The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-12-31
THE STATE UNIVERSITY
REMAINS At MOSCOW
WOULD ABOLISH ALBION NOR
MAL-sEGREeATIoN WOULD
SPOIL ITS EFFICIENCY.

There has been some fear expressed
at various times and through various
mediums that there was a move on
foot in the state board of education
to change the location of the state
university or to divide its work. All
apprehensions are laid at rest by the
report of the board, which has Just
been published. In this report the
commissioner has this to say concern
ing the matter;
In any case the question of the b.
cation of the university has never been
in the minds of the board as an issue.
Neither the board nor the commission
er have for one moment contemplated
even broaching the question of moving
the institution, nor have they taken
the smallest step in any Of their af-
fairs with the idea of leading in that
direction. They have been absolutely
faithful to the highest interests of the
institution just where it Is. An in
spection of the great concrete tunnels
built by this board to complete the
heating plant will furnish convincing
proof of this fact.
! Any proposal to diamember the in
stitution is also absolutely contrary to
the decided policy of the board; they
consider that . division of the highest
educational and research work would
be disastrous, both to economy of cost
and efficiency of operation. The first
report stated this idea in the clearcst
terms:
One Strong Report
On the other hand, the highest and
most advanced instruction can be con-
centrated, because few seek 1t, and
they will travel any reasonable dis
lance to obtain it, and are sufficiently
mature to be on their own respoLsi-
bility And it must be concentrated,
because duplication will involve great
increase in cost and lowering of effi-
cheney. This means one university
and only one in the state
And again:
But while the first two years o.
college work can be added to large
high school at comparatively small
cost, the advanced work of the upper
college years Is far more costly, both
in equipment and teaching force, and
should not be undertaken except
where abundant resources are avail
able. AS we have seen, this work must
be strictly concentrated in one institu-
ton"
Opposes Albion School,
AS to the other units of the state
system, the board has changed it's
opinion in but one case. 1t still con-
tinues to believe that it is for the best
interests Of the state that the normal
school at Albion be abolished, and that
the academy at Pocatello be strength
ened in proportion. 1t was the sug-
gestion in the former bulletin that the
Academy Of Idaho be combined with
the Pocatello high school and that the
Joint institution be made a junior COL
lege. This last idea is the one that
has been discarded. The board now
believes that because it would be diff
cult to enlist the support of the pa
irons Of both institutions for the COM
'hlned college, and because of the fact
that the Pocatello high school would
probably require an undue proportion
Of the money set aside for its support,
it is best to continue the schools sep
arate and to build upon the academy.
AS the two institutions will both
live, 1t will be necessary to arrange
duplicate the work of the other so
that the academy may supplemnt the
work of the high schools of the state
In case the normal school at Albion is
discontinued, 1t will be necessary to
meet the needs Of the state in train
ing teachers at the academy. For thi
reason it is the hope Of the board to
establish in Pocatello normal and
vocational school.
Aid for High Schools.
Celebrating on its former sugges
ton that state aid be given to the
high schools of the state, the commits
sioner states that it is the belief of the
board that the state should give spe-
cial aid to vocational work and secure
to the smaller high schools a more
just apportionment Of the school funds
The law providing for rural high
schools specifies that their courses
must include manual training, domes-
tic science nature study and the ele-
ments of agriculture, yet a study Of
the schools of this class in existence in
the state shows that but little atten-
ton is paid to this provision. Eleven
of the IS schools reporting show none
of these specified subjects, ,nly one
reports at all, while Is give foreign
llangua ye and four of the six four
year schools give both Latin and
German.
Further, the commissioners inves
| legations reveal that only five or six Of
the instructors in agriculture are spe-
cially prepared to teach the subject
Il few of the schools have any laboratory
/ at -zInn al