New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-05-27
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM AT
FAULT.

THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM AT
FAULT.
Serious conditions in the High School
have been brought to public notice the
past week by the threatened revolt of
the Senior class because the members
felt that class honors had not been right
fully apportioned. 1t was said that one
of the class members had not been honest
in her work and had secured her marks
by unfair methods. The teachers and
superintendent found it difficult to be-
lieve the charges since the girl had
always been sincere and earnest
student, interested and Woodworking.
The girl firmly denies that she is guilty
of wrongdoing and there the matter
stands at this writing.
We should not mention the affair at
all if it were not for the lesson that should
be brought home to patrons of the
schools and also to the teachers employed
here. 1t is more than likely that the
matter will be smoothed over and for
gotten but before that is done several
questions should be asked and answered..
1t is not in the least important that this
one instance should be sifted thoroly.
II the girl is guilty she has already suffer
ed greatly for the fault. II she is innO-
cent, the accusations made by her class
mates are due to some misunderstanding.
The guilt or innocence OF the student
probably can not be settled to the entire
satisfaction of everybody and the matter
should be dropped with as little hard
feeling as possible-but let us ask why
any pupil in our schools should have an
incentive to use unfair methods.
That our school is full of cheating
as it is called is we'll known; has been
known for years. That it is worse than
other schools in this respect is not proven
but no one who has worked in the New
Ulm schools will deny that there is a
great deal OF dishonesty in securing
credits among the pupils. This does not
mean that the pupils are naturally dis
honestly no means. It merely sig
nifies that the system is wrong when it
induces dishonesty.
There the fault lies just as it does in
the bigger world. A wrong ambition is
set before the people. In the big world,
money and position are the goal which
all are taught to strive for-and to gain
at almost any cost. This breeds dis
honesty In our school system, credits
and honors are the empty rewards put
up at the end OF the race. High School
life is one mad scramble after another to
attain certain mark. To attain that
mark pupils must hew close to the line,
must all be run in the same mold, must
learn the same petty little facts in order
to answer the same petty questions at
the years close. The pupil, finding
the questions too many for him and
fearing the loss of his credits, resorts to
dishonesty because the system of forcing;
employed by parents and schools compels
him so to do. Is it the child's fault? No
indeed!
Let us ask ourselves also at this time
what should be the end and aim OF all
education? Should it not be to enable
US to live richer, fuller, better lives, to
give us broader outlook, truer culture,
greater capacity for enjoying and
understanding the experiences of life?
Can we attain anything like these re-
suits if we are all crowded into one class
and given the same lessons to do, when
the Creator furnished us with such
widely varying mental abilities? Would
it not be better to do away entirely with
the system of grading and attempt in
stead to find out early in the child's
school career what theCreator has meant
him to do in life? Does it matter greatly
whether your son knows his Latin lesson
thoroly when his mind is bent on some
mechanical contrivance and his fingers
burn to get hold of tools? What harm
will it do your daughter if she can not
figure higher mathematics if she shows
an aptitude for literature or history?
Why not help these girls and boys to a
clear understanding of their. own in
dividual capacities and thus equip them
for life with real education? Do this,
cut out the credit system, and you will
not be developing Cheats among our
pupils.