New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-17
DR.. DANA JOINS
ATTACK ON ELIOT
Neurologist Speaks of His
"Mortuary Touch" on
Education.
CALLS COLLEGE MEN
HALF EDUCATED
Tells SchOolmasters He Fea,s
Scientists Would Class Grad.
yates as Feeble. minded.

The Schoolmasters' Association Of New
York and vicinity met last night at the
Yale club but this collegiate environ
n.ent did not brighten of Dr. Charles Ia
Dana, one OF the speakers, from shying
few scathing remarks at American col
leges and college men, accompanied by
sundry hard slaps at the prep schools
that get folk into college. In fact. ne
even raised the question as 70 whether.
under scientific rules of classification. col
lege graduates were not 10 be Listed
among the feeble minded. Or. Dana Is
neurologist
I'm the past" he said. II have had only
a good impression OF secondary schools.
IL seemed 10 me these institutions fur
nished the one fright spot In rather
gloomy educational world They have sent
out a distinct radiance between tns
dawdlng policies OF the elementary
schools and the crudity and foolshress
of the rev American college education.
particularly stree II felt the mortuary
touch CT DR.. Eliot thirty years ago.
Some schoomasters question whether
the methods and work of the schools
make boys nervous and cause mental
breakdowns. No. I 90 not know any
group Of human beings whose minds are
less overtaxed. except college students
The trouble is you don't break the boys
down enough. Compared with the boys OF
England, France and Germany. at the age
OF fifteen years they are nearly two years
behind.
1aI
broken down: they are rot really educated.
Indeed. education is not the purpose Oh
our secondary schools. 1t is 70 nj them TOT
American colleges. Now, as according 10
the Binet-Slmon scale. children, If three
years behind in mental age, are feeuie-
minded. are not our boys at eighteen oah-
gerously near faulty? And since III All
American college this mental retaroauoh
F, is not lessened. but as rule Increased, II
follows that our American graduates DE-
long to the feeble minded classes.
| DR.. Dana said that he acqultteh INC
.choolmasters Of the blame, as they had
IN follow the tasks set for them. He said
| that what was needed in secondary edu-
cation was greater intensity OF study anu
longer school terms. The average schooi
wear here he said. contained from soV 10
| 900 hours work, as compared with l'AVV
hours in Germany, where the boys are
kent more steadily and intensively a.
work. while In America, he said. there Is
a lot Of sickly sentimentality when iears
TO let pupils work enough and allows
them to stay away from school for the
slightest indispositon.
al
NOT dangerous. but is beneficial. and there
is really no limit to the mental work "hich
can be got from boy. Passing 10 ms
refrain OF criticism Of the colleges ne
continued:
1--WE all know a college boy is not edu-
Gated He does not want 10 be. He
tst wants to graduate. to make MS letter
| or his secret society, and the result or TINS
superfciality is showing its marks on our
social and political life to-day. II Is OFTEN
said that. although the American youth
docs no. know so much about scholastic
learning he is better acquainted with tine
world-and. may add, with the nesn anu
the devil"
| DR.. Rowland Godfrey Freeman SPOKE
on THE Physician and the Teacher
The relation of the physician 70 schooi
management. he said. was rapidly oecon-
ing more intimate. with advantage TO all
concerned The laboratory men, ne saio'
had shown that mentally deficient chill
dren who would otherwise grow TO De
idiots three feet high could be brought
I'D by special methods TO be almost nor
NAL.
He said that indoor schools were chiefy
| responsible for the spread OF contagious
diseases. which was almost done away
with in open air schools. II was coming
IN he recognized, he said, that all diseases
we're spread by the sputum. and that not
only diseased but exposed children as
,all shorld he excluded from the schools