Evening star., 1936-12-27
BY DAVID A. CONLIN.
IKE the automobile, the radio
and the airplane, secondary

7 IKE the automobile, the radio
and the airplane, secondary
education Is a product of "our
- times" The American high
school with all its embellishments is
the modern expression Of educational
opportunity above the common school
of yesterday.
This fact is we'll brought out in
recent report Of David T. Blose of the
United States Office of education, in
"School Life" According to this re-
port, 15.400,3s7 pupils were graduated
from high schools since and includ-
ing 1870. OF these, 14,376, 1872 are liv-
ing in 1886. Sixty per cent Of these
living graduates are under 80 years
OF age. Furthermore, 100000 in
dividuals, or about 40 per cent Of the
total group, graduated since the de-
preston started in 1880.
In 1870 there were about 10000 high
school graduates. in 1885 there were
l of every 2.410 persons were gradual
ing from high school in 1870, while
Of every 1913 persons graduated in 1896.
This would indicate an increase of
high school graduation of 1900 per
cent in terms of population, since
1870.
100 Per Cent Gain in IL Years.
Further evidence Of the develop
ment of the high school during the
last generation may be obtained from
''The Biennial Survey of Education in
the United States, 1884" published
by the Office of education. This shows
that in 1924 there were 3,389,878
students enrolled in the four years Of
high school. In 1884 5,618,835 stu
dents were enrolled. In 1896 it is Ssti-
mated that 100000 students attended
high school This represents a gain
of almost 100 per cent in IL years.
In other words, the high school popu-
lation has been nearly doubled since
Mr.. Coolidge was President, and since
John Dewey wrote most of his educa-
tional philosophy.
In the report Of the National Sur
vey of Secondary Education published
in 1882, more information is given.
This report indicates an increase Of
s,849 per cent in high school enroll
ment in the 50-year period from 1880
to 1880. The increase was most rapid
from 1910 to 1880, the acceleration
being five times as fast between these
dates as from 1880 to 1910. In round
numbers, there were 10000 students
in high school in this country in 1880,
805,000 in 1910 and 4,245.000 in 1890.
This report shows further, that 2.8
per cent of the boys and girls between
the ages Of IA and II, inclusive, at
tended high school in 1880, while in
1880 466 per cent Of high school age
attended. It is estimated that in 1885
about 66 per cent of these eligible boys
and girls are in the secondary school.
Purpose Generation Ago.
I do not wish to bore the reader
with statistics; merely want to sup
ply evidence of the most significant
fact concerning education in this
country, namely, the astounding
growth of the high school in recent
years. 1t is of highest importance
that We realize this significance, not
munity responsibility for the provision
Of adequate financial support.
It is a we'll known fact that the
high school of generation ago was
an academic institution whose domi-
nant function was preparation for
college. It was equipped to carry out
this objective, and the teachers were
well trained in the subject matter in
which they gave instruction. BY and
large, the job Of teaching was well
done and the boys and girls learned
Latin, mathematics, history and the
other subjects. The discipline Of study
was the major activity of the school.
Now it is biological truth that the
variety Of human beings is extremely
great. When the tremendous growth
of the high school occurred from 1910
on there came into the schools some
Of this great diversity Of boys and girls
They differed widely in learning abili-
ties, in interests, in attitudes. in char
acter and personality, in home back
grounds. A growing number cared
little for abstract subject matter; they
wanted to do things: to work with
their hands, to express themselves, to
prepare for vocation.
Variety Provided.
Education slowly responded to the
variety of interests and abilities and
provided a greater variety of ac-
tivities in the schools The aim of
secondary education became more
general. Instead of preparation for
college the dominant objective be-
came the development of citizenship,
that is, effective living in democratic
society.