The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1917-12-06
EDUCATION BY MAIL
An Instructive and Interesting Paper Read Before
The Pierian Chautauqua Circle
By Mr. N.
By Mr.. ~.


Of course this is true in way,
and the best the correspondence
school can do is to advise its stu
dents in engineering, to find en-
ployment in the line of work
which they want to follow.
1t is mistake to assume that the
correspondence school is rival or
competitor of the resident school.
When properly conducted as an
educational institution the CORES
pondence school supplements the
work and extends the scope of the
resident school. 1t prepares for
resident college and professional
schools many persons who are not
able to attend resident preparatory
schools; and it enables many
others to continue to study in spite
of interrupted college courses.
These are some of the purposes
of education by mail. But the
chief purpose of the correspon-
dence school is to make practical
training possible, through home
study, to those whose early educa-
ton has been neglected or pre-
vented.
In the matter of cost it is diff
cult to make a fair comparison to
either the correspondence, or resi-
dent schools.
The two courses of study are
not parallel. The chief aim of the
correspondence school is to give
the student thorough instruction
in one line of work by which he
expects to earn his living; and it
makes each subject assist directly
to this end. The resident school
covers a broader field of study and
requires considerable amount of
work that is purely cultural; so
that it naturally takes more time
and money to complete course.
With this difference in mind, it is
easy to understand how a man,
who can not afford the broad train
ing of a resident course, can yet
afford the specific training in his
own particular line by correspond
ence study. Let US figure for a
moment the average cost of a
years tuition of resident school,
which is usually $50; in addition
the student pays each year, on the
average, .$25 for text books and
another $25 for laboratory and
other fees; thus the cost of his
course alone is 5000 a year, or a
total of $500 for the four years re-
quired to complete the course.
On the other hand, the average
cost in any correspondence school
for course would be about 500,
and will entitle the student to in
struction for five years if it would
require him that long to finish his
course. This estimate, however,
does not take into consideration
the fact that the student however
he gets his education, must live,
and living includes shelter, food
and clothing. But to his annual
college expenses of 5000. he would
therefore have to add his living
expenses for at least nine months
of the year during his four years.
study at college.
Now supposing he takes a course
in correspondence school, he will
continue to earn his regular in
come, and to live as he has been
accustomed to live.
The real mission of the CORES
pondence school is to place good
education in the hands of the man.
who for any reason is unable to at
tend a resident school. The man
who has others dependent upon
him for support is in no position
to throw up his job and spend
several years at a resident school;
yet he must have that training in
order to do the work that will en-
able him to earn a good living.
And here is where instruction by
mail has proved a great blessing