New-York tribune., 1920-09-12
By Frank S. Hackett

Sypos-tnS boarding school and the
country day school.
The country boarding school, dating
from the founding Of the early New
b, England academies. notably Exeter
and Andover, nourished through gem
esasions Of Yankees and spread now
into almost every state in the Union,
has enjoyed for the last half dozen
years its greatest demand and pres
tige. During the war the military
schools felt the impetus and were
crowded to the doors. This same
stimulus was apparently shared by all
other kinds Of boarding schools, due
perhaps to the absence in war activi-
ties Of many parents, perhaps to the
general prosperity incident to war
supplies. Whatever the direct reason,
broadening, g Strengthening and an
enlargement which would ordinarily
require q generation have been crowded
into this brief period. Quite COM
monty, advertisements, catalogues and
general publicity stress new buildings
or additions to old and more space
for playing fields.
One new note which will be most
acceptable to parents is the emphasis
upon fireproof buildings, especially dor
mitoriss. Educators are doing their
best in all new construction to see that
the fundamental factor Of safety is no
longer sacrificed to the pressure of
economy The general prosperity of
these years is causing it to be under
stood as never before that parents will
make the effort to pay as much more
as they possibly can to minimize the
danger of FIRE. AS rapidly as may be,
therefore, boarding schools are replac-
ing wooden structures or adopting
every safeguard.
To the great majority Of American
foreign. We are a home-loving people,
and 1t does not occur to US naturally,
as it does to the English, to have our
children educated away from us. SO
limited for wholesome development,
however, have become educational pos
sibiiities of great cities and so mar
rowing and inadequate are the facili-
ties Of "the little old red schools" of
onr villages and farming districts that
parents who really prefer to keep their
youth ct home now have keen inter-
. est In finding out what, after all, these
boarding schools offer.
Day Schools Rank Equal
From the point of view Of instruction
there Is the same unevenness as in
schools generally. In the best board
ing schools the standards are certainly
no higher than in the best day schools,
fact quite clear from the annual re-
port Of the College Entrance Examina-
tion Board. During the last four years
only one boarding school has figured
among the first six schools of all kinds
whose candidates have received the
highest ratings in their tests. This
measure is, Of course, not conclusive,
but it does point out that the finest
minds and the finest teachers are not
NJ cd IN &,,x,.
Just rs the teaching in the best
boarding schools, nevertheless, is ex-
eellent, so instruction in the poorer
type is as execrable as it is in medi-
ocre day schools.
Nor is there any. magic in the mere
fact of boarding schools. A pupil who
does poorly in day school will not nee
essarily improve away from home. 1t
all depends upon where the difficulty
Hes If the cause Is the laxity of the
home, as is often the case, distance
may help. II il is actual inability, as
may be proved by the measurement Of
intelligence, this factor may fairly be
called negligible.
The reason for being" of the board.
ing school must lie outside actual in
struction. In this connection, however.
1t may be cited that, due to the control
Of the whole Of students time, there
is IN general a greater amount of in
struction. The school week includes
six days, and usually the school day
itself uses more hours, say, from to i
and to 6.
Environment Big Consideration
The use of country environment is
the first consideration beyond instruc-
tien. "Back to the country" is nowhere
more reality as movement than in
the boarding school. In contrast with
the typical rural public school these
institutions strive to make full use of
their environment. They spread their
make participation in sport universal.
They obtain experts in oil branches Of
athletics. They encourage long "hikes,"
hunting and adventure. These prac-
tiGes are in common, but particular
schools take up forestry, or real ma
= ture study, or farming, or construction.
Though this is all interesting and
helpful: parents with no initial thought
OF sending boy or girl away from
home will still ponder. The wisdom,
or lack Of it, In this serious step de-.
psnds. l feel, upon the home. Where
circumstances are such that young
sters contribute little or nothing to
the family life and the preoccupation
or equipment Of parents is such that
they have little or no training to give
the good boarding school will most
nkeiy pzove means of developing dis
eipitne,. sense Of duty and a fne
adeal Of public service.
1t must not from this be inferredI
however, that boarding school students
come only from homes Inadequate ro
TINS training. Many of the simplest
ana best homes give up son or daugh-
fer because of the contribution bows
ana girls in close association have to
make 70 one another. Take the ever.
pressing matter Of common sense In
tnis vital concern we elders, with our
aaviee and warning, effect precious lit
fle as compared with experience IN
a team or in a student organization.
1901 mistake" Is made by associates
TO stand forth in all it's nakednesa
soft words, which perhaps grownuns
would Judge best, seldom occur fo
wrought-up youth, and more often
than not this severity Of Judgment ia
the very best thing for the well.mean-
ing boy or girl who has blundered. On
the other hand. genuine praise from
Senooi fellows goes infinitely further.
Some Are National Institutions
Community spirit. competition with
selected minds, spiritual leadership. in
tereourse with youthful Representatives
OF All parts OF the country, and even
OF the world-these factors also cansa
parents often to sacrifice the low ~
s.r otvn constant influence. For ex-
ample. AndOvef. ExaSar and Monnt Un.