ABOLISH GERMAN A

Printed elsewhere in today's CRIMSON is an account of the reforms which took place in Harvard education almost a hundred years ago and which ended in making Harvard a real university, in fact as well as in name. Those reforms proceeded by extending what Jared Sparks called "the university part of this seminary" at the expense of "the school-part". The news story also shows that the movement was of German origin.

While acknowledging this debt to Germany, Harvard students of today cannot help being reminded of certain evils which still are found in Harvard education: evils which survive from that antiquated Harvard against which Sparks complained a century ago; evils which, though not Teutonic in genesis, have, nevertheless, a strong German flavor. For German A is the classic example of this fossil remnant of an unenlightened past.

To say that such a course ought to be taught in secondary and high schools and, therefore, has no place at Harvard, is merely to repeat Spark's old argument. Why, then, is it still given? And why does almost the entire Freshman class still take it? The obvious answer is that students do not order their precollege work correctly. But even so, are secondary schools never to assume their proper burden and really prepare boys for college? Certainly they never will so long as colleges consider it their duty to teach all the odds and ends of elementary subjects preparatory schools leave untaught.

It may seem very impractical to suggest it--and there is no question that the suggestion, if put into effect, would work hardship and injustice in a few individual cases for a short while--but in the long run, we believe that the only practical course Harvard can adopt relative to this evil is to announce to the world that, beginning with the college year 1928-1929, German A and French A will not longer be given as simple elective courses.

This proposal does not mean that elementary courses in German and French would no longer be given at Harvard. Such courses must of necessity always be open to students who can show legitimate cause for taking them. Such students, for example, as those who, having had elementary German or French in preparatory school, are still unable to pass the language requirement. "There will always be moreover, a certain group of students who having satisfied the language requirement, say in Latin and French, still desire to take up a third language, such as German. The real value of the proposed change would be to do away with the wholesale teaching in college of the rudiments of German and French which, in the majority of cases, should have been learned before entering college.

By making the change effective in 1928, provision would still be made for the instruction at Harvard of those unfortunates in the Freshman classes of the next two years who will not have completed their elementary studies before entering college. It would also give preparatory and high schools sufficient time to make up deficiencies in these studies on the schedules of prospective Harvard Freshman entering in 1928 and thereafter. Moreover, such a procedure would lead the way in the much needed raising of secondary school standards, by throwing the burden of elementary preparation squarely where it belongs. For some small college to take such an arbitrary step would simply put that college outside the general scheme of things, educationally speaking. But Harvard is in a different position, and can lead the way where many other colleges will be glad to follow.

Most important of all, this action would redound to the incalculable benefit of future Harvard students. At present, few men who begin their study of a foreign language in college ever perfect themselves in it sufficiently to make it a useful instrument in later college work. The Crimson's proposal would tend to the fulfillment of the spirit as well as the letter of the language requirement.

Each of the four college years would take on new dignity and importance. As far as German and French are concerned, a student would then actually begin to go to college as soon as he entered--surely not an unreasonable condition. By so doing, he would have so much the better opportunity to find himself earlier than he now does, and his three years as an upperclassman would be turned to greater scholarly achievement.