The New York herald., 1922-04-09
Radical Changes Needed in Present System
of Education, Says Chicago University Head;
But It's Most Difficult Task to Attempt
Reforms Admittedly Axe Need
ed, but Most Moves to That
End Lead to Trouble.
ALL ENDS IN A JUNGLE
Western Educator Says Amer
lean College Curriculum Is
Outgrowth Of Accident.

not to necessitate holding MIN to the
early college work in those subjects,
why keep him back by demanding
why not apply to the early overlapping
the same methods which experience
has shown desirable in the later years?
Three Years of College Are
Advanced in Character
In fact. out of the four years col
lege study only about three years at
the most are really advanced in char
acter. Why not encourage students so
to direct their preparation plans that
1t should be the normal thing, and not
the exceptional thing, for good stu
dents to obtain the baccalaureate de-
gree in three years of real college
work? There would still be room for
the widest choice of electives by those
whose progress for one reason or an
other should be slow. But the capable
student would be inspired to do better
work. The college would not longer
be bar to the university. but would
lead directly to 1t. The college cur
riculum would be flexible, rather than
shO i6Au tiAh6 II 10 io-ooys GlhQ ~ 10
by no means sure that holding back
the college student for a needless year
of more or less elementary work xeally
adds much to the educational value of
his studies.
There is another feature Of the edu-
cational situation which is Of growing
Importance at this time. The number
OF students attending higher institu-
tions of learning has greatly outrun
the rate of increase Of population. At
tendance in high schools has largely
increased, and the percentage Of high
school graduates who proceed to some
higher institution of learning has also
grown much larger. 1t was not many
years since not more than about 10
per cent. of the graduates OF these
schools went to college. Perhaps a.
typical State to-day is Wisconsin. In
that State it was officially reported
from the State University in 1921 that
from third to half of all the sradu
ates of Wisconsin high schools so to
the higher educational institutions of
the State-and practically the same is
true of neighboring States. In the
decade from 1910 to 1920 the popula-
ton of Wisconsin increased about IL
per cent, while in that period the en-
rollment in the State Universit.-
doubled and that of the high schools
OF the State more than doubled.
IL has been estimated that of those
Of the present college age t1S to 22)
in 1890 In the whole United States IL
per cent. were enrolled in colleges,
while in 1918 that percentage had risen
to S.5. The population had not trebled
in that time. The actual population
increase was less than 40 per cent. Tho
Wisconsin estimate for 1921 was that
8 per cent. OF those between IS and %
in that State were in higher institu-
tions.s
Meanwhile the costs OF education
have enormously increased. The Com
missioner of Education reports that
expenditures for all colleges and uni
versities (public and endowed) in 1870
were s5,000,000 These expenditures
in 1920 were s1ss.0o0,000. The popu-
lation1 OF the United States in 1870 was
3S.55S,371, and in 1920 was 105, ,710,620.
Is 1t not time for us to clear up the
jungle? Is II wise for us to keep the
educational process slowed up need
lessly? 1t is certainly possible to save
at least two years from elementary
school to college without sacrifice OF
real educational values. The college
course should be shortened below, the
elementary school should be telescoped.
the cult of units" should be forgotten
and a stream OF younger, more jealous
and better trained students should
pour into the professional schools and
into business.
"Byrne. School and Society, March
1S 1922 n 2g2