Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-20
Priuate Secondary
Schools Essential
to Complete System

schools? Would they have to remain
ut home would boarding schools,
public boarding schools. be provided
for them? Is it advisable to send hoy
and girls on TO school? Is it best to
have institutions where each boy is
dealt with as an individual rather than
rs one of type? Is there provision
in the public schools for the study of
the habits and ideals and principles
of the individual. adolcsccnt boy?
Does he need such study? Does the
public school make sufficient arrange
lncnt whereby the boy of exceptional
ability may use that ability? Why is
the American boy Of sixteen two years
behind the German boy of sixteen?
May not the private school help the
public school solve that problem? DO
the private schools train for good citi-
zcnship and in this way help to carry
the burden OF the public schools? In
consideration of these and many other
questions that might he asked, must
we not recognize the private school as
an integral part of our educational sys-
tom, without which that system would
he less effective. Such recognition is
one of the things that would help to
increase the efficiency of these schools.
PRESENT SYSTEM HAS NOT
PROVED SATISFACTORY
y man who has no personal knowl-
edge of schools and who wishes to en-
roll his son in school receives prac-
tically no help from our present method
of aCcrcditing schools. That many
have been misled by ii is a certainty.
II is the candid opinion of the writer
of this paper that our system in its
present stage of development is doing
more harm than good The system is
far better in theory than il is now in
practice Those who have been con-
stitutcd the authorities in determining
the matter OF which school shall be ac-
credited and which school shall not be
accredited, have at their disposal
neither the time nor the means TO do
justice either to themselves or to tho
schools or to those who wish informa-
ton about schools Not only is this
true. but the standards adopted by
the accrediting boards in the different
States and in the different sections Of
the United States differ so widely that
the system is of no practical value to
those who have reason TO compare
schools in different states or sections.
The Association of Colleges and Sec
ondary Schools OF the Southern States
has taken Il forward step in the ap-
pointment Of its commission on ac-
credited schools, thus extending one
standard to the entire South. ARE We
not ready TO go one step further and
favor the plan OF the Commission OF
Education, whereby the Bureau of Edu-
cation in Washington will he enabled
10 do this work on national basis :?
This work may be done either by "a
corps of inspectors or by requiring
sworn statements AS 10 results cduca-
tional such as are now required as to
results financial For the sake of IL
Illustration, such questions as there
| might be asked How many grad
yates during the past five years? How
many of these have entered college or
! other higher institutions? Name these
! institutions What percentage of the
classes undertaken by these graduates
! during their first year in college was
| successfully completed? Give the per-
ccntagc of students returning each
year for the past five years. etc. The
! commissioner has made application 10
! Congress for funds with which 10 do
this work.
REWARDS NOT ADEQUATE;
10 LABOItS PERFORMED
The private schools have not proved
money-making institutions. If the