The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-28
Schools Discussed
at S~chOOlmasterS' Meeting

w YIN UNA ICtVtlU, NFiu Ut fHS
Craftsman Cub rooms 6 Fast Thirty
inh 81 Get. February 10. 1915. Pres
ent about sirty members and guests.
IN the char President Arthur r. Wor-
rGn.
A LII things considered, American
~ teaching is IN a par with Eng
lish teaching-there are some
fields OF inferiority and OF superiority
on both sides-John n. Denbigh. prin-
, cipal Of the Morris High School, told
the Schoolmasters Association at their
2O1st meeting. when the topic for dis
cussion was Suggestions From Eng
lish Education for American schools. g
The point OF view of MIR. Denbigh,
who is of English birth and who re-
ceived both his school and university
training in England. was based upon
his experience AS a teacher for some
years in one of the best known public
schools" in England and for twenty
years as one OF the most successful OF
our high school authorities In this city.
iiis outlook was In every way hopeful
for the American system OF training.
Mr. Denbigh explained irst what may
be called the education Of the masses
and Their that of the ciasses--thoueh
ne did MOI use these terms. This di-
vision was extremely interesting to his
audience. which consisted OF the pri,-
cipais and chief teachers OF many OF
the nigh schools hereabout and OF the
head masters and their assistants from
many OF the private schools OF these
parts. The discussion which inter-
spersed and followed tho exporttjon
brought out some Of the best points
mus far In this season discussion
ton. ~
President Frank J. Goodnow OF John.
hopkins University. until recently the
ADVISER or the Chinese Governmen, II.
20 speak at the next meeting. on tho
third Friday in March, the 18Th ~,
suggestions From Oriental Educ,.
tnoh, rms gathering will also take
piaG' at the Craftsman Club rooms.
rms Is a very imperfect digest OF
MI benbigh's remarks
English education. in .pjte n, 10, ,n
parent lack OF organization. /. IN ~
eNtr'meiy Interesting condition. For a
lone ume the Germans have shat.r
the!r heads about us and the Colonial.
hernuse OF their observation a, w.
natures who nave rome to them 10 90.
zen iscouraTed. Since 1902. however
Ihlhgs nave been markedly on rho
nlc"u' Present proficiency In several
.rs nas oeen the cause of many
INVESTIGATIONS on the part Of foreign
United states. S"u 'he
me ErSlsh system is extraordinarily
i.neren' from the Organized ~pcrfa-,io,
or either the German or the Ere,ch
'Che'ncs. In comparison 4. 4. aino.
chaotic. aiH'oa'
The American mus, n-t come to ~.
ierstand a peculiar ~erenJo.to, H.
.erns. What the American under,a,ss
ny public schools is 20 the EnsIi.h.
nan mat group OF schools for the ed.
u'auon OF the common people. uhic,
ne knows largely az hoard school.
re ais thinks in this connection o. the
great body OF schools ma,n.aines hv
ire ehurch or ENGLAND. which dlNe-
ION the hoard schools" in that ,hey
ave oennite "'iefo instruction. What
ne tng'ishman thinks OF when yo,
say public schools Is that splendid proup
o, ~nSttution typined by Rugby, Eion.
Harrow and Winchester. Those ~.
'Hrgriy boarding schools. though a con.
siderable nunber OF day boys are ad-
'nitted. notably At Rugby. They ar-
talIen pubic schools he~,v. wow.
loi private gain. they gradually have
reached the point where PROFIT IL not
reaped ny N individual. hut :. de-
voted 20 the furtherance Of the work
% the school itself.
The schools Of the people may be
said 10 have had the interests OF the
Government INST In 1909. The the
masters and mistresses OF apprentices
were first obliged to give definite In
structton 10 the young people in their
employ. An attempt was also made At
the establishment az schools in factor.
IS. Government supervision. however,
~as distinctly desultory and the ma
1on as a whole may be said 10 have
been left to the mercies Of private ID
u~cation largely ursurerviscd
In 1870 the Foster bill. introduced into
Parliament, provided that the municipa,
authorities should elect school boards
and levy funds for the inst ruc.!on ~
children, and hat Parliament should
give an annual grant 20 scnoo,s so
tounded. II WAS provided that IN the
urban districts the rate PAYERS should
elect these boards. Finally il developei
through successive legislation tina.
school boa rds everywhere vera elected
by popular vote. and thus the syster
Of hoard schools'' may b- said 10 have
been established. This bill also gave
grants to two s~ocie,ies maintaining
schools in which there was religious
Instruction, A. FIRST there wae a good
deal Of discomfort because OF the dif-
terence OF the per capita cost OF in
struction IN these two types OF schools.
s., for example. in the board schools,
as against 50 in the voluntary schools
N'iAdiNh ~ y FIldllN lHeSe lhltt'
secured an increase Of grant. Cond!.
tons were unsatisfactory. however, un.
I'll 1899, when the local government bill
was passed. BY this was created =
county council and then the Central
Board of Education. Ry 1902 the county
councils had everything pertaining -
popular education in their control.
The chools OF the people were then
divided as follows: Infant schools. E Ia
: years elem -ntary schools. s to -
wears, and higher schools with elias
steal courseS). 10 to Is years.
The voluntary tchurch schools) SON
t'nue as before TO ave complete courses
from 3 years OF age through is years.
In ad,nipistr aiop they scrcded to the
demand for popular representation on
The board OF trustees. There are s2s
OF such schools In England, $40 of
which accept STATE aid
This glimpse OF the situation indi-
Gates how complicated u Ia. In Eng
land Il is recognized rs temporary. and
a great many Interesting experiments
are being tried. one marked gain is
the fact that the Central Board OF Edu-
'ation is now RECOGNIZED as a unifying
force It governs, however, only with
the consent OF the governed. and as yet
Is influence Is not wholly peryasivs
For example, In London forty-tvo
schools have withdrawn from the au
'hority OF the Central Board because
FOR their own reasons, perhaps a pecu-
lar course OF study or another govern
ing they desire to remain irde-
pendent.
Though q very large number OF ex.
perlments are being tried. a certain min,
mum course exists in al these schools
II includes English, literature. elemen