Smyrna times., 1924-04-02
RICHARD C. LONG A STUDENT
OF U.OF D. WRITES A LETTER
GIVES REASONS FOR FAILURE
DOWN STATE BOYS AT COLLEGE
Puts Blame on OurHigh Schools in
Not Properly Preparing Students
For Entrance to Freshman


who graduated from the Smyrna High |
School, writes some pertinent points
in reply to a recent editorial reprint
ed in the Times taken from a Dover
paper, in which it tries to ascertain
the reason of so many down State
boys failing to pass their examina-
tions at the University of Delaware in
Newark. Mr.. Long sent his letter for
publication last week but owing to
crowded columns it was left over un-
til this week. Mr.. Longs letter in
full is as follows:
Editor of The Smyrna Times,
Dear Sir:
"While reading the issue of The
Smyrna Times for March 10, my at
tention was attracted particularly by
the article discussing the scholastic
failures of freshmen at Delaware Col
lege.
"The article asks in the first place,
whether the blame for these failures
lies in Delaware's present-day high
school system, or in the fact that the
College is unable to accommodate
these students and "funks" them to
relieve the crowded situation. AS an
answer to the last part of the ques-
ton. 1 can tell you that there are
idle rooms in the dormotories at pres
ent. 1 am sure that the class-rooms
are sufficiently large to accommodate
the student body, and l know that the
faculty is perfectly capable of in
structing larger classes.
"In reply to the first condition of
the question, should say that the en-
tire fault lies with the high school.
Most of the students who fail are
from high schools south of Whining
ton. Why is this? I will try to show
some of the features of the Whining
ton high school curriculum that are
missing in the "dOwn-state" high
school courses.
"In this comparison shall use the
High School from which l was grad
uated and in which I am still greatly
interested.
"DOes Smyrna High School teach
Chemistry? It does not. Whining
ton High School gives elementary in
struction in this subject. You will
find that this is one subject in which
most freshmen from down-state are
very poor. The college course at Del
aware, as at all colleges, takes up
freshmen chemistry with the assump-
tiOn that the student has become at
least familiar with the most common
chemical terms.
"Next we will consider mathematics.
Does Smyrna offer an adequate math-
matical course for a prospective en-
gineer? Does Smyrna teach trgo-
nometry? | am very sure that it
| does not. Yet this is an extremely es-
sential course to a freshman studying
engineering. Wilmington High School
offers an excellent mathematical
course, including trigonometry.
"As a last comparison l shall con-
slider the English courses offered by
our State high schools. This, 1 think
is the most important course of all
and yet it is the course in which the
students from down-state high schools
are most poorly prepared.
u. of d. Conceded an Authority
'The University Of Delaware is
conceded by most eminent critics, t
have an exceptionally good course il
> English instruction. The first year.
work in English is purely composition
work and outside reading work. Thi
!, is directed by a very proficient stat
: of instructors. / wonder what tn
senior in high school studies in his o
! her English course? I can tell you
{ They study "Burke's Speech on Con
: ciliation," "Emerson's Essays" an
! Shakespearean play as "Hamlet" o
! Macbeth" All of these works ar
excellent and we'll worth much study
but they are surely not the prope
= work for seniors in high school. Thes
0 seniors will be the next years colleg
freshmen. How many colleges offe
> as a freshmen English course a stud
of such literature? Practically non
- l have spent three years at Delawal
'e and | have studied all Of the aboN
mentioned work under men who al
r. acknowledged authorities in hteral
n work. have found that these me
who have made such works their Ii
studies are able to explain parts
these works, however, l don't belle
that there is any high school teach
!, who will not explain these same par
70 if requested to do so. have compa
ed the down-state high schools wi
Wilmington High School iecause
vestigation will disclose the fact tn
a very small percentage Of Wilmin
ton High School graduates fail at t
l University Of Delaware on account
scholastic reasons.
Entire Fault Lays With High SchO'
81 have written this letter as a ST
dent of the University and a pradus