The weekly Alaska citizen., 1917-10-15
LECTURE ON SCHOOLS BY
 HENDERSON

uLlVDLNOUlv
 An American IS citizen of the greatest republic i'll the world, and d cItIzen uI the world said Hon. Lester Henderson ol the Territorial Board ot Education in an address last night delivered in the high school auditorium. Thrift education should be enlarged upon and the people should cooperate with instruc- tors to encourage every pupil of the public schools to have say lngs account. Statistics show so per cent of the population of the l.. $. is dependent on charity at the age of 55. Why. Because people do not save Teach the children the value of saving and economy and partially do away with the pres ent inequalities that are causing so much social unrest and unhappiness today
 Tn some lines the schools in Al aska have just as high standards as those in the States, while in other lines they are somewhat in ferior This is due to the fact that Outside they have an almost uni yerSal school system, while in the interior of Alaska it is more of unit system There is no reason in the world why Alaska should not have good schools, because the ter ritorial legislature has appropriated more money for the maintenance of public schools than any other State in the Union With the added ap- propriatiOn of this years legislature the schools ought to take an ad- vance toward efficiency more than eyer before If the community is not getting this efficiency then the plans of the Territorial Board of Education are not materializing.
 Fairbanks should be proud and you are to be commended at having so fine a leader at the head of your educational institution, also in having teachers of such creditable ability.
 The equipment in the school is very good, even above the average in some things But your chemistry laboratory equipment is inferior and should be improved Inasmuch as the chief industry of the country is mining, this subject ought to be well taught in q standard laboratory.
 "One feature lacking in the high school is that you have not enough instructors to make this an accrod- tied high school. The entrance re 1uirements of the University of Washington have been adopted as a standard for Alaskan schools, and these requirements cannot be met unless your high school curriculum is enlarged upon. If one more teach CT could be had for vocational sub iects at an additional cost of prob ably g 900 per year then the Fair banks high school would be accred tied at the University of Washing ton"
 Mr. Henderson dwelt upon the i'm portance of manual training and do mestic art, saying that these Voca- tions developed phase ot the pu- pills natural character and not touch ed in book education.
 Tt serves as concrete example of accuracy" he said. Mental train ing is not all we have to look for in a pupils education. but body and spirit should be cared for. Far banks needs physical training for the school. Another important issue that has been neglected here is the dental examination of pupils and medical inspection This should be taken care of at onre Also the compul- sorry law, compelling all children be- tween the ages of and 16 to attend public school, should be more care fully enforced. The legislature ap- propriated money for the enforce ment of this law last year.
 "A school board should not enter tain the idea of diCtating to the edu- cators in charge. True, they should adv ise and be sure they choose com potent teachers who make study of education, then feel satisfied to abide by their work Teachers be come more valuable year after year and the board should strive to get teachers who intend to stay on in definitely.
 Public school training is the only kind for democracy. An equality eX- ists in public schools that gives each pupil the same chance of seeing the world and choosing future Voca- tions. With the cooperation of the citizens of Fairbanks there is no reason why this city should not have accredited schools"
 Jim Warren, of Vault creek. ar rived in town yesterday He has been mining on the creek all sum mer and is taking his first vacation for some time