Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1924-07-25


institution whose doors have been
invitingly open TO all children gradu-
ating from the elementary school
into an aristocratic establishment
whose doors will be closed to the
children of the masses. if the pro-
motors of the educational switching
scheme known as the Junior high
school are permitted to reorganize
the American public school system.
About fifteen years ago certain
tyne of alleged leaders in the eduea.
tional field began tickling the ears OF
the large taxpayers with proposals
to reduce the cost of public eduea-
ton through the introduction of new
educational methods. In time they
developed the idea of establishing an
intermediate school to be formed by
joining the two upper grades of the
regular elementary school with the
lower grade of the regular high
school. Thus the Junior high
school made its appearance.
For time the scheme made little
progress and was adopted in only a
comparatively few cities. The school
housing problem which developed dur
| ing the war and became acute imme-
diately afterwards, however, afford
ed an opportunity which enables the
promoters of the plan to induce the
school authorities in many cities and
I towns throughout the country to-
establish the Junior high" in various
| forms. Some did this by combining
| the seventh and eighth grades in a
| building separate from the other
| elementary grades, but this simply
as a means of creating more room
in other school buildings for the
younger pupils. In such cases the
local authorities appear to have been
| innocent of any desire to close the
avenues to the regular high school.
| The promoters of the new plan. how
ever, insistently urged the inclusion
of the ninth grade, that is, the lower
grade of the regular high school. A
very considerable number of cities
adopted their plan.
What has been the result? just
this, that so-called Junior high
schools have been developed which do
not connect with the upper high
school, and "counselors" have been
employed to select the pupils which
are to be given the benefit of courses
which lead to the high school and
those who are to De encouraged to
take courses which will definitely
complete their school life at the end
| of the ninth grade, when the average
child is fifteen years of age Thus
the Rochester school authorities re-
port that, by grouping the children
according to so-called ability tests,
they have developed a very efficient
scheme whereby the superior
groups are encouraged to go on into
the regular high school, while the
Flower" groups are advised to take
work in household and industrial
courses, which do not fit them for
any high school activity. In some
cities whole school buildings are de-
voted To courses from which the
pupils cannot enter high school.
The Junior high" therefore, is
simply an educational switching ar
rangement which enables the school
authorities to 'sidetrack the children
away from the main line of educa- |
ton in such a manner that they are
prevented from reaching the high |
school. That is the purpose of the |
system, and although in some cities |
the switch has not yet been turned, |
it is ready to be used for side-track- |
ing purposes whenever the public |
temper permits.
The scheme is now under discussion |
in Chicago and representatives select
ed by the Board of Education of that
city to explain the system to the
principals in a series of lectures have
definitely stated that the switch Is 10
be turned Immediately by the intro.
duction of courses which do not lead |
to the high school. When the aver
age child reaches the age of twelve ,
years and is about to enter the |
seventh grade, the parents must de
eide then and there what the future |
of that child is to be, because the |
school authorities must then be ad- |
vised as to whether or not II is to be |
sent into the high school three years
later at the age of fifteen, when the |
so-called "junior high" term will |
have been completed. In other words,
the twelve-year-old child must make |
a choice between a course which leads |
to the high school and one that does
not lead to the high school. Thus
the question of whether a boy or a
girl is to have the benefit of a high |
school education is to be largely de-
termined by the economic status of
the child's family three years before |
it is eligible for the high school.
Under the regular American scheme
of things that important decision
need not be made until after the child |
- z-l.....I r.oY, The ai0bfh Grade /