SHOE-HORN METHODS

The problems of college entrance and the relations of the preparatory school to the college have given rise to more difficulties than any other individual phase in the present educational system. All concerned with this situation realize that something must be done but no one has been willing to make sufficient concessions to effect any material changes. The College Entrance Examination Board is working on its angle of the situation in trying to make their tests cram-proof, but until it works in cooperation with the preparatory schools and colleges its efforts will be of little avail.

There are three specific reasons why some change is imperative. In the first place, the preparatory school prepares for the College Board examination without any regard for the background they provide for their students. The criterion of a good preparatory school at the present time is nothing more than the number of men they manage to cram into colleges. The result is that the college is forced to give many hopelessly elementary courses to fill up life gaps the secondary school has left.

In addition to this, there is little coordination between the preparatory school and college in preparing men to meet specific and individual requirements. The College Board examinations have become a mere mechanical form which does nothing more than stamp a candidate with a blanket approval with little significance to any individual college.

Finally, the preparatory schools should exert some effort to anticipate such misfortunes as German A and French 2. Obviously, college is not adapted to teaching elementary language courses. The secondary school is the place for supplying elementary knowledge and if they pretend to afford the education necessary for a man entering college they should prepare him for advanced subjects rather than concentrating their efforts in getting him in and then hoping for the best. This problem and its solution lies in the cooperation of the secondary schools, College Entrance Examination Board, and the colleges, and they can not begin too soon.