New Britain herald., 1930-02-11

our elementary school may well be one Of six or of seven years, with a grouping of the next three years into q new administrative unit with great CT flcXibility in meeting educational needs than now exist. followed by q reorganization of our senior high school, to provide for specialization in industry, business, or in prcpara- ton for a higher institution. such as Normal school, college and profess sional schools
 Tt IS interesting 10 note that the holding power of high schools has Increased especially during recent years. In 1920, 10.@eo Of the total enrolment elementary and secondary were in the high school, while in 1925, lG.l1cc of the total were found in secondary schools. If all pupils progressed regularly through all the grades it is obvious that the last four years or the high school could enroll but q maximum of 33 l-3co of all pupils. In point of numbers oi those in $ school system. We arc then but J0e1cfficicnt in high school enroll . mcnt while as already pointed out l-2 of those Of high school age are without formal educational training either in high school or in affiliated organizations,
 Had ono the time 1t would be a fascinating story to rchoarsc the dc Vclopmont of high school education in this statc from the earliest com pulsory secondary schools of lG50 to the SS free schools of 1880, and in this story New Britain since 1850 would have il conspicuous place. It will be recalled. however. that four country grammar schools each in the head town of the county were among our earliest schools. These were for boys only and existed solely 0 pre- pare North for college. Later came the academies 1, q protest against the restricted classical curriculum Of the grammar schools. and 10 the ad- dress of Henry Barnard on lndc- pcndcncc Day in 1888 may be trace q tho beginnings of tho public high school, when he set forth what he believed to be the moral and cduCI- tional needs Of cities. and the way 10 meet those needs. Thus ideals we're first expressed il the many acadc- mics which followed the legislation of 1898. It was these schools which first gayr the opporlunlty for sec ondary education to girls. AS the cI- cmcNtary schools gre" they gradual = ly added moro years and schools or higher grade merged into our high schools of today and in most instanc- cs absorbed tho academies.
 "Honorablc as is the history Of high school education in Conncctl- cut. one step is yet 10 be taken, and that is 10 guarantee by statute la" that any boy or girl who Is adc- oua:Cly prepared. may have chance to 20 to high school by legal ri5 ht rather than aa q privilege. What | mean. is that today, in towns not providing high school education, II is still a matter Of town school Con- mittcc vote whether q pupil shall be permitted to go to high school. Fail urc on tho part Of a town SchooI committee 10 act could result in q dc. privation of high school opportuni- ties and to this cAtont an equality ot educational opportunity dcnIcd q child in this state.
 q said earlier the high school a& we know it is q distinctly American institution IL is built upon different social philosophy than that of th' middle schools of Europe or even oi 1 England. There. secondary education 1 is q matter of privilege, and to ar 1 extent dependent upon financial anc social status, modified somewhat bN q system of competitive scholarships In America high school cJuCafiou generally is q right and detcrmlncd by constitutional as well a5 statutory provision and also by the ideal ot an equity of educational oprortunit, limited only by capacity to profit thcrcflom.
 We can trace our clcmrnt3rN graded school directly to Prussia, our Kindergarten 10 Germany. and 10 tn" same source OUT trade and contuuH ton schools. Our higher institutions, our colleges and especially our uni vcrsities follow an English model. But our high schools arc distinctly American. The duality ot the cduca -