The Glenwood post., 1925-01-01

years ago. They ere AXE willing to
admit that . substantial proportion Of
this body could not register suecsssful
A. Q's il try were required TO pursue
the coaventional subjects required for
college entrance. This, however, is no
reason tor contending that we are low
ering the standards of our high schools.
1t merely means that we have more
than one yard stick by which we meas
ure achievement. It merely means that
we believe in extending the period Of
school training through the adolssssnt
and formative periods Of youth, giving
the boys and girls who wish to pre-.
pare for life an equal chance, with
those who wish to prepare for college.
1t means that We believe that there Is
as much Justice in graduating students
from high school who have accomp-
lished something in the practice Of the
arts Of life a. there is in ORIGINATING
those who know something Of history,
the science, and language; but who
could not keep house, prepare q meal,
type . letter, build cabinet, or fix q
contrary auto.
The time has long since passed whom
we are to measure accomplishment In
democracy's high school by the college
Preparatory yard stick. I do not be-
lieve that it is the wish Of the uni.
versity and college that we should
use their measure for all. All that il
desired, is that the preparation, for
those who are to attend college, be
adequate. This we oaght to test BY
their measure, but other values are to
be measured by different standards.
No longer do we belittle the youth
who has not the mind, or begrudges
the time spent in mastering the 10s
infections Of the Latin adjectivss. If
he has learned in conversation to use
good, bsttsr, and best correctly, it will
doubtless be Of greater value in life
than knowing the 10s forms Of bonus.
But the greatest value is to be found
In the art Of conversation, for the
student who converses flusntly and
thoughtfully upon the common topics
Of the day has been trained for Of.
fectiye and efficient living in a social
world.
Personally, I envy the man who can
think in two or three languages, for
his thinking has shades and tints
which L cannot appreciate, but the
pitiable few who ever enjoy the dis
cussion Of perplexing problems in any
other than their native tongue has
somewhat dampened my enthusiasm
in advising students to become polyg-
lots. certainly advise all students to
conform to the requirements Of ss
least two years Of language other than
English If they plan to continue their
schooling by liberal arts course in
college. The others I often sdvise to
visit the shops, the business depart
ment, the home economies department,
or the public speaking, for I feel that
they will there find work which will
make life more meaningfu1 to them.
The expert baker, the decorator, the
carpenter, the auto mechanic, the milk
inspector, the farmer etc, have q right
to demand training preparatory to their
success just as much as has the lawyer,
the doctor, the linguist, and the teach
+! er. In truth they have a somewhat
better claim to attention as they ara
fundamentally producers while the lat.
ter group is not always as necessary
as we sometimes think them to b.
This granted, 1t becomes necessary for
educators to apply their efforts and
study to solving Of definite problems
Of economic, social, and moral values
for the masses. In doing this we are
confronted with the former standards
Of measuring success which will not
apply in such a school.
| The world today does not ask the
boy or the girl what he knows. The
important thing is, what is the young
| man or young lady capable of DOING
in the work-a-day business life. True
it is not the place of the public school
to train young folk in all the trades
but it is the business of democracy q
high school to give that training which
will make it possible for these young
people to function better in the majol
fields Of human toll and progress
| Thirty years age the hiQh school Wal