Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-05-23


the meeting of Piscataquis County
Teachers Association on the relation
ship of the New England college en-
trance certificate board to the pubic
school system.
Dean Stills as a representative OF
the hoard and an exponent of its prin-
ciples presents a view believed at va
rance with that of Names leading
education. particularly of the educd
tional department of the State. IN
this department il is understood that
tho nosition is taken that the boafa
On IT'S nlan and methods constitutes
menace TO our school system; that
an unofficial and irresponsible board
of This sort. not answerable to the
people in any way should not nay
~ iarqe a voice in determining the
educational curricula TO be followed by
thousands of our secondary schooi
students who will not attend cellese
and that the public school system
should be free to develop IT'S plan
and policies without the interference
of any board not recognized by law
nor held to public account.
The department however, is lleerai
in it's attitude and anxious to have
both sides of the question presented
to the public. For that reason they
have been glad to have Dean SiIls'
representative of the board and fair
exponent of its principles, speak at
the Dover Convention in reply to an
address given on the other SIDE by
State Superintendent Morrison oil
New Hampshire.
Dean Sils' Address
Dean Sills spoke as follows:
There is a story at present going
the rounds of Boston to the effect tnat
DR.. Gordon, at the New Old SOUTH
had remarked in recent sermon thae
Christians are the stupidest people
in the world; and that the ten year
old son of the President of technol-
ogy, in discussing the sermon at the
family dinner table, said, Father,
do YOU think that was quite taet1ui
of DR.. Gordon? There might nave
been a Christian . there" For fear
that the application of this story may
be too obvious l pass it by in haste,
after all the good doctor may have
been not altogether wrong IN MS
sweeping comment; and possibly al
times educators do not exhibit that
intellectual acumen which is supposed
to be characteristic of their profess
sion. We have lately had an exam
pie of what may charitably be called
a lack of clear thinking in an attack
made upon the New England Certih-
cate Board by the distinguished state
Superintendent of the New Hampshire
Schools. 1t is my purpose to point out
to you this afternoon few OF the er-
rors into which this gentleman has
wandered; not altogether for the run
of the thing, but to make sure that
those who do not admire the policy OF
the Certificate Board may at least
base their objections on reasonable
grounds. 1t is perhaps needless TO
add that / am not here of my own
volition. college professor trained
in academic calm Is no meet antag-
onist for a public official used to the
storm of controversy; but, to be per-
fectly frank, / was indignant at the
tone and spirit of the address which
Mr.. Morrison delivered at Gardiner
two months ago, and Mr. Payson
Smith who is a fair minded opponent
of the Certificate Board has granted
me the privilege of appearing before
this County Convention and talking
on a theme which may not be of par
ticular interest to all of you here as
sembled. | appreciate his courtesy
and 1 crave your indulgence. I dc
not propose to answer all the criti-
cisms made by Mr.. Morrison in his
attack on the Certificate Board, but
it may interest you to know that the
Secretary of the Board, q professor
at Wesleyan University and account
ed in the academic world as not only
one of the broadcast, but one of the
fairest minded college administrative
officers, remarked at recent meeting
of the Deans of the New England
Colleges that there was not in Mr.
Morrison's attack on the Certificate
Board a single statement of fact
which could not be controverted by the
officers of the board, And yet that is
the sort of address and that is the
sort of official that seems to win pop
lar approval Mr.. Morrison has stated
if l interpret his remarks correctly
that the Certificate Board is unjust
to the small schools; that the Certii-
cate Board is unjust in basing its
conclusions upon the records OF
the first semester only; that the
Certificate Board is arbitrary and un'
reasonable in dropping a schoo
from its list; that the question of GER.
tification TO college is not a New Eng.
land question but a state question
and that therefore the colleges making
UP the board are acting as a trus
for their own benefit and without re-
gard to the interests of the public
schools; and that finally the board ha.
not. and ought not to have, the con
f1dence of the public at large.
propose TO discuss these matter.
seriatim. But back Of all these de
tails there is a distinct difference il
the point of view of what the college
stands for. and one must keep thi.
difference in mind throughout oul
discussion; because at the heart of tn,
whole matter is our Interpretation anC
Mr.. Morrison's Interpretation of wha
the college Is. To return then to tn,
first Of these points,-that the Certif
cate Board is unjust TO the small