New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-09
FLEXNER ATTACKS
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Tells Board of Education
Their Graduates Fail i'm
City's Tests.
LOSES FIGHT TO
KEEP EXAMINATIONS
Resolution Admitting "Outside
School" Pupils on Certificate
Adopted, 81 to 5.

huOptNA, Ut W -
The Board OF Education so AMENDED
its bylaws yesterday that graduates OF
elementary. parochial and other sc:ooiS
outside the public school system can
enter the high schools without having
TO take examinations. as in the pasi.
But such action was not taken before
DR.. Abraham Flexner, secretary OF the
General Education Board, and recently
appointed TO the Board of Education,
in a fiery appeal, warned the board
that it should insist on an investiga-
ton Of the private schools as re
termed them, to learn about their
courses of study and the efficiency o..
their teachers if examinations were not
to be required. AS to the principle re
was in favor OF no examinations.
Such an investigation was the desire
Of the CITY Superintendent, DR.. Will
lam II. Maxwell, but he said the an
thorities In these schools would not
permit it.
"Out of a total Of o,162 graduates OF
private schools certificated by their
teachers as At to enter the high
schools" declared Mr.. Flexner, "26 pe-
cent failed to pass their examinations.
OF those who entered the schools 10 per
cent failed later"
Arthur Somers took issue with Mr..
Flexner, and contended that the
amendment would make It possible for
the public school authorities TO pro-
scribe all schools that did not come up
TO the requirements.
There are 10000 pupils in schools
in this city outside the public schools" ,"
said Mr.. Somers. Their school build
ings represent cost Of 100000. I
think Mr.. Flexner is unnecessarily
alarmed, for the proposed amendment
states explicitly under what conditions
graduates of these schools can enter
the high schools"
these outside schools would not suffer
by contrast with those in the public
schools.
DR.. Maxwell declared the present sit
uation intolerable.
81 have recently seen the authorities
OF those schools" he asserted. "While
they said they would welcome us as
visitors they would not submit 20 an
official inspection. They were willing
To report on their courses Of study or
about the standing OF a particular
pupil. But under this ruling before tue
board we would not have the right 10
enter such schools"
Mr.. Flexner still maintained that the
wording of the amendment was not ex-
plicit enough. George J. Gillespie in
sisted it was. He declared this was a
question which had been before the
bylaws committee for two years, and
that the framing OF the resolution was
done only after the longest and most
careful consideration.
When the matter came to vote the
board adopted ii by 34 to ), Mr.. F'lex-
ner being one of the five.
The resolution was, in part, as fol-
lows:
Pupils who havo graduated from
schools other than the public schools.
provided such schools maintain an
eighthour course OF study substan-
TALLY equivalent to that pursued in the
public elementary schools, and pro-
vided such schools are conducted under
the supervision of recognized author
ity. may be admitted to high school in
like manner"
Regarding certificates it reads:
These certificates must be approved
by the district superintendent or other
official authority recognized by the
board Of superintendents in accordance
with regulations to be prescribed by
said board"
Or. Ira S. Vile and Miss Olivia Lew
entritt, a subcommittee on vocational
guidance of the high school committee
submitted a report 10 the board. in
which they asserted that there is a to-
tai lack of definite information on
vocational guidance. and made these
recommendations:
That public money should not be
spent for placement by the Board Of
Education.
THAT placement. or finding jobs FOR
children under sixteen. in the public
schools is essentially undemocratic, ana
that no further placement should be
organized at present"