Show THE UNIVERSITIES OF THE WEST IVEST From the time of Plato to the present it has been said that the theory of ed education cation entertained by a people reflects their current current current cur cur- rent ideals of life and the development of schools and other means of learning has been accepted as the mirror ot of a nations nation's progress If this be true then all the best thought of the nations nation's brightest men should be directed towards the improvement improvement improvement im im- provement of ideals of education and the nations nation's ablest statesmen should display their highest energies in putting into practice practice practice tice these high ideals It should be the ince of the state to look after the education i tion of its citizens for up upon n their intelligence intelligence intelli intelli- gence Bence depends the stability of the state stat state and n nation tion f It tt is above all necessary that each sfa state te should have a perfect educational s system stem stema a a system perfect in all its parts from the kindergarten to the university The states west of the Mississippi following the lead of Michigan have established s systems stems which approximate this ideal especially in the named above-named state and in Minnesota has the organization of the public school system been carried to a high degree of perfection It may indeed indeed indeed in in- deed be said that the University of Michigan Michigan Mich Mich- igan stands at the head of popular education education education tion in the U United States N Never ever before the establishment of that great institution upon upon its present broad and liberal basis bash was there any ny decided tendency towards uniting the common schools and the higher institutions of learning into a complete system Formerly there was an anair anair anair air of exclusiveness s about univ universities they were regarded as places where people who cared little for the ordinary affairs of life went to study prof profound und mysteries wholly incomprehensible t to ordinary mortals Now it is all different A university education is coming to be looked upon as a ne necessary essary preparation for active life The success of the University of Michigan Michigan Michigan Michi Michi- gan is due to the fact that it has kept up with the continually increasing demands f for r improvements It has been carried to its present advanced position as Dr Henry C. C Adams says by by the unconscious influence influence influence in in- fluence of the Student Class The U University University Uni Uni- ni- ni has secured the patronage and support o of the people of that State by making itself indispensable to the State It has made itself the head of the public school system of the State by accepting graduates of the high schools of the State 1 l f without examination as candidates for the university degrees in all cases wherein the public school instruction came up to the standard laid down by the University thus raising the efficiency of the public schools to a very very standard Such excellent results have been obtained obtained obtained ob ob- from the broad and liberal policy of this institution that not only have most of the Universities of the newer states been founded after the same model b but t many eastern U Universities have hav lately adopted the same course Even Harvard has adopted the elective system along with many other fe features tures first instituted d dat at Ann Arbor We Ve believe it will hold true without exception exception exception ex ex- that wherever state education has been established on this broad and complete complete complete com com- basis it has been an entire success while in many other instances it has been beena a a complete failure In this consists according according according ac ac- cording to Dr Rice the superiority of the schools of the middle West over many of those of the Eastern states The public schools of Utah are approaching approaching approaching ap ap- this ideal organization The only thing which seems to prevent its immediate immediate immediate im im- mediate consummation is the persistency with which many people adhere to their distrust of public instruction notwithstanding notwithstanding notwithstanding standing the fact that public schools have proved more efficacious in every way than private or denominational ones We vVe look forward to the not very distant time when our public school system will be made a perfect whole without a mis missing ing lin link between between between be be- tween the primary school chool and the U Uni Uni- ni- ni |