The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-02

ever been accepted as the guide Of
British policy. Instead the English
people have addressed themselves In
hardheaded and highly practical fash
ion to the problem Of dealing with con-
ditions as they actually exist-indeed
to the problem OF dealing with condi-
lions as the white light Of war condi-
lions showed them to exist at the mo-
ment, and dealing with them in the
very best way possible.
''In England as in France the ma
tional educational system has strik-
ingly revealed the predominant ma
| tional characteristics and excellences,
and whatever may be said In deroga-
ton OF the English system OF educa-
ton from the theoretical and adminis-
trative point of view the fact remains
! that in It's own way It has produced
a larger proportion OF first rate leaders
| OF men than has the educational sys-
TEN OF any other country.
Its progress, Of course, has been
| very uneven. Many gaps have waited
| long to be filed and many desirable po-
sitions have long needed to be taken;
but take the product of this system
| by and large, and one cannot fail to
see that 1t contains an exceptional
proportion of excellence and distinc-
| ton.
an considering the English situa-
ton as it stands to-day 1t must not
be forgotten that school boards were
created in Great Britain only by the
act of 1870, and that what seemed
very radical and far reaching to Lord
Sherbrooke and to William F.. Forster
and his supporters and opponents at
| that time now seems very modest,
even quite matter of fact.
Religious Issue Raised.
| THE religious issue. which the Ger
mans disposed of in their elementary
schools by the simple process which
| logicians know as 'solvitur ambuland
troubled the French greatly until
about 1882. It still vexes English edu-
cational reformers, but now seems 10
be we'll on the way to a satisfactory
solution.
THE serene self-confidence Of the
British nation never showed to better
advantage than when Parliament took
time in the darkest days OF the war
|
threatened, to recast the entire educa-
tional system OF England and Wales
under the leadership Of Sir Herbert
Fisher. The British nation had time
and thought for this task even in the
midst of war. and no other great ma
ton ever has approached the grandeur
of an achievement OF this sort ir
circumstances even approximatins
those in which Great Britain accom-.
plished 1t.
This is not the place in which
to examine the provisions of the new
English educational legislation. Suf
flee it TO say that it is a fine example
Of modern constructive progress, easily
adaptable to circumstances and thor
oughly English in principle and spirit
That this legislation will not only o
itself produce admirable national re
suits, but that it will lead with reason
able promptness to something still
more far reaching. hardly can b'
doubted.
Clash OF Systems In America.
and now what about the Unite,
States? That which can truly Ice sal,
of the United States to-day is YER!
, different from that which might trul,
have been said of this nation twenty
| five years ago. During the past quar-
ter OF a century the American highe
and secondary educational systems
, as we'll as the American clementar!
school system, have suffered from
growing pains as we'll as from a clasl
. between two opposing educationa
) PHILOSOPHERS. The growing pains hav