Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-11-13

be erected, by authorities 50 eminent
as to command respect and attention.
which will in years to come prove OF
value to the institutions themselves, to
the membership of the board OF educa-
ton. and to the people as "a whole. In
making this request the board followed
the example Of certain other states
which have found such educational
surveys of great benefit.
THE commission which Mr.. Claxton
gathered for the Iowa survey was one
Of unusual strength, and the thorough
ness and high quality Of the work
which it has done as respects the Iowa
educational situation, can be fully APP
preciated only by those who will take
the time to examine it in detail. The
estimate which the bureau of educa-
tion places upon the commissions re-
port may he gathered from the fact
that the bureau now proposes to print
1t as government document on edu-
cational subjects. 1t is regarded by
the bureau as of so great value ana
Importance that the whole country
ought to have the benefit of it, and not
Iowa alone.
The state board of education, in
asking for this survey, was not UNI,
mindful of the fact that we have GER
tain difficult educational problems in
Iowa which are in a sense peculiar to
ourselves, and that these questions
have awakened in the recent past
some serious controversies, which have
been disturbing to our educational sys-
tenn, and which the board had no de-
sire or intention to reopen. There
FORE. the board attempted to limit the
scope of the Investigations Of the sur
vey commission so as not to touch up
on these controverted subjects. But
after proceeding for some distance
with their work. the survey commits
sion came to the board Of education,
and stated that their report would be
Of little value unless they were given
free hand to consider the whole situa-
ton, in all it's aspects; and upon this
showing the board Withdrew its orig
inal limitations and bade the commits
sion proceed in its own way.
The commissions report, as now
given to the state board of education
and to the public. is full. free and
fearless. 1t Is certain to be Of inn
mensl value. The board of education
wishes To say quite frankly, however,
that so far as the more radical recon-
mendations sof the report are concern
ed, 1t has no Intention OF putting such
into effect except as
they may win. thru their merits, the
approval of the educational public, and
the broad minded cooperation Of the
themselves. The report
gives us clear view Of ourselves as
outside educators, unaffected by local
conditions, SEQ us. It's whole tenor Is
so impartial and so disinterested as to
command high respect, even where lit
Fails fails gna agreement II affords rich
food for thought to all those who feel.
with the board of education. an earnest
desire that these great Iowa institu-
tons Of learning shall develop along
linesS which will cause them TO rank
with the best of their kind and class,
s iCenrn1ission 's Report. Z
"A summary of the report, prepared
by Or. Capen; secretary OF the survey
follows:
In the latter part OF February. ,1s15.
the lows stat hoard OF education re.
quested the assistance Of the United
States bureau Of education In the
preparation OF budget Tor the thres
state higher institutions under the
boards control. Its invitations to tho
commissioner of education. in addition
to rehearsipg the recent history Of
the Iowa state institutions and sug-
gesting the matters on which 1t wished
advice, stated specifically:
THAT the state board Of education
has no desire to reopen the o-ordina-
ton question in the sense Of combining
the colleges Of engineering and home
economics as organized at the State
University Of iowa and the Iowa STATE
College Of Agriculture and Mechanic
Arts, or the abandonment Of the col
lege courses at the Iowa State Teach
,ers' College but the Iowa state board
OF education would like to know
whether it would be possible, without
resorting to such radical action as
mentioned above, to reduce duplica-
tions.'
AS general guide for the investi-
cation. the board presented the COM
missioner Of education with memo
randum requesting that inquiry be
made into the following matters:
1. Duplication in courses in educa-
ton and psychology between the State
University and the Iowa State College
Of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts.
2. The extent to which courses in
!Eberal arts are offered att the Iowa