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Page 7 text:
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THE MIRROR 93 SALUTATO RY BERTRAM EUGENE WARREN Ladies and Gentlemen: It is my pleasure tonight to offer you all a most cordial welcome in behalf of my class and the Waltham High School. I wish to as- sure you that we appreciate your coming here to help us to make this last event a success. For us, these exercises represent the top of the ladder, which for four years we have been slowly but patiently climbing. We have been obliged to spend these four years in very stir- ring and somewhat troublesome times. War was declared by the European powers about a year before we entered the High School, it was during our Sophomore year that we cheered Uncle Sam's entry, and now, peace is finally concluded just as we graduate. Now that the war is over, many changes are sure to be introduced into our educational systems. It has been said, and in some cases with some degree of truth, that the high school of today is not adapted to the needs of the many, but prepares only for college. For some time educators have also expressed dissatisfac- tion with the studies, and the methods of teaching them, in the last two years of the grammar school. Qur present system of schools seems to afford criticism on three points: l. The abruptness of the change between the grammar and the high schools. 2. The large amount of retarding, elimin- ation, and levelling in our grammar schools. 3. The late provision for recognition of individual differences. The studies and the methods of teaching them, in the high schools are so different from those of the grammar schools that it is some time before the bewildered freshman com- mences to see any light. From one teacher, who taught him in every subject, and who knew him in every mood, he is suddenly con- fronted by several teachers, not one of whom knows him. Then again, grammar school teachers are graduates of normal schools, where as much emphasis is put on methods of teaching as into the subject matter itself, While on the other hand, high school teachers are college graduates who have been taught the subject matter, but not so much the meth- ods of teaching. This is bound to create a dif- ference in the methods of teaching in the grammar and the high schools. As to retarding and elimination, if a pupil is dull in a certain subject and fails in it for a year, even though he is in good standing in the rest of his studies, he must repeat them all in order to make up the one subject in which he failed. This causes a needless and wasteful amount of repetition, which becomes discour- aging and monotonous to the pupil. As to the last fault, no recognition of in- dividual differences is made until the pupil has reached the high school. Here, for the hrst time, he is allowed to choose the studies which he wishes to take. T To meet these needs, the junior High School was introducd several years ago in one of our western states. The number of these junior high schools has gained so rapidly in the last three years, that there are now over one hundred here in New England, alone. This new unit is defined as a new grouping of grades seven and eight of the grammar school, with the first year of high school, in which there shall be freedom in choice of studies by pupils, a considerable change in the tradi- tional content of the subjects and methods of instruction, departmental teaching, promo- tion by subject, and prevocational work. Under the junior high school plan, the ap- titudes and abilities of the pupil are more easily discovered and provided for, owing to the choice in studies which is allowed. The uncertainty of the pupil as to what he really wishes to do, is met by the use of prevocation- al work. Because of this, manual training, printing, household arts, and business courses have been included in the junior high school program. The pupil is not expected to gain any especial skill in this work, but merely to find out for himself the kind of work for which he has the greatest aptitude. Mistakes in choices are less costly in this early period of the pupil's life, than if made later, as in high school or college. Another advantage of the junior high school is found in its departmental instruction. lt has
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Page 8 text:
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94 THE MIRROR . been found that the teacher's' energy is saved, and her efficiency raised, by limiting her field of work. The practise of some junior high schools having two teachers in the first year, three in the second, and full departmental teaching in the third, seems to be a great step towards a gradual transition from the one teacher plan of the grammar school, to the departmental plan of the high. Still another change, to be brought about by this plan, is the earlier introduction of certain subjects, especially modern languages. It is now iunanimously agreed among educators that the seventh grade is a better place to begin the study of a language, than is the first year of high school. Thus, Latin, French, Spanish, and German will have a place in the studies of this new institution. This argument for start- ing languages earlier in .life is conclusively proved to us every day, by the foreign immi- grant family, for the small child is carrying on a conversation in English longbefore the parents can utter even a few broken sentences. It is probable that you have already asked the question, Why can't we simply take our schools as they are, andintroduce the new studies there, without beginning an entirely new institution P This is easily answered, for in every department of life it is found easier to create a new institution than to reform the old one which is so hampered by set ideas and old traditions. As in all plans, however, there are some dis- advantages. Of these, there seem to be but three that deserve serious consideration :- The first is that the establishment of a junior high school will make it necessary for the pupils to travel greater distances to school. This is of course a local argument and has greater force in some communities than in oth- ers. Conditions in Waltham make it unneces- sary to ,consider seriously this problem. The large building which will be started this year on the site of the present North Grammar will be strictly a junior high school. Thus, pupils who would attend the North Grammar in grades seven and eight will go to the same place under the junior high plan. The South Grammar could also be converted into a jun- ior high school if its primary buildings were enlarged, so as to retain the pupils up to and including the sixth grade. The adoption of the junior high school plan would relieve the High School by taking over the hrst year stu- dents, and it may prove the most feasible way of making the present High School building serve out its term of usefulness. The second objection raised against the junior high school is that under this plan there is too early and too marked a differen- tiation in the work of the pupils. For the issue of this question, however, we can only wait, for the schools have not been in operation long enough for us to reach any definite conclu- sions. The third objection is that the reorganiza- tion of the school system and the establishment of the junior high would mean increased cost to the tax-payer. Several schools have claimed a decreased cost, because under this plan there is a great falling off in the number of repeat- ing pupils. Qn the whole, however, testimony seems to show that the junior high schools do cost a little more but that they are well worth lt. But when education is the one sure method of combating Bolshevism, and is the only sup- port which keeps the human race from falling back to the ways of our cave men ancestors, why consider a slight increase in cost? The country as a whole spent more for war pur- poses in a week than is spent on education in a year. Thus, as the junior high school, in its wider scope, will solve many of the problems of reconstruction, let us give it our fullest sup- port and prove that modern maxim, Give the children half a chance and the whole world will stand amazed at the result.
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