Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-04-25
CULTURAL STUDIES IN
SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Members of Vermont Section of
New England Classical Asso.
citation Argue for Continued
Teaching of Latin and Greek
-Flexner Theory Ridiculed

The twelfth annual meeting of the Ver-
mont section Of the New England Classical
association was held on Saturday In the
Williams Science hail. The meeting was
opened by Acting President Perkins of
the university, who welcomed the visitors,
his belief in the value Of the
classics both as an instrument for mental |
discipline and for broader culture. The |
so-called practical point Of view is wrong, !
he said, in the study of any subject. since |
all subjects are practical which fit one
for life.
THE CLASSICS IN FRANCE.
The Rev. ]. M. Herrouet of st. Michaels
College gave an interesting account Of the
place Of the classics in the schools and
colleges of France. He pointed out that
the situation there is very similar to ours
in that changes which have been made In
the curricula had resulted in less stress
being laid upon the study Of Latin and
Greek, until now 1t was possible to obtain
the baccalaureate without either subject.
The suppression Of Latin and Greek and
the present arrangement by which, as
with us. st dents are compelled to make
selection Of courses before they have ar
rived at any maturity Of Judgment. have
proved unsatisfactory. The graduates of
the so-called modern and scientific courses
have shown themselves to be inferior to
their elders, both in the advanced study
Of the sciences and in the world Of bust
ness, since they lack broadness of In
telligence and depth Of judgment. and
they lack also the ability to express their
ideas clearly and logically and to write
their own language correctly. Even In the
present situation, however, more time is
given to Latin and Greek than we give
to them, and the supremacy of the classics
in France is assured for a long time to
come by the fact that the French people
realize that they owe to them the existence
of their own~language with its qualities
1 Of clearness, precision. and elegance and
much of the inspiration of their literature.
The second paper of the morning was
presented by DR.. ]. w. Abernethy Of
Burlington on "Flexnerized Education"
He said:
FLEXNERIZED EDUCATION.
We are engaged in an educational war
which in its main issues Is strikingly
like the great war in Europe. Science
and materialism are arrayed against the
humanities. The struggle is between the
higher and the lower instincts of man.
tn mind and soul against the appetites.
moral and spiritual, is threatened with
submersion by the rising flood Of practical
and efficient materialism. The most con-
spicuous attack upon the established
educational ideals is the pamphlet en-
titled 1.-THE Modern School," written by
DR.. Abraham Flexner. and published by
the general education board. This
pamphlet has attained a remarkable
celebrity. in view of the fact that the
author has no reputation as an educa-
tional leader or philosopher. But he
speaks with the voice of thirty million
dollar foundation, and he voices wide
spread discomfort and popular demand for
the more material results Of education.
His pamphlet is revolutionary document
written with the skill Of a willy politician
operating to obtain votes from the
unthinking populace. His method OF
reform Is that of the Bolsheviki be-
ginning by destroying everything In
sight and ending in chaos. His In
struments of persuasion are arrogant
and unwarranted assumptions. popu-
lar prejudices and logical camouflage
He denounces nearly everything In the
present school curriculum as "tradi-
tional" and for him everything Is
traditional that dates farthur back
than day before yesterday. History
the classics. literature are useless be-
cause they deal with the past. The
education Of the student must be con
filmed ito the world he lives in." thai
is. tho world of to-day. with no yes
terday or tomorrow, a world divestet
Of the experiences Of the past and In
different to the dangers of the future
a world of thrifty expediencies. quicl
profits and reckless experiments.
: DR.. Flexner's logic is extraordinary
He has two reasons for banishing thu
current subjects of education. because
they the "traditlonar and becaus
they are not we'll taught. In teaching
Latin, for example. he says. we agre
giously fail" and, therefore Latin 4
; not worth teaching at all. AS If w
: were to argue that because sugar /
sometimes adulterated IL 10 WORTHLESS
as an article of diet. To establish tn
syllogism, be resorted to the repor
, for 1915 of the College Entranc
Board. From list Of twelve sub
jects in the Latin examination h
crafty selected two subjects tina
? showed the largest percentage of fail
ures. and gave them as typical OF tn
whole examination. More than this
the number OF candidates taking eac
of these two subjects was only "a GU
of the whole number OF $3.50 VIII
q took Latin examinations. BY TIL
juggling of statistics he proves tina
Latin Is surely. as Sidney Smith say
n an egregious failure. Nothing can b
t made to lie like facts except figure
Z In this respect. DR.. Flexner seems {
h have worked both facts and figure
s to their full capacity. and hereafte
= nothing that no can say as an edu
cational expert will be received with
out suspicion.
= The curriculum Of DR.. Fiexner
G modern school, will contain nothin
d except what Is practical" aimin
d chiefly at getting more money an
g more cakes and ale. 1t will be purel
d physical: any moral or spiritual elt
= ments that may crop out will
Q merely by-products. There will be n
O l. tin or Greek. no "usele,
r. facts of history" no "obsolet
d classics" of English literature, like MI
- tons "Lycidas." no English grammar. I
mathematics except enough to enable pc,
d pie to add. multiply and avoid bcr
n cheated In trade. Science will be II
II dominating feature Of the school," A
% knowledge will be "sense-acquired know
o edge" Pupils will be taught entire
II with an eye to the realities of life." Al
with ecstatic vision DR.. Flexner declare
r. children will make and understand
y nreless cooker, a camera, wirele
IS telegraph" Surely such an achievement
7. should put to shame the old educatic
II and silence forever its apologists. In gel
N eral' the new curriculum Is to be col
| crete. material eaav ouN artavtatot,