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Show IlgJl-w J I 'There wan a certain rich man" No. not the Biblical one. bui a man of our town tand your town or city) who sent hlg son to an expensive tutoring school the last month of every jichool term j-o that the Instructors could pump onouKh learning Into him to enable him to "get by" when examination time came and these sons and daughters do Just barely "get by." propped and bolstered by money and tutors. But, lo! A certain college In making plans to change all this LlHten to the startling announcement: "Columbia College has voted to apply the principles of the selective draft by means of psychological tests In measuring the fitness of applicants for admission to the student body. Character, health imd mental men-tal quickness will he the prime requisites rather than mere book learning." Now, here Is a test of the student's ability abil-ity that will do away with much Injustice The benefits will be threefold. Klrst. the boy and girl students themselves them-selves will not be subjected to the humiliating hu-miliating necessity of drudging along In classes that they are not fitted to enter much lesa to moke progress. In, but who re placed there by ovei ly-ambltlous parents par-ents because they desire the prestige that a rertaln school gives. Because other boys and girls of their acquaintance go IIUCIO lIli'SC p.'l I cuts 31.-1- HU ivusyil their own shall not do likewise, and thus we have example every day of children plodding along In an environment of study and association that Is wholly unsuiled to the bringing out of their best faculties. It is humiliating to a hoy (unless there Is sdane good renson. such as Illness, that makes tutoring advisable) to know that he must be coached In order to st.'ind tej-ts that others pass unassisted. If he Is naturally nat-urally Issy and lin king In ambition he will drift Into the habit of letting parents and money lake the place of hard study and application. If he has character and aspirations, as-pirations, yet Is mentally unfitted to enter certain courses of study, his natural bent, In which he might make good, will be frustrated by the humiliating friction of association and study and tests he Is not able to cope With. There Is the danger also of overworking the brains of these mentally men-tally unfit ones and possibly ruining their chances of usrfulness and happiness In other channels of effort. Then the pnrents! Yes, they boast of this and thst "very expensive" tutoring schcol to which they are sending their! sons they feel a certain pride In being, able to afford this, and they always have "reasons ' galore os to just why these I sons must ho tutored plausible reasons on the surface, yet we know full well that, they are trying to conceal sold son's fallings fall-ings and dullnesses and nssuagc bv words, words and futile explanations) their dis appointment and chagrin that their son i cannot take his place, unassisted by lavish money expenditure and tutoring, nmonp the capable, upstanding vouth of the land who forge their way straight ahead to distinction :md learning despite obstacles of poverty and hindering adversities. As n third reason why It Is believed the selective draft Uhe Innovation will doubtless doubt-less he followed by other schools) will be beneficial Is In the matter of Its greater appreciation and Justice to students who are not horn with the proverbial silver spoon. It Is rather dlscournglng to the painstaking, diligent student to see unfits take their places on the school rOStSI knowing lhat this place gained, not by hard study or natural aptitude, but by the Insinuating connivance and subterfuge of lucre that has heretofore made entrance through the eye of the school needle easv to accomplish, despite the camel humps of Inaptitude and mental unfltnes. The benefits of this movement will be mutual nnd reactionary. It Is one of the many steps toward all-around progress In Instilling the helpful Idea of standing and depending upon our own merits In taking our place on the world's roster of intellectual, intel-lectual, business and social affairs. YVhnt stimulus it would inspire In other matter? besldee schools If this Idea of fitness, morally, mor-ally, mentally and physically, could be made the prealllng criterion by which our entrance to desired things be the test' It Is with the youth of the land to-day we must Intelligently derfl In order to fix the status of future good customs and rules. We. as parents. havebeen too long striving for an Ignis fatuns of prominc n.-e and ecluslveness for our children Instead of giving them the sensible training thai Will enahle Ihi m to oli.n.l imon nnd brine out their latent faculties A young man fas yet not entlrelv spoiled by pampering and tutoring! when home on a vacation during the las! war vear was most anxious to "work (for a few days) like the other boys wcie doing" and finally Inveigled his parents Into lettlnv him don clothes and tako a "shift" at a rear by drilling machine. The parent? took him to work In their limousine, sent their "man" to bring him home In the car to lunch and sent for him again at night. The poor boy's pride In earning money and working was spoiled by the poorly concealed ridicule of his companions compan-ions who ate "bucket" lunches and walked to and from their work. The boy. If let alone by his parents would have made good in his desire to help I'ncle Sam hv doing some good, badlv needed, honest labor. Instead he was thwarted and may not again make an effort to release himself from the sway of pampering parents. It might be well to o.dd that this bov has been tutored before very examination, nnd there have been many changes In his place of attending i school, A fact Which is aignlfloanl ! If we do not wish our children to be exposed ex-posed to humiliating tests later we must i begin while thev are still young and pliable pli-able to train them In such manner that they will not grow up expecting to "get by" with anything hut what la won by Intrinsic merit and natural fitness. |
