The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-19

~ OF the several communities
where the schools are located.
Under modern conditions OF huge, over
grown city communities, OF congested
population. OF highly specialized char
Rctcr OF all Industrial work. unless n
student knows some one thing well he
III ows nothing. We are in the midst of a
busting. Industrial age, but our schools
do not to a sufficiently apprccable ex-
tent reflect the spirit OF the age. Society
needs many more kinds OF trained cit-
sans than the old course OF study pro-
sIIeS Ths vas'ness and complexlty OF
the social organism have not been suf-
ficiently recognized. 1t may DO that the
schooliuasters have erred In their tudg-
ment OF educational values They may
have believed that the practical cannot
be cultural. disciplinary or In any way
valuable. They may have attached too
much Importance to certain preferred
subjects Of their own liking. Many OF
these statements apply with equal force
to the elementary schools and TO colleges.
but the secondary school seems at present
to be at the storm centre and the de-
uand seems TO be that the secondary
schools plan be enlarged to meet not
only the demands OF the present but also
those OF the future These demands
mean new courses OF study that will re-
feet the great activities found in society,
industrial and commercial These courses
20 be really worth while must supply
the needed material for prolonged mental
effort they must challenge effort to the
same extent as the old closely knit COM
pick and highly organized course OF study
does, effort TO the same decree that the
literary subjects now call forth"
This statement Is made by William l..
Felter. principal OF the Girls High School.
Brooklyn. In the last number OF the
Educational Revtete. Continuing Or.
Felter says In part:
" recognize fun well that IN the intel
lectual realm there Is no democracy. The
ten talent man. no matter what his birth
may have been. will always surpass the
Ave talent man. no matter what his birth
may have been. Personality will always
coun, for moro than heredity or ENVIRON
ment In our quest for educa tional de-
mocracy we have afforded equal oppor-
tunities but as 4 rule IL has been for the
best intellectually. The memorable law OF
the survival OF the ffttest has been ruth
lessly applied. We must revise our views
and get new glimpse OF democracy in
education We must recognize that the
child with small ability should be trained
up to the limit of his ABILITY on those
subjects which he is able 10 master
What would we think OF the doctor who
had three bottles OF medicine only and
who prescr bed each OF these In turn 70
his patlents' What shall we say OF the
general course OF study 10 ofrer and who
cay 10 students dscs aut discede. take
this and master Il or get out. The pres
ent course does not enable each tndivid-
ual TO make the most OF himself. while at
the same time contributing In as large a
degree as possible 20 the general well
being. A uniform programme Is no longer
possible. We need more types OF schools.
and TO an indefinite extent programmes
must be adapted TO varying needs. Those
opposing the establishment OF effective
trade schools because OF an alleged ten
dency 70 create class distinctions forget
what sharp class distinctions are now
enforced by uniform courses OF study APP
pealng only to the mentally superior
1--WE should have short courses in COM
mercal subjects and Industrial subjects.
As a rule a; the present time where COM
mercial subJec's and the practical arts are
introduced into high school curriculums
these subjects are either inaccessible to
first and second year pupils or else are
treated in a formal manner as introduce
tory to something moro substantial to
como later We need courses frankly
unitarian that Will be commercial or In
dustrial from the frst day OF tho term,
Until this IL done the high schools must
meet the charge that for pupils who drop
out at about the age OF &c the latter part
Of their education has been Ineffective
OF one thing we may be certain. the move
stay. This question must be met and an
swered. Shall vocational courses be given
IN practical fashion in the present second
AIRY schools or shall rev type OF second
airy school DO establisheedr May I sug-
gest as a compromise what DR., Snedden
Endorses, a two year course OF study con-
tanning English literature and compost
dion, science, social science and an option
from one OF the four great fields OF com
mercial. Industrial arts household arts
and practical arts study This Ia not
with the idea OF fitting for vocations as
much as for emphasizing vocational as
poets OF the work.
THE present academic course Of study
demands the same work from boys and
girls Why should tho courses for both
be identical7 White haired antiquity
answers, Because they always have
been When woman made her claim
for higher education she was granted,
perhaps grudgingy, tho same course OF
study as her brother was taking. She
has shown her ability TO do this work.
but In certain subjects at what cost
What has the obligatory study OF algebra
or geometry on the part OF e5 per cent,
of the more than half million high school
girls In America to do with their liberal
educatton7 True. some considerable
number do tine work and DO II easily,
but by far the larger number put into
the work an energy out of all proportion
TO the value Should not these subjects
be optional with additional work in a
foreign language or second foreign
language as altornAtives'
~ personal analysis OF tho results OF
the Regents examinations in physics
taken by the New York city high schools
for q term OF Ave years showed that the
boys schools, no matter what their stand
ings might be In other subjects, were
always In the first group, tho mixed
schools were In the second group whils
the girls schools. no matter what their
standings were in other subjects, always
brought up the rear. The reason Is not
far to seek. The same tendency thar
leads girls as a rule to avoid mathemat-
les as an option in college work reveals
itself In these examinations in physics,
for generally the stress Is upon mathe-
NAUTICAL physics to the girls mind tho
least attractive feature ! would not 20
90 far as To recommend the omission OF
the subject but ! would heartily suggest
the advisability OF large number OF
optional questions In descriptive physics
in all examinations I am not pleading
for an emasoulated course for girls but
do plead for an adapted course II II
Is IN order would suggest to the makers
OF tho examination papers In physics
that they select questions having a closer
ufA RI h.