The Washington herald., 1922-10-31
Recognizing the College.


DR SAMUEL P. CAPEN, lately associated
with the Bureau of Education in Wash
ington, is alarmed the drift in the colleges
of America. He lately was installed as chance-
Ior of Buffalo University and in his inaugural ad-
Dress he made some startling statements-the re-
suit of ten years or so spent in experimentation
here
1t might not be amiss to repeat some OF Dr.
Capen's conclusions in of the principle edu-
sational centers of the United States-as Wash
mgton without doubt is Hundreds of young men
and young each year pass through DIS
trict institutions of higher learning. They constr
tute no inconsiderabe portion of the city's popu-
lstion 1t is proper enough to question the end
toward which they are moving. Is it worth while
or not? DIR. Capen is strongly of the opinion that
Sit is-but he makes reservations that are
interesting.
I. The purpose of American education is to train
riien to earn livngs. We are not living IN an age
when culture for cultures sake is OF very much
. Importance This is not era when a schoiar
can fritter away a lifetime to determine the de-
rivation of Greek root. The object OF our col
,eges is to produce clergymen, doctors. lawyers,
dentists accountants etc-men who can function
at these professions We have place Tor anna
-teurs in the law who know all about the historical
origin of realty practice but who cannot draw up
a deed of trust. We have use for dentists who
can't pull tooth or for physicians who can't cure
a COLI
Are the colleges producing the sort OF ae-
countants who add column OF hgures or the
sort OF clergymen who can preach sermon!
Perhaps they are, but, according to Dr. Capen,
they may be able to do the work much more
efficiently under different system.
"If nv analysis is correct" DIR. Capen said 1t
Is clear that the United States faces the need Of
so, ;te ole
scheme of education to the end that our children
and our youth NAV be more effectively trained
and that time may be saved in the process The
reform demanded does consist of the mere
rcadjustment of the mechanism of administration
II must go to the heart OF the undertaking. 1t
must deal with the content OF subjects and courses
These must be definitely related to the future
careers of the students who pursue them.
The various kinds Of professional training
must be re-examined with fresh reference to the
demands OF the professions themselves. And the
chaos that prevails in the relationships of the col
lege to the professional schools must shortly be
reduced to some kind of order | persuaded
that both these ends could be furthered by type
of educational research that has rarely been ap-
Piled to higher education.
"Thcrc is phrase that gained wide currency
during the Ii may be offensive to chastc
academic ears. but it is very expressive 1t is JOB
analySis' Now. job analysis has recently been
effectively employed 10 determine the content of
the courses OF training for all kinds OF artisans
Is it impertnent to propose that 1t would be very
useful in the field OF professional training also?"
Here are OF the defects Dr. Capen has
found:
l. The period devoted to elementary edu-
cation is too long Efficiency is offset by
subjects crowded into the curriculum and
proof is wanting that the so-callcd enrichment
OF the elementary curriculum has increased
b. pupils intellectual power.
, Secondary education begins too late and
ends soon failing to comprehend the
whole period of general formal training. 1t is
too diffusc and therefore superficial provid-
/. ing very impcrfectly for the preparation of
those who straghtway must livelihood.
J. Fifty per OF the work done in COL
1cges OF arts and sciences rightly belongs in
the secondary schools. that it becomes
-esSary provide teaching methods and dis
cpl;nary regime in college for immature boys
riousy entering upon preparation OF their life
work. There is a prodiga waste of time in
college.
Colleges advance with the times or their
influence is lost. Are they sufficiently elastic to
meet the requirements: DIR. Capen's views on
This matter certainly are worthy OF serious con-
sderation by every man in Washington engaged
in the professional pursuit of higher education.