South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-10-04

inevitable. 1t is hardly possible to
teach these subjects at all without
adopting something like the precep-
torial method.
But in literature, history, economics.
government, philosophy mere lectur-
ing, or a mere combination of the lee
ture and the quiz L. to say the least q
compromise with inefficiency; often
little better than the farce descrl bed
in THE Harbor."
Insight, enthusiasm. comprehens'on
on these subjects, cannot be comm
Gated wholesale from one instru
TO 200 students, or from one to 90.
from one to 20, unless supplement-
by an intimate, personal relation OF
instructor and student
The Gift of Seriousness.
Hence the preceptOrial method
splits the class OF 40 or 200 for the
third hour of a three-hour course into
groups of five or six. Each group
meets in the professors study not for
lectures or questions and answers, or
marks in a rank book, but for CONVEX
sation, comparison of points of view,
confession and removal of difficulties.
Wherever that method is faithfully
worked the Indictment of our novel
lists instantly ceases to apply.
In every college from FIVE To 10 per
cent of the students have the capacity
70 take up a subject with what Scho-
penhauer calls real seriousness; to
live, and think. and feel, and work as
if for the time being that subject were
their supreme interest.
A live college has sharp eyes to dis
cover these men as soon as they show
signs of intellectual life At the first
opportunity, without waiting for the
graduate school. which nine-tenths Of
them would never reach, it offers them
courses limited to the six. eight 10.
II or A students. according to the ma
ture of the subject, and the number
of qualified candidates.
With the professor they work in
freedom; all intent on the subject; no
one thinking of marks There is keen
competition for admission to these Sc
lect groups and no one who is ad-
mitted would think of coming to a
meeting without having made the best
preparation for il and making such
contribution to il as his abilities are
capable.
The progress made by these select
groups, whether it be in English COM
position. the intensive study of a great
author, municipal government. mod
ern European history or geology. is
by leaps and bounds. Unlike the Hcti-
uOus zeal stimulated by money prizes
and individual hOnOrs. this natural>re-
ward for excellence is the incentive To
greater excellence. To him that hath
is given
Wherever worked. this system. even
more than the preceptorial plan, is an
amazing success. Every individual
within these little groups gives the lie
TO the accusations OF the novelists
Winston Churchill and Mr.. Poole
What Parents Don't Know.
The dean % a great university. after
seeing the working Of the combined
preceptorial and limited course sys-
tenn in small college. remarked:
How can you do work like this and
keep from being swamped by num-
bers?' The answer was: The aver
age American parent doesn't know.
and the average American prepara-
tory school boy doesn't care for the
difference between a good college ana
a poor one"
Where are the colleges that are
doing their work on these expensive
plans? | shall not tell. for they are
small and few. and if by any awaken
ing concern OF parents and students
for the real thing in education, as dis
unct from its statistical social and
athletic accompaniment. these few
little colleges should be discovered
they would instantly swell 10 such pre-
portions as would make these costly
methods OF vital, individual instruc-
ton impossible.
For. like all things excellent these /
policies are enormously costly. They
would bankrupt any institution that
did not have CD all its professors
alive with passion for their students
as we'll as Cor their subjects 90 at
least from two 20 five million dollars
endowment, and (3) only very few
hundred students on whom 10 expend
these men and this money.