The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-04
Fly l.. O. DAWSON

could enter the college whose doors would
 be shut to the former Why put all chill dren in the same sort of mold, anyhow
 and turn them out in regulat ton shape without any regard to Individuality or personal equipment for college work? Like
 plugs of tobacco, must they all be just alike bearing the same shape and the
 same stamp? Are we molding or educat- ing? We need standards, high standards,
 but is standard a thing to measure by,
 or mold within which to shape all things alike?
 It is possible to obtain in a three
 teachered" school that is if 1t is high schooD unit in agriculture. The teacher in question may not know milk COW
 from a treshng machine, but if she will teach what is in ,the book the pupil can
 set his unit. A bright-eyed boy from the farm who knows more about the farm in , particular and agriculture in general than the teacher in his school. the profess sor in his college, gets credit for his
 knowledge because Ghink of itD it was not acquired in 'three-teachered' school!
 Those of us who believe that admttance
 into a college should be gauged by the
 ability of the student to pursue a given course of study, cannot help noting that given units do not always represent the | same thing. We spoke of the nine months. I know of units that have been gained in a shorter period, not because a given subject was finished in less time, but because there was no more time in which to teach the subject. And of other units l I know that were given. not because a subject was thoroughly mastered but be- cause the course was finished after totally emitting much of the textbook required! l We all know of some units that represent nothing whatever so far as knowledge I>f -lf tc te | concerned, and we know of schools whose l catalogs demand units in learned tones | into whose classes, nevertheless, students have entered who had no units at all. l | do not criticize their admission. If they | gave evidence of ability to pursue the | course prescribed by the college they ought to have been admitted. But if this I be true, why have the rule?
 | I am led to write these words because I honestly believe that our system of
 education is being greatly damaged by I this arbitrary and artificial standard. l There are many students seeking units
 instead of knowledge. It is not a theory, but fact that often mature students
 seek this artificial standard rather than
 a comprehensive knowledge of the sub I ject they wish to pursue, and if this be
 true of the matured mind. what are we | to expect of the. great mass of thought | less youth?
 1 It takes a long time for boy to pass through the grammar school, the high
 school, the college and the university 1 There are many who believe it takes more time than is necessary. To fit a man to think and to equip him for life 1 does not mean that he must be carried
 over given field every time and crammed ] with certain amount of information however useful that information may be There are boys and girls who have never been put into the moding machine fresh from the country or from the hand oi
 some masterful teacher, who are equipped
 to master the curriculum of any college We have known them to do it. There
 are many college presidents and profes.
 sors in our schools today who did it but who could not have entered college when they did. nor graduated as they did. if their teachers had required oi them units instead of ability to begir
 and succfssfully pursue a given course
 to it's end.