Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-02
DIR. GEORGE WHEELER
On the Growth of the High School

1TlIt. enormous growth and development
most important features Of modern cduca.
iion. saws Dr. George Wheeler, Assistant
Superintendent Of Public EducutiOn in
charge Of high schools.
TO show what this growth has been"
said DR.. Wheeler. 'it is only necessary to
consider the figures of attendance and how
they have increased. far in excess of the
natural increase "f population. Ten years
ago. that il. in September. 1917. W" had
n total "nrolm"nt in til" high S"h""ls of
IL. lag students; in September. ~ -. the
total enrullmcnt was -. S'H'. And if it had
not been for ,h" establishment Of III" Junior
High Schools. the figures would be very
much beyond 10000.
Parents Realize Importance
'"rhis proportional" incr"aS" is much
greater than IL" incrras" in population ana
il is one of the most rcinarkab" develop
m"nts of modern public cducatiOn 1t is
chiefly due I" n growing belief in the minds
Of the parents Of tn" children. as well as the
Young pnop" themselves. that those who
leave school before completing the high
school course "Mtrr their business lives
under II heavy handicap.
Zen years ngo the hi.h schools were
growing at the rate "i about 10 per cent IA
y"nr: IN the last year the growth in enroll
lnrnt was from 3I.4ii 10 20, SG:'. This is
about 20 per cent or double the growth here.
tofUrc.
"Ano,her reason which is supplemental to
what | have stated is that employers who
ar" selecting boys and girls for positions
which arc more manual in their require
menl3 are disposed 30 ask for high school
,lnlnng ii thcs" young persons and to Siv"
decileL preference to thOS" who bring this
equipment to their work.
1T i, now n common thing to see the
words high school graduate in the help
wanted advertisements. There was Il rail-
road superintendent in tn" West who
recently said that if q boy came 10 him with
out completing the high school course he
could not help feeling that that boy was
more nnHious to get to work than TO get
ready to work.
''rhc sentiment that the time involved in
securing II higher education j. wasted. which
was quite common not 50 many years ago,
does not exist any longer: and partly as II
result OF thi, aud partly from other causes,
the level Of education is constantly rising.
There was n tine when n person VINO could
read aud write had attained the common
level of education; following that period. a
person who had gone through the grammar
school had reached the common level. Now
it IL the high school.
'"rhe curriculum has also risen In regard TO
the breadth Of the educational opportunities
offered. ono" tho only thing tn" high school
cOulu Ottcr was Il curriculum SnltuDlc Tor
person expecting Il professional career. Now
II is the belief Of the people. and one founded
on truth, that the student who has COM
pl"tod til" elementary school and desires to
get further training for his it"-w"rk, no
matter what that may bc, should be able
to get IN the high school the training to
serve his purpose.
\ Still Wider Curriculum
"English md physical education are com.
pulsory in all courses, but the brcndth Of the
elective courses is now very great and it j,
increasing all tn" time. In the new cur
rcuum which begins in February, it will he
again enlarged, the most noticeable item
then being music.
"'rho idea Of the new arrangement il nor
to divide the studies into separate courses.
but to have certain required work, then cer-
tain general added subjects of which all are
required to take u certain amount, and then
the special subjects which lead directly
toward vocations, These elective oppor.
tunitics to take special courses widen as the
students progress.
"Ihe cultural subjects are taken very
largely in the high school courses. Those
taking the commercial courses elect in great
numbers to take some of the cultural sub.
jects, and in the mechanics arts group the
same thing holds true.
Zone Of the fundamental ideas hack Of this
whole system y 20 train Tie pupils not only,
.. sl.s9l.I Isll'trt VI