Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-06-09
FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 1922
EDUCATION AND SUCCESS

Statisticians are credited with an estimate that
with an elementary education your chance 3f
notable success is l in 41,25O. With high
school education it is 1 in 1903. With a college
education it is l in 172. Duller the many
compilations which purport to show the relation
between high standing in school or college studies
and success in ones life work
Such figures may mean much or very little
indeed In many cases the college or hgh-school
graduate would succeed if he did not have any
such education because he has money and family
position to start with. In many more cases it is
not the education which makes him successful.
It is exactly the other way around. Having the
Unborn and inherited qualities and capacities
which inevitably lead on to success, he naturally
seeks an education. To considerable extent
those who go through high school or college are
a selected group to begin with.
Many are no doubt spoiled by education. It is
an excuse for elegant leisure that units young
men for the hard work without which distinction
and great achievement are impossible. Many
seem to feel that education is a substitute for
work. They look upon it as something more
than mere tool forgetting that the possession
of tools is not the only equipment needed by a
good carpenter. Education cannot take the place
of inherited brains, natural efficiency and depend
ability. The most ideal system of education and
the most perfect democracy cannot equalize the
lot Of those who are not created equal.
If any proof is needed that education is not
royal road to success it is afforded by the great
numbers of those who arrive without any such
assistance But after making every allowance
and providing for every exception it is probably
true that education is the greatest single help
that can be found for the limited inborn capaci-
ties that handicap the great majority of the hui
man rare Whether the man of unusual talents is
better off with or without much formal and
ventiona education is perhaps a debatable, but
from any broad point of view rather unimpor-
tant question. Such gets ahead anyway.
What education does is to give those who have it,
whether with or without unusual talents, a start
in the race
Nature is shockingy undemocratic. She goes
to the 9th extreme, giving few men marvellous
gifts, and the masses very little. Education is
the essence of democracy. Only few, it is true,
can go to the colleges and universities, and still
fewer to those which represent certain exclusive
social standards and limitations. But colleges
and universities are only one link and not the
most important at that, in the whole scheme of
adult education.
The great state universities have no limitations
on numbers, they are easy to enter and expenses
are small To the greater numbers who because
of the necessity Of working from early youth
must forego residence even at state university,
there are many courses given in the night schools
of the larger city universities and by such organi
cations as the Young Mems Christian Association.
To those who live in smaller communities CORES
pondence courses are available in practically
every subject, both those given by the state and
larger city universities and by variety of pri-
vate correspondence schools To constantly in
creasing extent also the corporations are furnish
ing education to the workers., and if the employee
be suspicious of capitalistc faint he will find
in many cases that his union itself is engaged in
furnishing it's members with training of it's
own.
Anyone who really wants the assistance of edu-
cation can get it. There is magic about it,
but it is weapon in lifes struggle that only the
boldest should be without and unlike inherited
capacities, Nature has put no limit upon it.-Sat-
urday Evening Post.