The Development of the Ontario High School (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1918 Excerpt: ...including the elements of French, for those who intend to engage in the various pursuits of life without entering the University--and also to impart a special preparatory education to those who intend to become Surgeons and Civil Engineers." A three-fold object is thus outlined. The grammar school is preparatory for those who are to go to college, and also for two learned professions, but besides this, it is a finishing school for those who go into business or any other occupation. Thus the secondary school was organized upon a compromise. Having at least two divergent objects, the programme of studies must necessarily be an adjustment, which suits neither class perfectly. In later days a still further complication was introduced when the task of educating all the common school teachers was assumed. Very soon, also, girls gained admittance and recognition, and so the secondary school had come to be a sort of Procrustes' bed, to which girl and boy, prospective mechanic, physician, home-maker, teacher, farmer, or merchant, must adjust himself or be eliminated. The Superintendent after arguing at some length the necessity of grammar schools in a progressive country like Canada and their hitherto precarious existence, reasons thus with the wardens of counties: "The Act does not say in what way the proportionate sum from local sources shall be provided; but I would suggest that, as the County Council appoints one-half of the Board of Trustees for the management of each Grammar School, the County Council should provide one half of the sum required by law to be provided from local sources as a condition of sharing in the fund. But a higher and broader ground for this suggestion is, not only that the Grammar School is a national school and the country has...