Evening star., 1924-06-29

All those who believe in the ole
classical education" with the stress
placed on the study of Latin, mathe-
mates and English, as against the
modern idea of so-called "usefu
studies" will be interested in the
report on classical investigation made
yesterday to the American Classica
League at it's fifth annual meeting
here.
The plan advocated is not to make
the study of Latin and Greek, urged
as fundamental in mind training
necessarily compulsory with students
in high schools and colleges, but al
least to give students every oppor-
tunity to study these subjects, now
sometimes denied them in the hustle
and hustle of modern education.
AS explained by Dean Andrew +.
West of Princeton University. presi-
dent of the American Classical
League, who made the report the
primary intent is that Latin should
be learned in order to be read and
understood, and that the way should
be cleared for "a fuller appreciat ton
of the larger enduring intellectual
and historical values which are de-
r1vable from Latin.
study of Latin Favored.
The intimate relation of English
to Latin and of Latin to Greek, Dean
West explained, offers valuable op-
portunities for teaching the three
languages in much closer connection
than is effected at present. Latin
stands between the other two and is
Intimate with both he declared.
The three naturally belong to-
Rether."
Esta blishment of a longer and bet
ter secondary education by shorten
ing the period OF elementary school
ing from eight years to six is urged
in the report. This chance for estab-
fishing generally a we'll planned six
year secondary school education has
a larger significance than the proper
development of Latin or of any other
individnal study" says the report.
Latin. Dean West said that the
language first should be used and ac-
quired to some extent and its struC-
ture then should De discovered grad
ually with the help of that portion
OF the language already learned and
used instead of having the struc-
ture learned first and then used to
discover the language This is a
welcome idea to the thousands of
former students of Latin. who plow ed
their way through cases and endings.
Remedies Proposed.
faults in teaching and the imperfect
arrangement of the course, account
for the difficulties in the situation.
The two remedies needed are a revi-
sion of the course and large supply
of adequately trained teachers.
Revision of the course, while nee
essary. will be insufficient without
the vitalizing influence of finer teach
ing and of enough we'll trained teach
erS to diffuSe this influence widely,
the report read Here, as elsewhere,
the mechanical element is the lesser
factor and the human element is the
controlling factor which must be
depended on to make the mechanism
operate benehCiailN-
A reduction in the amount of ma
terial will relieve the congestion and
make it practical bic TO teach the less
ened amount better. modification
and more suitable distribution of the
material will make it practicable to
realize the aims of the course in much
fuller measure.
Better Teacher Training Urged.
The more important factor is the
chara cter of the teaching. Dean west
declaring. we do not pc
lieye that Improvement is attainable
here on a. large scale until really ade-
uuate provision is made for the tram
ing of Latin teachers. 1t is not made
at the present time.
The report states that Latin pupils
are of a somewhat higher initial abil-
ity than other pupils. There is posi-
tive evidence. it continues. that this
initial superiority is less than has
been generally supposed, that large
part of the result is presumably due
TO something derived from the study
of Latin: that this part grows larger
the longer Latin is studied. and that
in so far as Latin and non-Latin pu-
nils of admitted equal ability have
been tested eXperimentally in sub
iects outside Eatin. the Latin pupils
usually make the better record.
The report continued along the
following lines: The explanation
which assumes that the higher results
in Latin are due solely to the high
er ability of Latin pupils is not IN