrl-
g.. - tuapty otharg piye aDri-