Gunnison news-champion., 1916-10-06
WHT THE NIGH su00t !!

- .. N. D NeWo-A0ttet.-
The high school is for every rssson-
ably normal boy " girl Who = villisg
to attend it and to attempt. In good
faith. to profit BY the opportunities
offered therein. II ID not . winpowing
device for the purpose Of eliminating
all except those most highly favored BY
natural gifts. material wealth. and lsis-
urs for self-cultivatioo; il il rather m
institution which must raise to . higher
level Of intelligence all Who honestly
apply-those destined for manual pur-
suits. who have little time to spend in
school. and who must soon become
bread winners, - well ~ those looking
forward to professional careers snd
possessing time and talent for scholarly
sttainments. In other words. Il is and
must ever be . democratic Institution
in the truest sense Of the term. lts
watehword must be service to the com
munity through the adequate reeogui-
ton and enlightenment Of the individual.
As working center. therefore. the
high school must not be difficult Of
aecesA 1t must, on the contrary. b
the easiest and most natural plaes for
any boy or girl to enter Who 10 seeking
guidance toward . favorable adjustmsnt
to the complexities Of the civilization
Of the times. The high school must
have no iron-clsd standards - to the
subject-matter. length. and method Of
the courses offered, except - these and
other elements entering into the pro-
gram are determined by the needs Of
the individual and the work that he 10
to perform in the community after be
leaves the school.
This 10 only another way Of saying
that the high school must cease to wor-
ship tradition and so-cslled standards
and all the other idols, big and little,
and must exert itself for the benefit Of
the greatest number.
In meeting It's responsibility to the
individual il 10 the business Of the high
school to discover and use every pos
sible agency for appreciating the indi-
vidual. This 10 the supreme business
Of the principal and the teachers. Some
method must be devised whereby .
thorough knowledge Of the child's
physical and intellectual capital shall Be
known. for these things determine his
strength. Besides this the environ
mental and economic Inheritance Of
each pupil. and sbove al, his peculiar
individual interests must be clear to the
high school authorities, for these things
figure chiefly in determining the voca-
tional outlook Of the student; and the
vocational outlook, the life motive, 10 the
desideratum that must give the aim
and significance TO nearly oil that the
pupil does in school. This qualification
to NEARLY all" ID made advisedly, for
although the vocational motive b po-
sitive factor also in training for leisure,
the high school must plaee no limita-
tons upon any boy or girl. Any stu
dent Who ehcos:s =: art TOR. Or music ~ Or lsnsu-
boy would say. must have that privilege.
SS ,Ss.s 3. s: sS q :S. n: ns school
long - that individual can proiit s. the
work Of the department either for
health or vocation OF culture. Il is
right. therefore. that every high school
seek to find for every pupil, through .
discriminating personal analysis, the
key to his physical well-being. his vo-
cational well.being, and to Increasing
his capacity for noble enjoyment.
But the function Of the high school is
not completely realized through . study
of and service to the individual alone.
II 10 the business Of education to bring
the pupil into possession Of his social
environment. The high school must
therefore know this environment, and
must prepare to serve tbs pupils by
virtue Of having made surveys civic,
economic. industrial, vocational, etc.
In this way only can there b any in
telligent connection made between the
pupil and society. To be concrete. IL 10
necessary for the high school to know
markets, public utilities, and conditions
of production and distribution, first
hand, before It can give worth while
instruction In economies: TO make Q
success Of civics il must have in its IA
Guilty men and women who participate
legitimately In civic affairs, and It must
present realities for study. In these
studies and every other study the social
contact must be made. The boys and
girls must BE- induced 70 20 out into the
community and under careful guidance
discover fhe fundamental applications
Of physics and chemistry, t6e reasons
Why Il makes difference Who ID elected
mayor or alderman, and why and how
the producer and ultimate consumer
are cheated, II they are. In fact, most
Of the material used il the high school
courses II rendered vital and meaning
ful only when the school acts upon the
principle that the curriculum il grow
ing and changing continually and that
the high school which does not modify
and reconstruct any formal list Of
studies by reaching ont into the COM
munity for light upon every subject, isl
not fulfilling its mission.
The best individual is The one whom
careful tuition has led to become his
best self, not another. Il 10 marvellous
what . bit Of sympathstic study and
sane guidance Of Tommy Jones can
make Of him. The best community isl
the one made efficient By having sent
into it some good carpentsrs and plumb
ers and farmers and doctors and statef-
.-k- L.. f-a