The sun., 1919-09-28

not every child has a chance. The
draft made that apparent In the case
of boys; 1t Is certainly not less true
with regard to girls. We have been
too easily satisfied with the conscious
ness of having a democratic school
system, too little concerned with the
practical working out of the theory
that every normal child of school age
is in school Not every normal child
Of school age is In school; to make
sure that he-or in this case she
is-would be a difficult and expensive
operation, but neither difficulty nor ex-
pense ought to stand in the way of
an accomplishment so vital to national
and world welfare as education has be-
come. 1t is not only a disgrace to
a great and wealthy nation to have
any region. however remote. left with
out adequate educational oppor-
tunities; 1t is also q menace. A coun-
try cannot afford to neglect or ig-
more any community. any race, any
class which 1t receives as a part
OF its life. II the community is too
poor. its population too scattered. for
the community itself to meet the
need. the State should assume the
responsibility. And what is true
with regard to the schooling Of the
normal, is equally true with regard to
the education of the abnormal or sub
normal, the care which for its own
self-protection the country must ex-
tend to the imbecile and the degener-
ate.
If the first emphasis should be upon
the universally of education, the
second should be upon 1t quality. In
10 stage Of education is this more i'm
/ ortant than in the first. Every Amer
lean girl ought to have as good ele-
mentary schooling as 1t is possible to
give. Multitudes of girls never go
further than the grades; the one
chance of shaping life and character
as well as Of imparting information
comes then or not at all. For those
who do have other opportunities the
foundation Is hardly less irhpcrtant
Years are spent in elementary and
secondary education, too often with a
doubtful result. One of the constant
surprises on the part of those en- yaeed
~ tuC CpiiC6o Cllu VI lllt/ ttSk IL the
amount of time that has been wasted.
Girls come to college at seventeen or
Eighteen. occasionally at sixteen. after
Ten or twelve years Of schooling. and
it not infrequently happens that they
cannot read, write, add or spell. that
is, are not prepared for college even
in the historic three Rs. An extrava-
CANT statement. my reader will ex-
Jain. Is It? Ask the reader of Col
'ege Entrance Examination books
ebout the spelling; the college instruc-
or In English about the reading loud
Of ordinary prose in the mother tongue.
to say nothing OF poetry; the mathe-
MATES teacher or Office employer about
accuracy in addition, subtraction and
division; the would be hostess about
the style of the note Of acceptance or
regrets; the ordinary observer--or
tstener-about the quality of the
speaking voice. Little things these
qre." may be objected. as indeed they
are. but little things that stand in the
way OF large achievement. of accuracy
and skill in advanced work; little
things. too, which subject the .,olleRe
graduate to justifiable criticism. il
they are not corrected. and II correc-
ted take time in college which should
be devoted to other purposes. The de-
mand Of the college Is not so mu"h for
enlarged scope, more ground to be
covered. but for greater mastery. a
1rmer grip on the subject accuracy
and exactness.
The school is not the only sinner /;
the home is also responsible, but for a
large clement in the population. the
school must shoulder more than it's
share of the load. 1t is a commentary
on modern social conditions that thou
sands of children have no home life,
no Intellectual or social or moral
stimulus, not even decent living con-
ditions In the places called home.
Third, what should be the aim of
education for girls as well as for boys ?
1t would be interesting to give an orig
iEal answer to this question. but edu-
CO ton is still concerned with the de-
vclopment of the human being and the
human being is still made up of body,
mind and spirit. This three-fold de-
yeiopment Is the right of every nor
NAL child and a democracy is not true
tc its mission II 1t does not strive to
live up to this ideal.
Education from the point OF view OF
the common welfare must pay more
attention to the physical. The i'm
pcrtance Of the health side can hardly
be overestimated, and this ranges all
the way from the avoidance OF disease
TO the requirement and maintenance
OF a sound constitution. In some re-
lpects there has been great improve
ment within the last generation in
out-of-door life for girls. camps with
practice in swimming. rowing, tennis
v God craft; the development OF depart
nents of physical training in organiza-
tons such as the Young Women's
Christian Association, as well as In
schools and colleges. In other re-
spects the recreation of boys and girls
from the health point Of view as well
as In other ways, has lost rather than
gained. Recreation is too often simply
amusement which does not recreate. Is
overstimulating, carried to excess, be-
coming an end In itself rather than O
means to an end. A principal of many
years experience In private schools
recently wrote "All girls want to go to
the large schools nowadays to make
sure of fun first OF ALL" The comment
IL the more striking because OF the
writer's human sympathy as well az
insight, and says much of the change
in the so-called privileged" classes
from which she has drawn her pupils
for a generation. Manifestly. the
school must not be held entirely OF