The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-11

u nome.
Thus speaks Porter E. Sargent
edition Of the Handbook of American
We, government control OF education
,s relatively modern. continues MI. SAT-
GENT AND even to-day in conservative
Fucland II has lite opponents. AZ We
nav, elsewhere more fully shown, UP 10
me time OF our civil war practically al
ou- schools hevond the elementary were
.-eanizeS and supported by private I'M
alive The elementary schools and Lhtin
grammar schools o. Colonia dAvs' IL u
tine. were from the earliest timer sup
ro-ted by general taxation. Sut the
modern high schools which. not without
exposition At fi-st. have multiplied so
-an,dlv IN the last half century were
N. result Of a demand frs; stimulated
>, the nlder private academies. whose
success had demonstrated the ~desirhnilitS
n. higher education for the masses.
IN every branch of education which
r,ov has public support individuals nave
Originally taken the initiative Rnc private
.rte-r-ise mas frst demonstrated the
worth NJ eaCh educational departure 10
~. community Tine vholeeome con-
4e-va,isrr of government throws the
burden Of proving n thing gooc upon
,,1tv,auais md societies" The early
sr0-te lDWhTa wv t9if
r-s the first k~indergartens. the intro
ouction o. manual training were born
~ nersnnal conviction. f~ostered by Tri-
ret. associations. and only
won the puhllc recognition and supper
~. n-s, art schools and museums. the
.-st Evmnasiur1s. the frst technical
.rnnols were all the result OF individual
initiative and private cooperation.
50 eager have the American people
heer fnr education. 80 open minded mas
neeu the public to educational advance.
I'M, our public schools have long beer
eet-ier, enough to satisfy the major
needs OF the public. The very excellence
o. Guy public schools has led us 10 ex-
pee, rom them the impossible. ou-
.4urationai machinery has been over
lna d-o with tasks II was Inadequate TO
~r.-'o-rr Hence we have been hearing
% me breakdown OF our educational
system" and the failure Of education
- educate" We are learning that; the
public school cannot remedy defects due
r. early home neglect and cannot rer-
form functions for which II is unadapted.
There remain 8 lingering belief. not
wholly urwG--Anted. that somehow the
hov on the farm and the Girl at the
spinning wheel o; q few generations ago
received traininr winch mnde for char
acier not equalled ny the efforts OF our
highly systemstized public schools to-
dsy. A few private schools are now
attempting 70 reproduce ~ anne extent
the beneficial conditions OF those sterner
sturdier days o. the past In other
quarters "a tendency mas arisen 20 break
away from the old Journalism In school
life which 10 seer reflected IN the New
School movement.
Yet educators have been asking them
-xt... z.Aa -. -. - .4-E. 49,.
st!ll have any reason for being The
reports Of The national and State com
MISS one-s Of education have given scan;
attention TO the private schools The
pedagogical departments Of the universi-
les NANTES. a tendency 10 look down
Upon che private schools as mere money
making institutions of little vital ,mpor.
lance IN a great democracy.
There would be no private schools
n The public schools were al that could
he desired. Bu: to-day We find the pr.
yste schools more alive. with a NOR,
rapidly growing patronage thar for dec.
AIDES past. The last issued report Of the
Bureau Of Education gives the total al
enrolment in private schools in the yea
1854 as 154,I51. II lists .Ise pr.vat.
secondary schools. o: which 1859 wer,
under dsnomlnational control, sis Ro.
man Catholic. II. Baptist, 100 Epis
opal &c Methodist. 6S Presbyterian. 81
Lutheran, with h score OF other sect.
represented. This list was by no mean,
complete. 70. the Catholic Educations
Association lists 1875 Roma Catholic
schools as engaged In secondary work
- private schools tor special work II
music. art business, kindergarten train
ne and the Ike, there are prohabl,
vice as many more New schools arr
ertsblished AND Old ones become de-
fuurr each year, hu, the number is in
teasing, In FIVE recent years the enrol
mont Of the private schools Of The u
~ increased - per cent. while hi
''uhlir school enrolment in the sam,
10 Increased hut - per cent
= is not sufficient 10 asCrib- II pop
1.ar.'y Ia the increase OF wealth and
willingness Of parents to meet ne fec
e the private schools. For the parent,
- these children the education provided
by the Government was not acceptable
l. Is true that IN a private school q
pupil receives more individual attention
and that many Of the private schools
make This one Of their chief claims 70,
u~a'rorare, Maintaining d ratio n a.
N'Eh as one teacher TO ten pupils, anc
.E special cases much higher. The pub
'. schools must from necessity eruplo,
, uor- democratic and mschiIe-l!k'
'.TTN - Instruction. For me kpecia
raining mat has been necessary II
r7'er me older universities the private
son0ri IL Sun almost essential, 50 tina
~ find recently a. Princeton 50 pc
~' a. Yale 20 per cent al Harvary
n per cent ~ the students were pre-
pared at private schools.
The private schools, generally speak
Z attempt much more than the publ
Pa huols are permitted 10. The Govern
.s"t has assumed responsibility Of pro
vidng free education of certain kinds
-aryiuE somewhat III different State
.r1 localities. kind.rCartens are under
ken At public expense In one reg on
hHl not In another. University @tuca
IN g. freely provided IN the Woster'
~'a,es. but not in the East. Military
'ecnr.Cal. commercial open air, do'nes
~" science and physical culture school
ave appeared always as private enter
~'ses. Generally speaking, higher edu
alton IN music, art, expression, physica