The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1917-08-04
EXPERT OPINION
ON EDUCATION
Standards Offered by Or. Jones
Of Federal Bureau.
FACTORS IN RACE BUILDING


Extraordinary Facts Relative to Grade
and curricIIa Of Our Schools Re-
veaied In Government Specialists
Roport-Of Higher Institutions Only
Three Warrant University Rank.
The section of DR.. Thomas Jesse
Jones' report dealing with higher in.
situations Of learning for our people
shows that Dr. Jones by no means
feels that agricultural and industrial
education are the only forms Of train
ing required for a people numbering
more than 100000. He does feel.
however, that there are number Of
institutions which are impairing their
value by trying to maintain collegiate
departments at the expense Of their
secondary training when the great
bulk Of their students are Of only Sec
ondary grade. He urges emphatically
that such institutions either give up
their college courses entirely and de-
vote themselves to the development Of
their secondary work or merge their
college department with those Of other
institutions in the same position. so
that a faculty and equipment really
adequate to fill collegiate standards
may be created Howard university,
Fisk university and Meharry Medical
college are, he says, the only three in.
situations which warrant classification
as universities.
"The presentation of the educational
and economic value of agricultural and
Industrial training should not be in
terpreted to be in any sense antago-
nistic to other phases Of education. 1t
is evident that the sound development
Of 100000 people requires every
type Of education. The colored people
must have well trained physicians to
combat insanitary conditions. They
need religious teachers who can direct
the emotions of the race for the moral
uplift of the group and for the i'm
provement of the community. They
require teachers who have q thorough
knowledge of the historical progress
Of races and an appreciation Of the
sufferings and disappointments through
which the nations have struggled to
their present position in world affairs.
The leadership Of the Negroes is de-
volving more and more upon the capa-
BILE men and women of the race. If
college education is necessary to the
wise guidance OF any group surely the
Negroes should have the benefit of that
education.
"a number of schools Offering col
lege courses have rendered a most val
liable service. This is especially true
of the institutions founded and super
vised by the cultured men and women
who went south to teach in schools
for colored people. Though the cur
ricula of these institutions may have
frequently seemed to overemphasize
the printed page in comparison with
the application Of knowledge to prac-
teal affairs, the daily conduct Of teach
ers trained in the best traditions Of
American life gave to the colored peo-
pie a more precious heritage than any
type of curriculum could have given.
Unfortunately most of the schools
with college courses are seriously
handicapped not only by lack Of funds,
but also by the small number of pu-
pills prepared to study college subjects
The facts on college and professional
education show that only three insti-
tutions have a student body, teach
ing force and equipment and an in
come sufficient to warrant the char
acterization of college Nearly half
Of the college students and practically
all the professional students Of col
lege grade are in these three institu-
lions. Fifteen other institutions are
Offering college courses which repre-
sent wide variation of standards.
Not more than 10 per cent Of the pu-
pills in these schools are in college
classes.
1.-THE extravagant and high sound
ing names Of a large number Of col
ored schools have led to a misconcep-
ton of the grade and type Of work
done by them. Frequently they rep
resent only the hopes of the founders.
In other cases the names have been
selected to satisfy the ambitions of
the colored people or to attract the
support Of the white people. Some
schools in their eagerness to offer col
lege courses not only hamper their
general work. but also bring ridicule
on efforts to maintain college classes.
Other institutions, impressed by the
great plants of the large industrial in
stitutions, spend so much energy and
money in acquiring machinery and
elaborate organizations as seriously to
impair their educational efforts.
1.-THE general poverty Of colored
schools, the conflicting claims Of va
rious types Of education and the pub