Evening star., 1928-11-08

If Solon had lived in the twentieth
century he certainly would have be-
come an American, for, Judging from
the development of education in the
United States since the World War,
all Americans are becoming Solons.
Solon declared II grow old ever learn
ing many things" So do we Ameri-
can5-we admit the charge with due
modesty This is the week set apart
in the year for fasting and prayer that
we shall not become so Swell-headed
over our brain development that all
will have to emulate the youths who
go about hatlesS in the coldest weather.
lest their brains become overheated and
bust" From November to IL the
days and nights are given to inedita-
ton upon the mysteries of modern
schools and colleges of the United
States.
The week opened with the theme of
Health" for Monday, of Homes and
Schools" for Tuesday, of "Schools-How
to Think, See and Judge" on Wednes-
Gay. of Work" for Thursday, of Good
Citizenship" on Friday, of Good Neigh
borliness and Community Service" on
Saturday, and of Patriotism on Armi-
stice Day" Sunday. November IL. And
all the week we contemplate the Ameri-
can school system and its accomplish
mentS and its responsibilities.
Perhaps all this "cut-and-dried" pro-
gram irks the man who wass weary
of the routine of the little red school,
house on the hill, and he wonders why
we moderns make such fuss about
school, There are successful men now
in the highest ranks of Government
and of business who never went to high
school, and certainly never attended
lectures in college, yet they meet today's
problems. So why assume that their
children need more book learning than
the parents possess?
The answer is obvious: Times have
changed and men must keep abreast
of their own conditions. Illiteracy
might be tolerated where all are SINH
larly ill1terate, but not today in COM
munity of educated people. The first
high school was established lot years
ago; it was no handicap not to have
had a high school education in 1920
when there were no such institutions,
BY 1880 the high school enrolment in
all the United States totaled only no.
277; 1t was distinction then to be
graduate from high school. Each 10
years since 1880 the number has dou-
bled; In 1920 it was 2,l99, ,389; in 1928
the total high school registration is
4,108,723.
What will the unlearned boob expect
to accomplish in his ignorance in a
community whose minds are trained to
think with high school alertnesS, not
to say collegiate omniscience? We
honor the man of today who has risen
from the rail splitter to the orator OF
Gettysburg; from the towpath mule
driver or the harnesSmaker to the
presidency Of the United States; from
the stable boy, with never more than
"a months of any kind of schooling, to
be Secretary of State and author of a
world treaty forever outlawing war.
But all these men overcame their
handicaps by personal efforts when it
was within the reach of individual eff
fort to meet the difficulties of their
times. Schools may not make prodigies
of us all. but without schooling in this
age of complicated machinery replacing
manual labor and intercommunication
spanning the world in the twinkling OF
an eye few indeed are the youths who
without utmost training can meet COM
petition in a Nation whose 28,000,000
youths are seeking training and mental
discipline in the public schools.
y X
Even more startlingly sudden has
been the rise of trained teachers for our
grade and high schools. Since the
World War the attendance at our Sum-
mer schools has grown from 10000 to
250000. and the membership of the
National Education Association has in
creased from 10000 in 1918 to 900
in 1923.
Much has been said in criticism Of
the Jazz age, in which youth is accused
Of being more frivolous than were the
parents of the preceding generation.
But the vastly increased enrolment in
the schools does rot indicate excessive
frivolity. nor does the broadened curric-
ulum taught therein show artificial in
ducements to fiitter away the hours OF
school in impractical studies. In the
older generations the schools taught
reading, writing, spelling> penmanship,
arithmetic, grammar. geography, his
tory elementary science, sometimes
drawing. music and physical exercise
Today the elementary. schools teach all
these studies and in addition instruct
in citizenship. morals. manners, cook
ing, sewing, manual training or indus
trial arts, etc. The boy or girl upon
the equalization fee plan wish to defeat
all legislation for the farmers and
take the onlA therefor, it is clear that