The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-25
II. CHARLES LOOMS DANA of 80
West Fifty-third street, professor
of nervous diseases at two Of New
York n medical colleges n nd author

OF nervous diseases at two OF New
Works medical colleges and author
OF text books on nervous diseases and
ps!chatry. whose trenchant address at
the meeting of the Schoolmasters Assoc
citation of New York city and the Vicinity
at the Yale University Club on January
ls aroused great interest. both among
educators aud the general public through
out the country, has written the following
letter In answer to some of the remarks
Of his commentators
To THE SCHOOL EDITOR OF THE Sun
Sir. The emphasis which I really laid
In my address to the schoolmasters was
not upon the defects of college education.
This matter WAS only referred to In
cidentally. My aim was to show that
in the education of boys between the ages
OF 10 and 16 or IS two years were lost
and that by Il more intensive study this
time could be regained and the youths
of our country be nut upon the same plane
with those OF England. France and Ger
many when they reached the university
age.
showed that in the secondary schools
there are only $50 to 100 school days In
the year and that the boys thus work less
than half OF the days Of the year. Even
in the public schools there are only 1S5
to 1870 school days In the year.
But most OF all l wished to do something
constructive, az well as critical. and there
fore. urged the schoolmasters to approve
some such plan as that adopted by the
committee of the National Council OF Edu-
cation. This plan. II seems to me. par
ticularly deserves the study and support OF
educators and of those who are interested
In furthering advance In our educational
methods. The special plan which they
suggest / give In some detail.
That our present methods of education
do not really educate referring TO that
portion of our youth who go to school
Till they are is or to college, is generally
admitted. CHARLES a. DANA
Recognizing the Importance of Or
Danas speech to the head masters and
the widespread interest II has aroused
THE suns School, College and Camp Blu
reau has secured from Or Dana his kind
permission to print IL In it's entirety. Here
10 the full text of his outspoken address
Education is one OF those all pervasive
topics about which every one has had
some experience aud most have some
opinion. have always felt n great shy
ness about the subject myself and have
only held such views as ! could keep to
myself There have lately. however. been
certain educational problems put before
me- My heart and interest have been
stirred and Just AT this representative mo-
ment ! received tn" invitation TO speak
here. This I do now with many thanks
and much appreciation OF the opportunity.
brought up to be afraid OF the school
master and still feel ;imid In his pres
ence However. II am ineffective in my
present recitation 7 shall try not to he
disagreeable about IL
"in the past I have had only good inn
,ressions ~ the work Of our secondary
schools II has seemed TO mo that these
institutions furnish the one bright spot
shining out In a rather gloomy educa-
tioual world. They have sent out a distinct
radiance between the dawding and UNI
certain policies of the elementary schools
and the crudity and foollshness OF the
American college education. particularly
since IL felt the almost ruortuary touch
OF President Eliot thirty years ago. Your
private schools have furnished som" If
the best contributions to educational
methods and hay" been tn" caus. Of
bringing our public schools to AN enor-
mously greater efficiency.
However. am asked now, sup
ros. To speak NJ them somewhat criti-
cally and from the standpoint OF OH" who
deals with thu nervous system.
Some of tn. masters Of these schools
have asked me whether the methods of
their Institutions and IN" work imposed
make the boys nervous or cause mental
breakdowns. I can answer this with as
surance. In the course OF thirty years