San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-05
EDUCATION FOR
ALL IS AIM Of
isCHO0LS TODAY
e
e
Doctor Wilson Defends
Democratic Purpose of
System IL Reaching Out.
Is WORTH THE EFFORT
California Superintendent
y Says Pupils Should Be
Trained for Life.
IS WORTH THE EFFORT

The public schools of the United
s;atcs are trying to educate all OF tf'
children of all the people and each
10 the largest possible measure. nr.
II. Il. Wilson, superintendent OF the
schools at Berkeley. Cal. told ~
teachers now attending the Southwest
Texas Teachers Institute nj Rracksr'
ridge high school Wednesday morii-
ing
3 In discussing the question as To
whether or not the results obtained
are worth the cost. Mr.. Wilson OK
planned that it is the purpose of the
fourse of instruction given by the pub
he schools 10 make the pupil socially
efficient. 4 person becomes socially
Efficient when he is equipped in every
Aay possible 10 the highest possible
degree. he said.
= In attaining this desired goal, pu-
pills must he taught so that they will
We equipped for some vocation. They
must be prepared to he able TO do
their duty us citizens of a democratic
nation. They must be trained in such
n way that they can fill their free
leisure play time" with wholesome rec
epatiOn instead Of being compelled To
StsE dhlusNIlNNN NUNS tht NhitN
Ways" of the cities or at the hands
p{ those who have anarchistic tenden-
eies They mu.t be taught how 10 keep
good bodies with which TO face tie
complex problems Of the world. And
Finally they must have the right kind
ri moral, anw religious training.
Can't Compare Expense.
Z The value OF the present day edu-
1 , I.
1aring the cost with the cost of edu-
cation 80 years ago. he pointed out,
At that time educators were thinkin:
M general principles. Now they are
thinking in definite, specific terms.
Public education cost S140,OO0,000 50
Wears ago and over a billion in 1920:
hut during the same period, the school
day was heightened. the year was made
longer and compulsory education was
put into effect The only way TO COM
pare education at that time and today
o. by results. he said.
In answer 10 the claius o. %.
&ho say that better results were OBJ
tanned in the past Mr.. Wilson related
an experiment tried by the Berkeley
schools. An old test that had been
given TO Boston pupils in 1916 was
gwen 10 pupils Of The same grade at
berkeley. In only one subject. and
fLat the useless subject of parsing
sentences, did the Boston grades ex-
gel those of the Rerkelry pupils. In
The more essential subjects the Berke-
10" students made far better grades in
spite Of the face that they had not
bren specially trained along the lines
covered by the examinations.
Much Useless Spending.
= When the question of the amount /
Of money being spent on education
comes up. the people ought to CON
slider the fact that they spend each
year almost rs much for candy as for
education. almost as much for soda
water, about the same amount on
Heaters and quite a sum on tobacco
and other useless things. he said. They
ought not to lose sight Of these expen-
ditures when told that the cost of run
ming the schools Is about to cause a
break down Of the countr- economical
Il.
2. In closing his address Mr.. Wilson
compared tho expenditures of Mas.
alhusetts and Tennessee on their pub
lir schools and showed that the higher
eest 1T the schools of the former state
moro than repaid ijecif in per capita
income Of the population. The same
fang holds true Of countries. he said.