Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-07-02
LOCAL NEWS.


The Public Schools Trustees.
THE PROPOSED REVISION OF THE COURSE OF
STUDY.
A special meeting of the Board OF School
Trustees was held last evening-Mr Curtis In
the chair. A communication was read from
the District Commissioners abolishing the Office
OF mechanical janitor of the public schools,
and ordering that all repairs should be made
under the supervision OF the inspector OF build
ings. Applications for teacherships were re
ceiyed from j. j. Chickering and Edward AyreS.
asking the appointment Of Mr.. w. c. Lips,
combe, jr., as teacher OF the Mount Pleasant
school, was referred to the sub-board OF the
sixth district. A letter from Mr.. N. w. Wright,
relative to the expulsion OF lad from school,
was referred to the committee on teachers
THE QUESTION OF REVISING THE COURSE OF
STUDY.
The report OF the committee on course OF
STUDY was then taken up. The first recon-
meDdation OF the committee, "That no new
text books be introduced during the next
school year." with the recommendation OF tue
minority {Mr: Lovejoyl that the ''New Pro-
nouncing Speller be substituted for the Com
prehensiye; Kerl's Language Lessons for Kerl'S
oral Course, and the new Hadley's Lessons for
tn Old one," &C., was read
NO NEW TEXTBOOKS WANTED THIS YEAR.
MI. Rhees, chairman OF the committee on
course OF study, gave the reasons OF the ma
jority for desiring no new text books this year
their amendment contemplated no change In
textbooks, but simply substituted better edi-
tlonS OF good books now In use. Mr.. Rhees
pointed out that the proposed substitutes re-
sembled the present books in no respect except
in the name OF the publisher on the title page
Not a page or lesson In the two books Is the
same. The books differ In size and price as well
as In matter. In certain respects the new books
were inferior to those which 1t was proposed to
drop. But 1t was unnecessary to enter upon
detailed comparison II the board should deter.
Introduce bQ mir tfoo
and other trustees should examine the latest
works OF different publishers, and not conlne
consideration to the publications OF those whose
books are already In the schools.
MI. LOvej0y, the minority OF the committee,
said that these revised editions had received
the unanimous endorsement Of the supervising
principals and the two superintendent. 1t re-
mained for the board either to receive or reject
their advice.
1t was developed in the course OF discussion
that whether the books in question were con-
sidered as revised editions or new text books
two-thirds vote would be required for their
adoption.
cation OF the majority, opposing any new text
cooks, resulted In its adoption, Mr.. Lovejoy
alone voting in the negative.
PROGRESS MADE IN REVISION.
The 23d recommendation OF the ma alOrity pro-
posing that the course OF instruction in the ad-
vanced grammar schools be extended from one
to two years, was then adopted unanimously
This action enabled the board to agree unani-
mously in respect to the second recommenda-
t1on Of the majority, as two OF the books therein
recommended to be dropped from the list of
text books can be managed when spread over
two years in the ninth grade.
The committee also agreed to the retention
OF GTay's Botanies and Swintons Word Anaiy-
sis. The ID recommendation as amended and
te1t books be dispensed with for the use OF the
pupils, and be transferred to the list OF reference
books for the use OF the teachers: Childs Book
OF Gina Nature, parts; Hadley's Lessons In Lam
Davies University Arithmetic, Theory of Spen-
IL The course q the debate upon this recon-
mendation Mr.: Farley argued that the course
OF studies was too severe for duh pupils, at any
rate, and offered the following section from his
substitute as an amendment to the committees
allow pupil to drop one or more studies when
feemed expedient; but the reasons In each case
shall be made matter OF record and subject to
the approval OF the superintendent" The
amendment was not pressed, however, at this
tine.
The third and fourth recommendations pro-
posing that only the Franklin Second Reader
Instead Of the Second and Third be used in the
second grade and that only the Third Reader
instead OF the Third and Fourth be used In the
third grade were unanimously adopted.
In respect to the 9th recommendation the
majority accepted the amendmento of the minor
fty. as being stronger than their own. The
recommendation as amended and unanimously
adopted Is as follows: ''The superintendeefs
sight, which, when approved by q two-thlrds
vote OF the whole board, may be furnished to
the several schools; but not more than two
copies OF any one book shall be furnished for
The 9Th recommendation proposing to drop
Davies Practical Arithmetic as a text book
Recommendations from to II inclusive, ap-
portioning the different branches OF arithmetic
among the different grades, were recommitted
TIE S1th EXPERIMENTATION nronoe,no m Nv
tend the course In the Normal school from one
to two years was taken up and rejected.
The 18th recommendation, omitting In the
5th grade the review OF the entire elementary
Geography" and reviewing only pages ] to 81
was adopted unanimously.
The 18th recommendation of the majority omit
ting the complete Geography" from the Sth
grade as textbook, with an amendment OF
the minority, permitting it to be used for
reference for purpose OF review, was unani-
mously adopted.
The 14th Recommendation. proposing to omit
the study OF the Constitution of the United
states was then discussed, and great diversity
OF opinion developed It was argued on the
one hand that the constitution was so difficult
OF Interpretation. requiring thestudy Of volumi-
nous and learned commentaries to enable one
TO understand 1t, that instruction In 1t could
prohtably be postponed to maturer years; that
for girls, especially, its study and recitation,
parrot-like were particularly Objectionable. On
the other hand 1t was claimed that hardly any
study was OF more importance to the young
American than that OF the general principles OF
the government under which he lives, and
that the knowledge should be provided
In the lower grade schools, since so many
pupils leave before reaching the others.
Various compromises were suggested, such
as the establishment OF the constitution
as reading book In the grades where it is now
studied, or its advancement as a study to the
higher grades. 1t was finally agreed that the
constitution be read In the 9TH grade once a
week, and be taught as textbook In the Sth
and 9Th grades, thus advancing the study one
grade.
The 18th recommendation was then adopted
without objection. 1t is as follows:-"In SPELL
ing, teach in the I'd grade, New Primary Spell
Ing book, through lesson 1o2; Sd grade, New
Primary Spelling book, finished; 4th grade
comprehensive Spelling book, through lesson
$50; 5th grade. Comprehensive spelling book,
through lesson III; 9Th grade, Comprehensive
Comprehensive spelling book, through lesson
f1nished.'
The 10th recommendation, proposing that
written examinations be not required In pen
manship, drawing, music, physiology and
physics, was then discussed Mr.. RheeS argued