Bismarck daily tribune., 1915-12-29
Com. CLaxton Recommends
Educational Preparedness

| the raising OF STANDARDS Of required
preparation for teachers in states
and in the extension Of the means OF
preparing teachers in normal schools,
in departments Of education in col
lcgeS, and especially III teacher
training classes in high schools; in
tne increased attendance in high
schools; and in the differentiation of
work and the adjustmcn, or courses
Of study in schools Of all grades 10
meet the needs Of children of vary
ing ability and tic vocational life Of
the communities"
Reorganization Of High Schools
Some progress has been made
within the year in the reorganization
of the 12 years Of elementary and
high schools on the basis of two equal
periods of years each. There Is a
better understanding Of what college
standard should be, and colleges are
trying more and more TO adjust them-
selves to these standards. This is
made easier by the constant improve
ment of the public and private high
schools and especially Of the public
high schools.
'The elevation of the standards OF
professional schools is due largely to
the demand for higher standards in
professional life This has been ac
celerated by several surveys of pro.
fessional schools made by some OF
the great educational foundations"
Surveys.
"The demand for intelligent and
comprehensive surveys Of the equip
ment, administration, and work Of in
dividual colleges and schools and OF
state, county and city systems o,
schools continues. The purpose of
these surveys is not to find fault, but
to make an intelligent accounting o:
the schools and their results to tIe !
people who support them and are !
served by them, and if possible to
discover means of improving them
and making them render fuller
measure of service. Within the year
several very valuable surveys of this
kind have been made, and more are
now under way. The reports of these
surveys already constitute a unique
and valuable body of educational lit
crature."
Colonial Education Abroad.
In the foreign field, the Report dc.
scribes the experiments of European |
nations in education for colonial scr.
vice, the Importance of which has
been enhanced by the war: Great
Britain, with her !. universities and |
higher technical schools Interested IN
men for service In British
India; Eralce,s il tho Colonial
School" at Paris, colonial institutes
to- some of the universities,
and the "School Of Political Science,'
which lays special stress in its pro-
gram upon colonial affairs; Holland
which makes special provision for
study Of administration In tho East
Indian colonies; and Germany, with
the recently organized Hamburg Col
0nial Institute and it's elaborate pro
gram Of studies covering colonial
problems in every part Of the world.
1r The War and Education.
With regard to the war. DR.. Clax-
ton declares: "'rhe great war in Eu-
rope and the events. connected there
with have called attention TO the
need of preparation for defense
against possible hostile invasion aud
created new interest in military
,ducati0n., The war has affected mu.
terially the schools in the countries
lrcctly engaged in it and in a small.
,r degree the schools of other Eurr
Dean countries. The attendance a,
colleges and technical
schools has been much smaller than
in former years. Funds formerly
available for education are now tur,.
ed in other directions. Yet it is en-
to note that in some of tn.
at least, the appropriations
or public education are little, if any,
less than for the years Immediately
preceding the beginning of the war.
This shows the value which these
countries attach to public education
as an element of national strength"