The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-03-04
what Sehoola Need.

There are some facts and figures given
in synopsis Of the last report OF the
School Commissioner of Massachusetts,
printed in the Springfield Republican, OF
value to those interested in West Vir-
ginia schools. The Massachusetts report
shows that in that State during the last
year there have been 81 900 pupils OF all
ages in the public schools, that the aver
age attendance is 234 900, and the number
Of teachers $40, ofwhonn S,1os have had
some normal training. The private and
parochial schools also contain 5000 pui
pills, and the academies s,6G2. In the last
three years the average attendance in the
public schools has been raised more than
$4,000, or five times as much as the
recorded increase in the school popula-
ton, 81 times the increase In henumberi
attending, and as many, 1t will be OBJ.
served, as the. whole number now in
parochial and private schools a This is
due partlyto the fact that 20 more towns
have made truant provisions than in 1875,
and partly to an increase in the quality Of
school teaching. 40 'a'HA $3.50 % ~
The report notes great waste in getting
the good Of educational expenditure from
tho lack Of expert supervision, and thinks
the Legislature has made mistaken
calling of skilled agentsand neglecting to
provide for efficient county superintend-
ency. 1t suggests that when cotton mill
finds It necessary to economic aud ex-
tract two yards OF cloth out Of the, same
outlay that had produced only one, the
managers do not begin by dischargipg
oyerseers and skilled hands, az q. So
An interesting feature Is the exhibi.
ton OF the papers Of the pupils,
quite a number oi--which are litho-
graphed to. show ,penmanshipS cipher
ing and composition These exhibits
it is claimed are thoroughly genuine,
not gotten up for effect, but an honest
effort to get at the actual proficiency Of
pupils and let it stand for what it was
worth. They were tried in reading, writ
ing and arithmetic reading included
silent reading" that Is, an anecdote Of
Cyrus was given to each pupil to read him
self and then take away, while he was
given an hour in which to reproduce the
story in his own language. Some Of these
reproductions, as might naturally be ex-
pected with children not trained to COM
position, do not "come within gunshot."
But the value Of the experiment lies In the
utter needlessness Of this absence Of tram.
ing in expression. The reason why COM
position is such bugbear in the high
schools is that 1t is not taught in the pri-
maries, as 1t should be. In writing, these
pupils were also asked to compose letter,
covering certain points. In these, also,
the narrow range Of language is noticeable,
There is an incessant use Of the words |
"nIce" and Splendid" as perhaps the |
letters Of their teachers might disclose.
Out OF l,e4e pupils, averaging years
and 10 months old, who are supposed to
have attended school eight years, there |
were given in addition in column" only
65 correct answers per 100, In multiplica.
ton and division 8s,S, in simple interest
42.0, in measurement I5,4, making the
arithmetlcal average 4S.2. In oral reading
they averaged 1856 per cent in mechanical
execution, 62.7 in expression in "silent
reading" that is comprehension of what
they had read "to themselves" 56.S, in,
written expression o., penmanship 81, use
Of capitals aud punctuation 49.4, spelling
O2.l, in spelling words dictated CAS-.
This Is on the whole an unsatisfactory
exhibition, but probably gives good
sample Of the State. What is needed is,
first, more attention to expression, oral
and written, in primary schools, 7inyolv.
ing Of course spelling and psumanship.