The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-07
CURRENT COMMENT
The Place Of the High school.

The statistics gathered by the United States
commissioner of education indicate that the
high school is a rapidly developing force In
our general system of education He estimates
from these that boys ana girls to the numbe"
OF "A million and quarter Will be attending
the public schools of this character ana pri-
waite secondary schools of practically similar
grade this year and the great majority are In
the public schools The high school Is one
Of the later undertakings in the fecognltloh
or the states responsibility TO give its chill
dren well rounded preparation for the duties
Of life. In spite of many CRITICISMS, ana IN
spite of the large additional expense that II
throws upon taxpayers it has more than Justi"
fed expectation 1t has rendered no longer
necessary many Of the old academies, and those
that have survived have done by strength
ening OF their standards and demonstration
of excellence.
The grades OF school below the high left
those who attend them well above the re-
proach OF illiteracy. In fact, century ago
the training that they give would have been
considered ample for almost any man or NO
man outside of what were then known as the
learned professions. But TO meet present re-
duirements. the high school is essential. 1t
gives a foundation upon which capable minds
can almost any superstrncture TO which
their ambitions may aspire With the excep-
ton of training in the dead languages it equip
It's graduates almost as well as did the col
leges In former days 1t takes boys and girls
well over the dead line and carries them along
into the regions of genuine culture,
1t Is probably something OF surprise to the
public to be informed, upon the basis of ,he
statistics referred to. that nearly twenty dive
per cent OF the children entering the elementary
and grammar grades now pass on to the high
school. This hardly be the case in state
like Massachusetts, where the system of edu-
cation Is compulsory and every child is sep
/ posed TO spend certain period under tnstruc-
ton of kind. In fact, these lower grades
serve their purpose we'll that smaller
percentage than that quoted follows the sSs-
tenn to the top but high school does not
mean the same thing in all places. and grad
uate OF the grammer grades in the city OF
Boston match his mental furnishings with
those Of many who have gone through what
are designated high schools elsewhere.
Hope has been expressed by the United States
commissioner OF education that the time would
come when all boys and girls would have at
summation while perhaps 1t may be devouting
to be wished. is hardly among the possibili-
ties. There boys and girls. by no means
unidentified, who are incapable of receiving
what the high school has to offer, or at least
OF doing In manner profitable to them
| selves the public. There are others wha
cannot spare the time even IL possessing the
natural gifts But these figures to in
dictate that steadily drawing nearer
to such a goal. The people themselves are
more and more approaching the value Of these
educational agencies. In 1890. forty out
| OF every hundred high schools were prl-
waite, In 1900 the proportion had changed
! to twenty-three md to seventy seven
Thirty-two per cent Of the students at the for.
! mer date were in private schools. while today
! the number is reduced to twelve in the hun.
/ dred with lightweight in the public schools
! OF course the consideration of expense counts
! for much in the distribution but not for every
/ thing The high school with its vocational out
| growths has been accepted AS factor OF
! public economy that is worth all il costs In
IT contributions to intelligent and hfgh-class
citizenship.-Boston Transcript; .....,... -