New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15

Value of the New York City Day School to the City Boy

When parent or a guardian under
takes 10 solve the problem of schooling
for the boys Of the family three possibili-
ties lie open. He may make a choice be-
tween the public and the private schools
Of the city or he may send the boy out of
town. Now. if he be one in comfortable
circumstanceS-not necessarily even well
10 do he is likely to put aside ali thought
Of sending his son to the public school.
Let II be clearly understood that this
last statement is made without the Slight,
est dsparagement to the public school
system of our city. When the huge num-
ters the manifold races. ignorant Of the
English tongue-no matter whether native
or foreign born-the varying home and re-
lgious influences. the continuous eNacting
family duiies-when ali these circum-
stances and a score more are considered
the wonder is. not that the public school
system turns out an appreciate number
of inaccurate graduates. but that it pro-
duces so large a percentage of capable
future citizens.
But to return to the New York father
OF to-day. His son will 60. then. either
to boarding school in the country or to
c private school in the city. Accordingly.
II Is the modern private day school in
New York, with its many marked adj
yantages, which is TO be sketched briefly
g. the following remarks.
About twenty years ago when New
York City had no public high schools and
the state educational system offered an
ambitious lad no way TO enter college
ether than by transfer from the sopho-
more class Of the City College. a gentle
saan was summoned from beyond tho
Mississippi to aid in enlightening New
York by planning public high schools for
Manhattan and The Bronx. He said TO a
group of private school men one day, in
his joyial fashion: Five years from now
not one OF you will be able 10 earn a
living in New York" Bot sixteen more
years have passed since then; the high
schools of greater New York nineteen
IN number) have an enrolment OF ap-
Fortunately 5000 male pupils; the coun-
try boarding schools have increased ten
fold In number and endowment Yet the
private day schools of New York have
likewise increased in number and eff
cheney and in the country at large the
entire number OF private school children
Doth boys and girls. including those at
tending boarding schools has risen from
5000 in 1890 TO 10000 in 1911 Contrast
this statement with the census record OF
10000 white people approximately in
1882 and $4,000 white people approx
matelyJ in 1910 Why has the total num-
Der Of children attending the private
schools increased tenfold. or 1000 per cent.
IN thirty years, while the total population
has increased but s. per cent? For. such
phenomenal growth there must exist some
fundamental reason. The answer is that
the private school can and does consider
the personal element in education. Per-
haps some one may ask what Is meant
by the personal element in education
Among the progressive school men of to-
day II means so adjusting the environ
ment Of each pupil as to meet fully and
exactly the individuality Of that pupil.
This problem of handling individuality
when fully understood Is I'm reality sim
pier than it would at first appear. Let
the Individuality Of any boy be repre-
scented by q plane triangle. Of which the
base A represents his moral nature, the
side his mental power or intellect and
the side G his physical characteristics.
Now. each Of these sides is as important
as either Of the other two. and the three
taken together make up the triangle and
the boy II is the duty OF the modern
school 10 look carefully after each one
Of these and to see to II that any one
side does not develop at the expense OF
the other two sides.
Up 20 twenty-five years ago II was
widespread notion that side B was the
especial side with which the school and
the teacher had particularly to do.
boys rain must De stuffed full OF facts