Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-02-25
Former President Would
Establish National uni
versity at Washington
FOR STANDARDIZATION
Too Much Now Left to Annual
Reports. Yale Professor
Tells Teachers.

Cincinnati Ohio. Feb. 25.-Advoca-
ting a plan which would make a ma
tional standard OF education practical
by charging the bureau OF education
into a university. consisting Of a
corps OF experts. VINO would pass upon
the efficiency. throughnezs and econ
omy o. various school systems. Pro-
fessor William Il. Tart. OF Yale uni
yersity. former president OF the
United States. addressed the depart
mont OF superintendeuce of the Ma
tiOnal Education association here to-
day. He said iu part.
The cause OF free public education
is more sacred and Of more fuudamen-
tai Importance than almost any other
before our people. II Is one that awak-
ems the profound interest Of the people
and commands the greatest and most
willing self sacrifice by the taNpaying
public. The consequence of this fer
sor is that our school systems are not
as much sCrutinized as they should be.
Indeed 90 Is now difficult for the public
of q community 20 learn the facts as
% the thOrOughness OF the discipline
and OF the knowledge impaired in
their schools or OF economy In the ex-
penditure OF their funds devoted 10
education
Parents are themselves not quail
fed 20 pass upon the result OF a pub
lie school system IN town. county.
or district in such a way as 20 make
e
there is great opportunity Tor sloddy
IN the product concealed under
cloak OF preteuuous curriculum and
glowing annual reports.
what we need i'm the country is an
opportunity for Standardization and
comparison OF school systems iu the
different states and different cities.
This. ] think We might have by es-
tabiishiug what Washington recon-
mended-a national university in
Washington.
The bureau OF education might
wei be enlarged into a university
which should not be a teaching uni
versity. but one with "a corps Of ex-
perts who could offer 10 the people OF
al the states and the people of all
local communities. the opportunity OF
having their respective school sys-
TENS examined and reported on as 10
proper scope. efficiency. thoroughness
and economy. The same university
should hold periodical examinations
in convenient parts OF the country
which any person might upon payment |
o. a small fee take and II successful |
receive "a certificate equivalent TO a Z
degree in certain established courses. {
"All this would be voluntary; but 1
II the system were impartial. thor
oueh. and wisely severe as II should I.
be. the value OF the reports and the T,
value OF the certificates would be 4
come great They would assure the I
people OF community that they were 4
getting their moneys worth from a 4
school system officially approved by 4
such a university. and by assuring !
them. that the graduates OF their 1
school could obtain degrees from such 1
examinations. Thus We should soon .
have a Standardization OF our school (
systems OF the highest value.
The pressure OF the taxpayers up
On their particular school authorities,
10 apply for an examination and re-
port would be so great that il would
soon become equivalent 20 a compul-
sorry system II would eliminate
shoddy. pretense. and show; would
minimize exploiting and publicity
methods: and woulI give a proof OF
and comparative high
standing that would be incontestible.
tried 20 secure larger appropriations
IN my administration for the bureau ]
II education with a view Of beginning
he system in a small way. but was