The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-07-18
EDUCATIONAL.
WHAT ARE OUR HIGH
SCHOOLS FOR?

Education of the young. But just what
sort of education?
| Apparently the principal thought
which has been given to this problem
for some time has been in connection
with the relation OF the high school and
the college. There was for while an
apparent belief on the part OF the COL
leges that the high schools were prim-
arily college feeders. A boy or girl
went to high school in order to 10 to
college.
This theory, IL it was really held by
the college, has been exploded. Pro-
pound it to any high school principal
in these parts, and he will also explode
The more OF these students who g to
college, the better the principals are
pleased, but they regard their schools
as instruments, not as conduits.
But If the high school education is
for most Of our young people an end of
formal training, not feeder, we are
brought back to our first question;
Just what sort of training are they
supposed to givep
The question underlies study OF
the so.called Commercial courses" of
our high schools, which may be found
In the current number of the School
Review. A questlonnaire was sent to
every high school in the country hav-
ing more than 200 pupils in It's com
mercial courses. There were 1872 such
schools in the United States. Answers
came from more than half represent
ing twenty.six states.
Forty-one per cent of those replying
said they had commercial courses OF
less than the four-year length; 50 per
cent had four.year courses As about
two thirds of all students entering high
school leave by the beginning of the
third year let us consider, first, those
schools which offer the "short" com
mercial course.
This course requires in almost every
case stenography, typewrting, and
bookkeeping; sometimes commercial
arithmetic and penmanship; generally
English; and occasionally something
else, such as elementary science. Plain
ly, this is the course of business
college" pure and simple. 1t gives in
two years what the ordinary good bus
mess college will undertake to give in
one. 1t trains clerks
But are our high schools meaht to be
establishments to train clerks? l.
there any advantage to the nation 10
doing slowly at public expense what is
done quickly elsewhere at private ex,
peuse?
Yes, perhaps, il the high schools did
it better But business men do not
seem tothlnk the high schools do it
better. Many doubt If they do it as
well.
Now, consider the four-year CONNER
cial courses. Take bookkeeping as a
| typical subject. About half require
Two years for bookkeeping; OF the other
half, 3 per cent require halt II yer, II
per cent year, IL PER cent year and
a half, IA per cent three years, and 3
per cent four years.
There is something very strange
| hora 10 hOpLy LyLaapinn Cn nnrnpl In n1
study that half the schools can reach
no agreement at all on the length Of
time it takes to teach itr
But in these four.year commercial
courses there Is something stranger
still. Aside from the stenography, the
type writing, the bookkeeping and Eog
lish, there is practically no agreement
on what else the young man or woman
training for business ought 10 have.
Some require little science, some a
little economics or civics, some a l6tle
history, some little modern Ian
guages. But In each case IL Is very
little, and there are no set require
ments at all.
Which brings us back once more to
the question; What sort Of education
are the high schools meant to give?
Vocational2 These clerk studies oc.
cupy four years and the business col
lege will qualify clerk in one.
Preparation for business in executive
positionsp There are no courses IN the
history Of industry or commerce, none
N industrial conditions, almost none 10
political economy: no courses, that is
to say, that give any background.
Training for citizenship That is
what most people will tell you. But in
whatrespect do these courses train any
body to understand his country and 10
serve itp
Just what are our high schools for2
Chicago Herald Examiner.
Manitowoc county teachers In the
district schools who have, through con-
tinuous service in one district, become