Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-09-07
WHY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL ?
Enables Wiser Splitting Up of
Years of Study.
DR.. J. r. Brown Explains Vermont =
New Systcm-Scvcrnl states Have
Junior High schools Now
States Is the Cd Plnn.

j. F. Brown of New York, Phi. D., for.
mer instructor at Teachers College, CO.
iumbia University, outlined for the Free
Press Friday night while in town brief
history Of tho high school movement and
the Junior high schools reason for being
Mr.. Brown was recommended by Or. Milo
y. Hilegas, State commissioner of educa-
ton, who announced Friday evening his
plans for Junior high school system in
the State.
The junior high school says DR. Brown,
r. an outgrowth during the past ten years
1T cannot be definitely traced through a
longer period than that-of efforts to solve
the problems arising out of defects in the
existing high school system which, as
Or. Brown put it. like Topsy simply
growed." Fourteen years of age was
found to be unsuitable because at that
age the greatest change in the nature or
the pupil took place 1t Is a transition pc
riod when the boy is casting about in his
mind what he will do and when he Is in
clined TO break away from the old moor
ings. Twelve was found to he much
better age because the boy could then de-
eide while still in the studying mood
whether or not he wanted to pursue a
course leading To preparation for college,
and the abrupt break was avoided. 1T
was possible to arrange his course Of
study more advantaEeously on the new
plan. and in a more balanced way
The high school began, It may he said,
In Boston, Mass, with the English clas-
steal school which was the first public
high school in America in anything like
the sense we use the term. Before it
there had been private academies, which
had no idea of preparing young men for
college and Latin grammar schools The
latter stuck to their original form, but
the former were obliged sooner or later
to give college preparatory courses along
with the other courses which did not pre-
pare. BENJAMIN Franklin was one Of the
hrst to establish an academy.
The English classical school. unlike the
others. gave free instruction. and it eX-
listed side by side with its rivals for sew
eral years. But some of It's instructors
were college-graduated and this tended to
lend a college atmosphere to the school
40 that insensihly the students emulatCd
the teachers and wanted to go to college
The junior high school has been really
evolving for many years The example of
Germany may have influenced the public
school system in the United States
There the gymnasium takes the boy n
nine years Of age, or maybe 10, and takes
him straight through the usual eight
grammar school and high school courses
so that he is ready for the university
when he leaves it.
This solved the problem of the proper
time of division, this and experience and
studies which already had been made. Al
least it proved that avoidance of an ab-
rupt change in study at Il years Of age,
was wise
The junior high school has been stead
lily growing in favor since 1t got a foothold
in the public school system of certain
States. There are still various views as
to the proper kind of division Of the 1c
years or so Of the child's study pc
Rod, and discussion is rife The
usual form is 6-3-3. by which is meant
that the child should have six years of
study including say the kindergarten and
the grades on up through all but the
last two Of the grammar school course.
three years of junior high school which