Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-02-07
DIDN'T SAY COEDU-
CATION IS CAUSE
[Continued from First Page ]

Downes said that he touched on tn,
moral side of the question in view
| Of the fact that this was one argu
ment urged locally against the sys
tenn. He said in part:
I'm this report, so far as it bears or
this particular topic, I shall confint
myself to the question of coeducatior
In it's relation to morality or i'm.
| morality. / do this owing to the fac,
| that thus far this is practically the
only argument urged locally against
coeducation.
mo proof exists in the whole his.
tory of public education to warrant
1t. There is not one educator in fifty
to-day that believes it. 1 have not
found a single instance of immortality
in the Central high school during my
ten years connection with the Harris.
burg schools that was traceable to
coeducation. / have heard several
very ugly rumors, which, when inves-
tigated, were found to be absolutely
groundless. I have no doubt some
imm orality either now exists or has
at some time or another been found
to exist in practically all high schools
whether coeducational or not.
Not All Pure
1T would be an exceptional con-
dition to find large body Of high
clean and pure. My contention and
the contention Of practically all edu-
Gators is that the coeducational school
did not make them impure nor Is it
conducive to impurity. In fact, the
contrary is the case. namely, that CO.
education tends to improve morality
Many educators go so far as to assert
that immortality is greater in separate
schools than in coeducational schools.
y1D "a =
namely, that coeducation is conducive
to immortality, we should separate our
boys and girls in street cars. in church,
In Sunday school and in all Young
peoples societies of the church, par
ticular1y those which meet in the
evening. We should prohibit boys
from accompanying girls home from
such gatherings. In fact, to be con-
sistent, we should prohibit all mixed
social gatherings of youth, both day
and evening, on the ground that such
gatherings are apt to lead to i'm
morality. To my mind the whole ar
gument is weak, and q reflection upon
the strength of character of our boys
and girls.
'Tt is not sufficient simply to hold
an opinion that such and such a thing
is true, and then assert it to be a
fact. Assertions based on such in
lie opinion, and then matters of great
Importance are apt to be settled
hastily, and, consequently, unwisely.
Such an important matter of educa-
tional policy as we are now discussing,
for example, should be settled strictly
on ascertainable facts, and not on per-
sonal sentiment.
I'm connection with the general
subject 1 beg to take a few moments
n yto.YV -
method of bringing about separat te
education. should the board conclude,
on moral or better grounds, to inaugu-
rate such system.
Downes Has Scheme
I'm my Judgment the only way to
bring about such change, and at the
same time conserve the best interests
of the taxpayers, is to provide ade-
quate odations for all the boys
in our present Technical high school
and like accommodations for the girls
elsewhere. 1t would be manifestly
unwise to maintain three high schools
in city whose high school enroll
ment is only 1900 students. | know
of no city in the country the size OF
Harrisburg that attempts such a thing
High schools are expensive to main
tain. The per capita cost of education
in one central high school would be
ihuNi iSSS lildll III TWO ulSUFlCC nlRn
schools. We know this to be a fact
for the reason that we now have ex.
perlence with two schools. To add
stili another such school would still
further increase the per capita cost.
Il believe, with Mr.. Houtz, that an
expansion of the courses offered in
the Technical high school, for exam
pie, by the establishment of ancient
language courses and complete busi-
ness and vocational courses, would
solve the question. if separate edu-
cation is desired, if it were not for the
fact that the building at present
cannot accommodate all the boys.
All Boys Together
TO educate all boys in one build
ing would, of course, mean the aban-
donment of a distinctively technical
high school. an educational feature in
which we all take pride, though this
would not necessarily mean the doing
away with distinctively technical
courses. While some of us might re-
gret an absorption of this kind, ]
cannot see that such a course would
be prejudicial to the educational in
terests of the city. At least, in my
judgment, such change would not be
vital. AS to expense, [ believe 1t would
cost more. all the conditions which ]
have mentioned being taken into con-
sideration, to adequately house the
sexes separately than to provide one
general high school,"
Single and Double Session
Referring to single and double ses-
sions, Professor Downes says there
Is no remedy even in the enlargement:
OF facilities at Central High school and
said:
TO rent houses in the neighbor.
mood for the overflow from year tc
year would be, in my judgment, abso.
lutely out of the question; first, be.
cause such houses would not fulfill
legal health requirements second, nc
landlord would allow valuable prop
erty to be so transformed as to meet
these requirements; and third, ever II
he would, the value received would
not warrant the expense. A PROPOSE.
ton, such as was submitted few
weeks ago, to rent house and fur
nish and equip it for the teaching OF
domestic economy, is entirely feasible
however, for the reason that the build.
ing would not be used to seat stu
dents and the class sections in this
work would be very small
our double session arrangement is
not satisfactory. No double session is
satisfactory. But / am firmly of the
opinion not only that our present
uouDle session, especially since we have
reduced the length of each session by
a half hour, is far more satisfactory
with our present and our annually in.
creasing enrolment. than a single ses-
sion would be, but also that it is the
only feasible solution of the prob.
lem"
Cost of High Schools
On the cost of high schools, Pro-
fessor DoWneS after giving the cost ol
various high schools in the State, saws.