New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-09
EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS.

AN ADDRESS By DR. W. T. HARRIS.
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE sUPgRINTENDENCE DE-
PAETMEST OF THE NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL AS
ISOLATION.
The annual meeting of the Superintendent De-
partment of the National Educational AssOcia-
ton began last night at the hall OF
the Cooper Union. THIS department is made
up of State and city superintendent
of education throughout the country There are
usually abou, fifty of these superntcndents in at
tendance az the annual meeting. There were be-
tween 800 and 400 persons present last night
about thirty Of whom We're members
of the department. Among these were:
J. p. Wickersham. State superintendent of Public
Instruction, Harrisburg, Penn; Is q. Northrop,
Secretary of the State Board of Education, Hart
ford Conn; Charles A. Thompson, Worcester. Mass;
John Eaton. Commissioner of Education. Washing
ton Elisha Harris. Albany Andrew j. Kickoff,
Supe .intcndcnt of Pablo Schools at Cleveland,
O.; ]. W. Patterson. State Superintendent Of
Public Schools. Concord, ~ H.. Professor
james H. Smart. Superintendent of the Public
Schools Of Indiana Henry Barnard cx-Supcrin-
tendcnt of Schools. of Cincinnati; 4. Parrish. SUI
p,riniendent of the New-Hayen Schools; Thomas
w. Bicknell of Boston Norman f. Calnins, =.
Fndrey of Akron, ONO; superintendent John
Casper jr.. Of this city Professor Is. 1. Tweed, OF
Boston J. y. Wilson, superintendent OF SCHOOLS OF
the District of Columbia; A. 7. stone. Spring
field. Mass; W. W. Waterman. Taunton Aaron
Cove. State superintendent Of schools Denver, Cot
Professor G.. G.. Thompson, Springfield, Mass, and
NJ A. Newell. of Maryland.
The exercises were opened by an address of wei.
come hy stephen A. Walker. president Of the Board
of Education. To this \. L. Marble. OF orcest"r,
Responded and at the conclusion Of his t.
marks lac introduced William i. Harris. Ill. d., of
ST. Louis. " no delivered an address on The Present
Aspect of Public EducatOn III Europe and America"
Dr. Harris spoke first Of the natural education advo-
Gated by Rousseau He next sketched the progress in
education IN Europe. ana then spoke oil public edGca-
f,ou IN America aud its sell appointed crnsDr,,'
tLo mnpaziue and uewspapcr writer's SUCH sub
iects hc CONCLUSION OF his address was IA follows:
Let Us turn crnsors little while ana crltlcsc the
theories II these. our c-nsOr-.
+ FIrs we must point out Their complete icwilier-
, go, inc ~ lee, of the prnyi zee oi school cdurauO.
rnrv charge OMISSIONS and nrglccts to the province 81"
the school wn'ch be!"ng To other provncr7 IhcH ave
t .,",v,yd ie cnurc pIuylnc" ~ education and rrrn
n,y n "a OF five provinces HAT ut tic family mar
urc which sOId give IA" child me lhdrIrhSdD uaih-
ur III personal hibts, the use of ma mother 0nshr w
.rn.r ct shame RESPECT aud obedience 10 SUPERIOR" II
lie fail, tIainnS ius IA lhrsr essential tilhE' VINO"
rlngs 10 ~ province beyond AL ~ S''n now cn me
,usnrs demand nat scHoO cdurIto also ~ rnaidrd
back he ianiiy aud left rntu'' t. Tie lairh. Ir
noyince Of The scHoOi succeeds 'Eh o. Tue IdhiY "'
s.ould be devoted Giving the chlid the EhowIedGr h"u
Iii M the ccnicalitirs Of The ~orln ol science LIcr
allure aud History" the c0hvthii"halllcS OF m'eM'.
&C. 20, Us Ilrl never L"V"D cm ccd-, realms"
Arithmetic. Alter the rcn9"l comes N, 'Iur' 9n o
here IL the rucatIuu"f the STATE. the political eHncd-
,tu nj the THE ctiLf, dnl HtlIN Inc tiUtd-
tinn Of the individual mi" the my NcIc7 % '', "IS'
and destiny Of Inlu and his relation 10 Goa hr VINO
claims for tho rchO"l al tul'doh, or n"u II It S' -
blc for all education - ohi'tc o a. solh ro' v"
view ana cannot understand at al what tue schOoi Is OF
should bc. - -, ,, .,i ,,
shnnd ii irncl--wHat AhOu.d H. It's courS" "f study
We have been tod 10y some OF our 'rllsOls mat th'
course OF study i hnlinloI .hnl' ~ 49, ~ =,
are told that and that other study now III me cunfsr
,,rr Trrr - no doubt TO ihr educator who know Vac
.ue pvInc, The school that II mu't give instruction
m the use the ana Of I'M rc"nmuict llOh-lP aiH
OF reading aud writing. II uii-i initiate the chlld I'M"
the sciences OF naturr w!ica pay such part IA chi
civ In our time. rms Is done b, nialne-
manc3. physics ana natural h u.s., Lac lac
and IL bcgInr natural history with geography. As
physics me app Icalon of mathciailcH 10 naierA
Lndics ~ IA 10 furnish the science o. ndsAR ana mole
GILES il follows Than natural History. The Srcncr7
OF man through which he CONES 10 learn hnis'iI n
IN learn now to WIN his feOwinan are miro
duccd by tr common school studio; o grammar hl =
, I'D the literature OF the school readers offer
srlgcilous OF poetry. Ord0ns, rouinccS ANA
scintnc trtttis,s tie mastery OF the child The
onu of the common scnUol hnds the child
rnav nrc AIRED 10 prosecute studies for himself and
To- enter indefinitely tue worlds OF man ana nature AID
W"aieyrr progress schools may make they Will always
haye substantially the same course Ot study-bechse
there elementary branches. the three RS aro The Key
70 Iii that comes afrr und bccause the preparation III
Grammar history lnd literature aud natrra sciences IL
NECESSARY 10 reveal 10 tine child the outlines IT the
words of man anu nature, which Will be his objects oi
sudy aud elaboration IN all MS Subsequent le 30 too
We have heard programmes dlsparaged nnd c0ndchcd
"a II a programme necessary mechanical methods
and destroyed the vitality OF tho school Bnt srrl"u'
Inc programme Is necessary to prevent the omission {"
ESSENTIAL lessons on the part OF the lhexFerenred
tcacher-tO prevent. also, the omission OF attention l..
Am hOur for recess, and the proper Classifying O INC
CHILDREN, the fixing VI recatlOns suitable IN ehgth u
tho ages Of the pupils ~ ,
Again. written examinations are condemned ana
prrcentngcs snecred at by one Set OF censos. Will
another quotes percentages Uhose OF me N"IOih
Count as the clear III ana most valuable tests Ol Tue
efficiency Of Instruction. No doubt exist, III Inc minds
az uraccal teachers ana superntcndents that class
of pupils not habuated to put down me results o.
nuuy In writing will ne able to do bl ilte crc't l.
themselves II tested BY written t1aml iation a. any
time WHAT lesson means L" me inmn uro minu o.
enid * NOT easily OWNED by the person VINO does moi
Inspect the results OF written examination ou th'
From the ccnsors wlo critics" the details OF school
work TO those who swecpingly condemn al
school work - OF course ia'so sltl" lnei,
arr, censOrs who condemn the Whole system
OF common schools because ii seem" to them To ihcH
INGALLS, moral ms fuctl0n str"h)' "fhnf IL Hctn
10 educate youth above their future c"ilings ana MAKE
them aspiring over and ever AGAIN ~ sc|o9' re-
uorfs have bern published the Investigations OF our
scuool superntendents aud students OF social science
INTO the Statistics OF penllcnrcs ana re 9tm scaoi i
The statistics On TINS subject hgrce III an s,psttna
nouts no matter when gathered oi where the report
of Mr. Dex er A. Hawkins OF THIS cly ns chairman oil
a Committee On Education appointed by the Council %
pnntcH Reform TO report Ip"n compulsory education
In 1873 Is type ~ the best o these Fepjrs II - iou'
thai small percentage OF l rralss ~ our popuIa' r
nIsnes n very large percentage on the cllnihdis 10
the one who is familiar Win inc pubic school,
IL is unnecessary IOI ne 10 vni n,en',oh ,,o,
Inc constant and effective moral framing tha'
goes perpetuay IN tLe %eIsSp ~ he scn"o
,d nnncfua TO be ceanly Ia person aud pc tic TO NE
fellows; obedlont TO his teacheisi lie G.uHht W W
LII, and industrious attentive aud critical ID DIS men
g." ha1ts 10 sum up all these In one word, Nc Il
taught 10 subordinate hs caplclous VIZ dnd
to The reasonable conditions under when he may com
Zine with hts fellow men arg snare In 'T Tn
nDors and IN the fruits OF tneir iaoors , nv !,
gr.nl advantage OF school Instruction III morally mes u
Se TACT thai the pupil Is mad- To do ana practice THESE
fundapenal moral acts OF e. ana n Se mot ond %
=" his Syn CAPRICE Ia the school thes moihl haDu
must be praosed or the Ssn1o go U wan
20 The snort period required 10 learn 10 reau ana write