PAPERS PRESENTED AT GENERAL SESSIONS 53 



THE AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL VERSUS THE 

 ENGLISH PUBLIC SCHOOL 



F. H. Crawford, Northwestern University 



It was Addison, I believe, who made the remark that 

 it is very melancholy to consider what a little negligence 

 could spoil us, but what a deal of industry and toil is 

 necessary to improve us. That the industry and toil de- 

 manded is great, surely none in this gathering is pre- 

 pared to dispute. But on the nature of the industry and 

 the kind of the toil necessary there will be as many diff- 

 erent ideas as there are individuals here present. In- 

 deed, since education first differentiated itself as a spec- 

 ial human problem requiring special treatment and 

 special thought, its concrete form has ever been one of 

 controversy. 



There has been controversy as to methods of instruc- 

 tion, the proper age for beginning it, the length of con- 

 tinuance, and above all, perhaps, as to the specific nature 

 and proportion of the various subjects to be studied. 

 These individual points of variance are, however, evi- 

 dences of the real difficulty which lies in differing con- 

 ceptions of Avhat the education process shall accomplish. 

 The rigidly state controlled education of ancient Sparta 

 had in view the strength and glory of the Spartan State. 

 The monastic schools of the middle ages had a no less 

 definite aim and for them education was a tool by which 

 the work of the Mother Church might be forwarded. 

 Each perhaps owed its success in a measure to the recog- 

 nition of the ends which it was to serve. 



And so today we must define as accurately as possible 

 the ends which we are seeking, else we shall wander far 

 afield e'er Ave know it. Since I shall confine my remarks 

 largely to secondary education, we may lay aside at once 

 the claims of the specialist. His requirements are so ex- 

 acting and extensive that they must be left for the uni- 

 versities to satisfy. What then should be required of a 

 system of education in England and America today? 

 These two countries have, I believe, fundamentally much 

 the same educational need, namely, the need by a repre- 

 sentative government of an interested, informed and 



