The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1879-03-13
TIE WICHITA PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Superintendent Hesdwsrd's Report fer th
Quarter Ending March z, 1879.
of the Board Of Education !:

bility Of providing means and agencies Tor the cd
ucaticn of our youths. You cannot, with safety,
intrIst the moral and intellectual development
and training of those upon whom the responsible
tiles Of citizenship % 'ievolve TO the un-
certainties Of chance or private enterprise lou
realize your duties as directors Of the education
of our people to employ, control and direct sgen-
cies adequate for the purpose; for its very exist
ence depends upon their character and the mode
and extent II their employment. Hence the sup
mort, care and encouragement OF q system OF
schools and the kind and amount Of instruction
proper or necessary to be given or provided are
matters worthy Of your earnest consideration
The inquiry suggests itself, ''What Is the eiu-
cation 10 he provided the youth Of our land In or
der 20 give security to society and insure indvd-
ual as well rs national prosperity 90 his I'M
portant question has local bearing and Is oil VI
tai Importance, rs its answer will necessarily IN
dictate the principle that will govern the citizens
OF our city in the encouragement and AID gwen
our schools and you, In your official acts, ms
board of directors. The duty Of our citizens TO
educate their children is founded the necessit.
of education rs a means for securing national
prosperity The Kind and extent of this educa-
ton must he determined by the opportunities Of
fered. the convenience and healthful condition OF
employed, the nature of the child 10 be educated,
and the needs and requirements Of the govern
ment 10 which he owes his allegiance. Have We
made the necessary provisions for the accommo-
,lstion and sati sfactory education Of children.
Are our cold cherries, unattractive ill-ventila-
ted buildings scattered here and there aud locst-
ed upon grounds so low and marshy as to be al
most unapproacl,sblc the greater part Of the win
ter season. such aids from which we may expect
the highest results? Compare the lasting worth
10 be obtained from the many public enterprise
now ON foot in our city with that to he derived
from the same amount of energy and enterprise
directed in favor of the necessary provisions
for our schools
COURSE OF STUDY.
Inasmuch a. from the nature of the case II l.
impossible 10 pre- scribe minutel, the succession OF
topics I, he taken up in a course OF many year,
study and since the gradual development oil
system of schools and Improved methods of in
struction make it necessary 10 change, 10 some
extent, any plan that may he fixed at the begin
Mug; vet we have been enabled 50 lar 10 follow
the course adopted at the beginning OF the veal
aud are now conducting in unison with an aimos
perfect graduation. II would he gratifying to III
able TO take those who fail to appreciate the worI
being done, iato our schools and let them se'
what We are doing; but rs this Is not possible eN
cept in a few instances, we will give briefly SOM
points bearing upon our work
PRIMARY WORK.
II the reputation of our school, for excellence II
discipline and progress he just, the primaries Mr.
entitled 10 no small share Of this honor In
ability of the majority Of the teachers emiloye
and the method of instruction carried out are Ger
tainiy inferior 10 but few attribute this excel
lcnce to the ready cooperation Of the teacher
with the Superintendent aud our plan Of suler,is
ION which provides special direction and Oversight
for the work of the primaries. As commo
thing this Is neglected, the attention being com
monty attracted 10 those classes which are sup
posed to display the product rather than the prt
cess of education. The value Of reading, writ
ing. etc is well understood; but the culture g
the faculties Is too occult thing TO attract p"p
lar attention. II can not he displayed In th
mssses il Is to be detected only In the intcrcours
of the individual child with his parents and play
mates, and finally in a tremendously dcvel"pe
manhood. BY continued observation We can cal
culstc with nicely how varied and rich the ha'
vest may he which five hours of daily application
aided by the efforts Of n skillful teacher, wi
bring e. a child.
LANGUAGE LESSONS.
lie importance ot sleCihi icSs"hs III INV "Se
Language can scarcely be over estimated. by III
vocabulary we hsbitusily employ, by the gran
NAUTICAL forms We use, by our selection and pre-
nuncistion of words daily Judged. In ~
work from primaries 10 high school every reat
ing lesson Is made the text for language lc
son The meaning aud Of the words emplo,
cd. other words which would express the san
idea choice among different arrangement
words, and finally a reproduction of the though
expressed The results sought in these lesser
are to train the pupils In conversation, in acc'
rate description and reliable narration, AT Il
same time 10 increase their vocabulary, 10 sho
the beauty and harmony of language. to stud
words, to improve pronunciation, 10 correct co
loouisi errors and 10 teach the Of coventi' n
forms and polite phrases The written eNerris
begin with copied sentences and continue israii
with the oral work, giving abundant opportur
for acquiring correct use of capitals and the gel
erai principles Of punctuation.
READING.
The aim Of our method Of teaching reading
90 enable the child at the end of the third year
school 10 read any matter which is upon the ria
of his con, rehension With this aim In view,
the lowest grade, We give one-hsif and In q
two Immediately above, one-third Of the cnti
time .4aeut in school 10 the study Of reading n
this exclusive of the time devoted to the cogns
studies of spelling and language lessons. VIII
the reading. which shows the intelligence OF
pupil, his comprehension Of the text and the 20
or to imIsrt its meaning to Others L. ALL perhal
that we cenld reasonably expect, the cultivst'
of the voice In same instances Is somewhat II
than We could desire That all may learn to re
iuteliigcntly is, believe. possible; yet, II Is
To be expected that ali children can become es'
fluent natural readers Whoever confidently .
poets this will be disappointed
NUMBERS
The use Of objects 10 develop the idea OF nn
her is 50 trite subject that il seems useless
say more The use of objects In the number !
son Is with us a. indispensable rs the book
blackboard In the reading lesson As res
much which WAS once difficult Is now easy.
the early lessons in numbers are robbed OF b
their terror.
GEOGRAPHY.
The progress the primaries are making In gc'
RAINY j., in the min, satisfactory. The first
sons are upon the map of wichits. from wh
the children readily learn the relative points
the compass how 10 point out and locate fami
objects, what Is meant by boundary, etc.
exercise being upon the geography Of place
milisr 10 all, they are led on step by step, 50
in the third year when . text book IL put
their hands they are already, 10 degrse. ut n