Spanish Schools
Lack Facilities
Miss Thompson Tells of
Educational System
Of Sunny Land
Poorer Class Maintains
Government Schools
Educational facilities and oppor
tunities in Spain are inferior to
those in the United States, Anna M.
Thompson, assistant professor of
Eomance languages at the Univer
sity, reports as a result of ten years
spent in Spain, serving as a teacher
a large part of the time at the In
ternational Institute for Girls in
Madrid.
Public schools are not the effic
ient, systematized institutions that
are found in the United States.
They lack trained teachers and are
not sufficiently equipped, Miss
Thompson said. “They are main
tained by the poorer class of people,
and consequently canndfr afford the
things which a school should have.”
When Miss Thompson was at the
International Institute, which ob
tains all of its school supplies from
the United States, she said that
people were surprised at the things
used in the school.
“Many had never heard of chairs
with the wide arms on which to
write, erasers were novelties, and
desks were just as surprising to
them,” she said. “In Spain a cloth
is used to clean the blackboard, and
chalk is used so short that one is
likely to scratch his fingernails on
the blackboard while using it.
“The slight regard for public
schools is explained, in part, when
one learns that all people who can
afford to send their children to con
vents or have private tutors for
them do so.” Girls never go to pub
lic schools. If they come from a
well-to-do family, they are taught
by their governess, but if they are
from a ‘family of less financial
means they are sent to a convent.
Religious Exam Required
“Girls are taught music* lan
guage, embroidering, sewing, and
fancy lace-work. In addition to this
everyone is required to take an ex
amination in religion both in pub
lic and private schools.
“Perhaps another reason for the
conditions of the public schools is
the handling of the money for pub
lic education,” Miss Thompson con
tinued. “The official who handles
the money usually tries to make it
Of United
worth-while to himself. The Spanish
do not consider it unfair to take a
share of the money if it comes into
their hands. I wouldn’t have you
sav for a minute, though, that the
Spanish aren’t honorable, but in a
public office they consider things
just that they would not hold hon
est in private life.”
Public education in Spain is im
proving, said Miss Thompson. There
are a group of people trying to bring
education up to a higher piano.
They have accomplished much, but
they are working under a handicap.
At one time, Spain was one of the
nations that helped start public ed
ucation. She was then above the
other countries in this respect but
the interest in this declined and fad
ed out. The people seemed convert
ed to the private methods of educa
tion.
Atmosphere Different
In speaking of the college life in
Spain, she said that it was sur
rounded by an altogether different
atmosphere from college life in the
United States. “There is not the
same spirit that we find in our col
leges. There are no forms of ath
letics in Spanish colleges, there is
not the continuous round of social
events that there is here. Often the
buildings are in different cities; the
pharmacy department may be in
one city and the law school in an
other. Thus the contact which is
had in American colleges is lacking
there, and as a result the so-called
‘school spirit.’
“But there is a certain spirit
prevalent among the college stu
dents that I like to see,” she de'
clared. “When questions between
two different interests arise the stu
dents usually take sides, and they
seem always to align themselves on
the side of the right,” she said.
She spoke of the influence of the
rich man there. When he desires
something the poor are afraid to ob
ject, but often the students are not.
She told of a certain rich man in a
college town who objected to a side
walk being built in front of his
property. He even built a wall
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L.l.GRAHAM F.G.LEWIS
around it to prevent the authorities
from doing so. Because he was rich
the authorities gave up the idea of j
trying to induce him to submit to j
their demands. But the students j
grouped together and destroyed the
wall, and the sidewalk was built.
Thus they accomplished what the
law could not. “I never knew the
students to band together for any
thing other than good.”
Theory Considered Important
Teachings of Spanish colleges
dwell more on theory than do the
teachings of American colleges, Miss
Thompson stated. Colleges here
have more practical education.
Spanish colleges have a more decid
ed leaning toward culture than do
our colleges. Spaniards are aston
ished at educated Americans not
appreciating beautiful things. The
Spanish people have access to cul
ture. Public places containing things
of art and beauty are very common
and are open to everyone. From
childhood they are taught their
significance.
“Strange to say, a degree from a
private college is worth nothing, of
ficially, in Spain,” Miss Thompson
said. If the college is not a govern
ment institution the degree is not
recognized as a degree. This is in
sharp contrast with the private col
leges in the United States where
the Johns Hopkins and Leland
Stanford colleges, as well as others, '
are institutions from which it is ,»ji
honor to obtain a degree, and from
which a degree is considered of
more value than from most state in
stitutions.
Interesting Center Cited
“An interesting and very worth
while organization in Spain is the
Center of Historic Research. This
is an institution supported by the
government, which accepts only
college graduates, and gives them
more advanced learning in their
different professions or branches.”
Fellowships are granted the most
promising students here. Excellent
students are found here since it is
only the truly ambitious that are '
admitted to the organization, Miss
Thompson said. From this group
there is another selection, to be
sent abroad to finish their education.
Miss 'rfbmpson was employed at
the Center of Historic Eesearch
part of the time she was in Spain.
It was her business to examipe stu
dents in English who were trying
to obtain the trip to America or
England. Many of them with whom
she came into contact have become
famous men by this time, she said.
Tests
(Continued from vage one)
of discovering what college subjects
the entrants are best fitted to take,
is his belief.
“The high school record is quite
a good indication of the college
record. We can make rather a good
prediction as to what sort of work
the student will do here,” Mr. Tay
lor said.
Next year the department will
have a research assistant to aid in
further investigations. The position
was granted by the administration
because of the close connection of
psychology research with adminis
tration problems.
This is the second year of the in
tensive research program in the de
partment, the systematic test work
having been started in 1925.
“We expect to accomplish even
more next year than we have the
past two,” Professor Taylor de
clared.
UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO,
TOLEDO, O.—Fifteen officials of
campus organizations were dismissed
from their offices because of poor
scholastic records.
Edgeworth
Absolutely
pre-war
‘Three Sisters’ Region
Should Form National
Park, Says Dr. Hodge
“The Three Sisters region should
be a national park,” said Dr. E. T.
Hodge, of the geology department,
in an interview recently, “because
it contains all the necessary out
standing features. The glaciers are
not so large as they may be in one
park, nor the volcanoes of another,
nor the lava fields of a third, but
there is a whole grouping of these
things together. A yisitor from the
East can see more things here than
in any other area.”
It is one of exceptional scenic
beauty, and would adapt itself well
to both a winter and summer play
ground. In addition, it is an edu
cational area, and in it lies the his
tory of the state.
“The roads keep the region back,”
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he said, “although it is very acces
sible. The McKenzie highway makes
the way in. I think it is the most
attractive area in the state,” he
said, “and there is now an organiza
tion developing to make the area a
national park.”
The sheep which customarily are
kept in this region would not be
allowed there if it was a national
park, said Dr. Hodge. However,
from a purely business standpoint,
; the owners of’ the land could make
| more money through the tourists.
The standpoint, is generally good
! of making the area a national park,
i 'fhe state of Oregon would receive
much more money from tishing
licenses from tourists than it does
now, he said. Those opposing the
I idea are mainly sportsmen who want
! Oregon a wilderness fop themselves
[alone and want to exclude everyone
1 else.
JEWELRY
Would “Suit” Him
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The young man graduate would be
most pleased with* a gift precious and
lasting. But it must be a regular “he
man” article - - - say, some item of
jewelry that mature men take pride in
wearing - - - something that’ll last and
he’ll cherish a life time.
Hoffman’s
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790 Willamette St.
TWO 1927 SUMMER SESSIONS
University of Oregon
EUGENE AND PORTLAND
June 20—July 29
1. Faculty of 100
2. Total of 210 courses
3. Fifteen departments; 7 professional schools
4. Many graduate courses offered
5. Many new courses not offered during regular year
6. Post session of one month—August 1-26
7. Only summer library training course on Pacific Coast
8. Nine term hours of credit in six weeks
9. Fifteen term hours in 10 weeks
10. Zoology camp at Coos Bay
11. Geology camp in Wallowa mountains
12. Board and room $10 per week in University Halls
13. Two weeks athletic coaching school
14. Week-end trips to Bandon beaches. Lava beds, Crater
Lake and Mount Hood.
Complete catalogue available upon request at
Extension Division, University of Oregon, Eugene.
PARR