The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1926-09-17
VETERAN TUTOR SEES
HANDICAP NLONG TERMS
Prof. Sheep Believes 1t Mistake to Crowd
Pupils With Learning They Don't Have
Time to Assmilate

The tendency of our modern
educational system, to increase
our school terms to a standard
of ten months, gorge the pupil
with a multiplicity of facts he
has not the time to master, and
rush him off to college before
he has developed himself along
other lines, is viewed with
alarm. by Prof. S. L. Sheep.
Superintendent of the Eliz-
abeth City public schools.
Speaking from the experience Of
nearly half century Of educational
endeavor. Prof Sheep in an inter
view this week. expressed the con-
viction that it is a serious mistake,
other than I'm exceptional eases, 10
send a boy to college before he Is
IS. or 10 years of age. ITO my
mind" said Prof. Sheep. "a boy
younger than that, Is far too YONG
and impressiOnablc, to remove from
the restraining and character mold
Ing influences of the home. The
boys life has been so crowded with
his school work. that he has not had
the opportunity to develop the men,
tai stamina and Is not serious mind
cd enough to give his college work
the application II should have. Out
side attractions finding him i'm a
new world. more easily take his
mind from his studies.
"PrObably the most serious ef-
feet of the long school term. and
the present OvercrOwdtd curricu-
ium" Prof. Sheep continued, lis
the poor results gained with stu.
dents because It is becoming i'm
possible for a child TO master all
that is In his books. His books are
so full of things that he Is evpect-
ed to master before he can make n
grade a year. that. he has not time
for the development of physical and
social activities that are necessary
to the well rounded students. He
needs more time for athletics aad
especially more time for aeadiagf &sf''
the well read student finds himself
able TO master the facts i'm his text,
hook more easily and in -iess-fime.
than the student who hasn't the ad-
vantage of this back ground. Text
books are only the learning Of other
books in condensed form.
"The student Is far better equip
ped. if lie has had the opportunity
to minsle' freely with people dis
cuss opihibnS. hear their ideas. and
learn something or human nature.
In other words. gushing the pupil
thru school mi eleven years, and
sending him to college when is only
16 to II years old handicaps him
thru life. for he comes out Of col
lpge. sadly lacking in learning that
is necessary for his success I'm grap.
pIing with the everyday problems
of the world of business. He must
then spend many years. acquiring
a knowledge of things he could have
learned earlier
In his discussion Prof. Sheep STAT
cd that school activities have a very
pnnervating effect on students In
the summertime. He expressed the
opinion that II years Of nine months
each. would prove far better to
student in the course Of a lifetime,
than II years of ten months each.
Prof. Sheep steps in line with the
effort now being made by certain
educators of prominence TO reduce
the high school curriculumS Of TO-
day. which are considered over
crowded. especially with respect to
geometry and Latin. II was only
this week that DR.. J. Henry High
smith, State Director of High
School Education. led Q discussion
at a conference Of principals .and
Superintendents Of the Northeast
ern Counties. in Elizabeth City. and
EXPRESSED the belief that the COM
pulsory teaching of Latin and Geo
metry had dricen many pupils away
from school. and Overcrowded other
students. DR.. Highsmith took the
yiewpoint that the major function
of the school today, should not be
to simply prepare the student for
college. as has usually been the case.
Tint rather to give him the best pos
sible training for the most effec-
tive citizenship.
In many instances. the reorgan'
zation Of smaller high schools on
better basis. would put Latin bac-
i'm it's proper place. an auXilliar
study to the mastering of Englisb,
f, instead of specialized course IL
! itself
The conference of educators held
here. while an annual occurrence,
seemed to be directed along more
revolutionary lines. Not only the
advisiability Of revising the curri-
CONTINUED on page siX)
Because you can see well, it's no
-aor,, your headaches are not caiIS-