The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-11-07
RAISE STANDARD
OF SCHOLARSHIP
PROF. r.. HEYWARD OF GRAND
FORKS DISCUSSED PROBLEM OF
RAISING THE STANDARD OF
SCHOLARSHIP IN THE HIGH
SCHOOLS OF THE STATE.

The secondary education section
this afternoon listened to a line paper,
among the many splendid ones on its
programme, on How May the Scholar
ship of High School Pupils be Raised.
Prof. r, Hayward of Grand Forks
talking on How May Scholarship of
High School Pupils Be Raised, made
the following answers:
First, by securing better prepared
teachers. A teacher to instruct we'll,
must know the subject in it's details
and in it's relationships; he must un-
derstand human nature, and u
know sound methods. We have insti-
~tutions where preparation leading to
this degree of efficiency may be made;
but before some will make this prepa-
ration. we shall be Obliged to insist
that all who teach in the state shall
have a license and that said license
shall be granted only after the appli-
cant has shown that the preparation
is broad and thorough. At present we
have some teaching who have no IL
cense, not so much as a permit; we
have too many who are licensed for
graduation from some curriculum; and
We nave a few who hold a supervising
or teaching position whose credentials
do not entitle them to hold these posi-
tons. A more rigid enforcement of
LOW III IANS wa Wv Va S"~
erS is needed.
Second, the standard of scholar
ship may be raised, by arranging for a
good system Of physical education par
allel with our system Of intellectual
and moral education, The individual
with poor digestion, fiabby muscles, in
sufficient pure blood, and less than
normal lung capacity, can not be ex-
pected to be other than deficient in
scholarship.
Third, by adhering to reasonably
high standards for promotion. Those
who have to decide questions of pro-
motion must entertain reasonably high
standards of what a pupil or student
should accomplish in order to secure
promotion. A pupil or student must
be held to a reasonable degree of mas
terry of a subject before securing cred
it in it. Here sympathy for a pupil or
fear of losing ones position must not
stand in the way of justice. To pro-
mote a pupil through either fear or
sympathy, and in spite of the fact that
his accomplishments are not up to a
reasonably high standard, and thus
make him and his parents feel that he
is spending his time In high school
profitably, is an injustice to both pu-
pill and parents; for it not only wastes
the time of the pupil ON something
with which he is not succeeding, but
gives him a false notion or his ability.
1t sets d number of high school gradu-
ates seeking positions they can scarce
ly secure and, if they should secure
them, they certainly could not retain
them c~reditably.
Fourth, by removing negative in
fluences. The girl who is in society,
the boy who smokes cigarettes and
frequent pool rooms, will not succeed
in scholarship. Successful school work
will be lone by those who come to
school from well regulated homes and
not by those who come to school from
the streets. Some of those who are
poor in scholarship depend upon the
standing of their fathers in the com
munity to secure their promotion from
one grade to another. The hope and
confidence of such must be shattered,
If there is to be good scholarship in
their cases or in the school generally.
Fifth, by creating interest in school
work. To rank well in scholarship
one must ave a purpose in attempt
ing the work Of the school. The use
to be made of the information and
training gained is the most common
purpose. The purpose furnishes the
inspiration that leads on the interest.
Sixth, by a~ugmenting, organizing
and unifying the courses added to the.
curriculum within the past decade or