New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-28
STUDIES IN THE SCHOOLS.
o,cx,1yrpr,s REPORT ADOPTED.

ha
-. tor tho consideration of the report OF the
Somm;ttse ON Course of Study. The discussion
- animated A letter from the secretary Vi
ar IonOfellow Memorial Association was hrst reau'
asking the Board TO allow 10-cent contributions
Nor the fund 10 be taken up In the schools Inc To-
nest was refused on the ground that, although the
BOARD held the memory OF the dead poet Ill 'ho iB"
est esteem to grant the request would DE contrary "
,hebvJaws and would establish bad precedent.
The report of the Committee on Course vi
studv was then considered. Mr.. Nood
moved few verbal changes in the report
and tlev were accepted Mr.. Devoe then
took I'm the consideration of the report lho
main pont of his remarks, with those Oh inc
other Commissioners turned on the quos'lon
whether textbooks in geography history "'u
Grammar should be used. Mr. Deyoe SAID tha' ITO
had called upon school superntendents ana d i"is0
number of those who skilled In matters Oh euu-
cation. and every witness was IN favor Oh some
change in the present of study. Inc heeu VI
~ ohanao had become a conviction. He himself
had been OF the same mind he mad not arrived al
tbe conclusion nor had any member Vi
.he committee done So through the influence OF 'he
Press He insisted That the present atttuue VI ,uo
committee arose from their own sense OF heeueU
reform Their own individual experience hau
Taught this.
I'VE were cropping through mass OF incolnpro-
ain the studies laid down for our Schools ino
children were crowded into close roonlS' sru 'n'N
,bav were s,uffed with mass of nonsense whe'heI
thov could understands or they were always 10
he ready TO answer all the questions VsiIhg
Commissioner might put to them dates "eio
crammed down them until their brains couId not
nossibly contain mere; they were required 10 KNOW
the name of every stream and island ana 'oil "ii
about the river Bugalaboo'"
Mr.. Devoe urged the adoption OF the report
ne it would shorten the hours OF study
I'D 1vould do away with much rubbish
AR Beiden objected to portions OF the re-
mort which specified that geography ana
history should be taught without teXtOooKS' anu
he moved that the words without textbooks ne
stricken out. He did not see now IL Was PI EL
Cor s'actOry work TO be done without '"N -pooHN'
IN. SCHOLARS memory and his methods ol sIuIY
would be improved with their and he would i ix
passages in his mind better and was undoubtedly
greatly dependent on such assistance. id. .,o.
MIR. Jraw iord explained, for the committee that
s ano had received very careful attention
from them The change had been made
hec both branches had been taught too much III
SetaIl and scholars had been flooded with mass
OF useless minuu@. For TINS reason the melnoGG o.
teaching United states history sAohId Do nornn ,
H. thoupht that N the Loser grades geopIaphN
sbonld be taught in an outline manner aho lhai
only the main and important cy MS OF UhHed lea
The night Study of geography Mr. CrawioTI c0nsl1-
cred the map system the best. me lower
md the bes teachers haa adoP'ei
that method e teaching geosaphy BY the gsr Of
me Same was true .glrdlng the of teu, books
in United States history which was aIetu(
taught in the fourth and fifth grades without SUCH
vote was then taken on Mr.. Brldens amend
Inent and the amendment was lost DI oouger
moved the striking out OF the words To- the eHoci
that after January l. 1888. special teachers sh0uId
MOI he appointed to fill yacancirs III the place
OF specIa teachers, uut thai the regular teachers
sbouId then have cuarge of such studies. lie
thought that thus was an attempt TO GET RIA OF
!" m behalf OF the teaching of French IN the puDhc
tcuools ma, less would plead IN behalf Oh Ger
man Ilaugnterl but do say that if we adopt this
repnTt a. II stands are leaving the teachlngot
French German, mus c and drawing 70 c1ahce. In
case of accident or no sp cia teachers eonu
be- employed The principal might he pIeJu hceu III
favor o one study or another and lurtnerm"Te'a
large percentage of he regular corps OF teachers
wouid not he competent 10 teacn the'e si"cIai
studirs Certainly none but special teacher should
have charge of lessons IN French ..,
Mr. fraud of the Committee ON studies insisted
that the regular teachers could teach special Jules
he ter tnan the tecial teachers ana that ms was
moved by examples in TINS city MI. fat ersOh
said thai the committees cone nSiohs hau oeg cen
arrived at from careful investigation and the
declsion that all special studle' cOuld De anu mus
be taught 10y the regular teachers. MI Cou'eIl ar
serted that ( G tendency OF TINS was 10 oahsn
thes, SPECIAL branches from the SCHOOLS. MI WOOD
thorght MIR Coudert mistaken. and stated that the
cnu"nt,re had no such intention III making their
Ysrnmueu,alion. Mir Coudcrts amendment to
STRIKE out the passage was lost. 1890. -. -.
AIR. MetmOre next moved 10 strlRe OUT Tue "oIus
ithOUt text books referring To the Snn)tct OF
Z glish grammar. lie wished 10 retain me present
meth ID oi teaching the study and thought II most
iuadysahle 10 attempt TO teach grahlhli
with no textbooks. MIR. Crawford sud
that the whole matter under discussion
came 10 the question whether or not TEXTBOOKS
snould be used ia certain branches OF study; ne
then read a carefully prepared paper sc thS iorth
the main Discrepancies III leAt-poohs Oh anihII
his recital causing much merlment III The Board III
certainly seemed worth while IL Try an eNpefimenj
withuut textbooks, 10 see II something goo "oul
NOT come of il. Mr. Belden asked ma at
the teacher should teach ana " "oSe system ne
should adopt; and this seemed To- puzzle NJ
Crawford Mr.. Wood then assaulted gIdnimaIs III
general The whole OF English grammar he as
s,rteI "ought To he contained III ntle pahphltt
Even Mr. Mhitncy's excellent work runs INTO tne
hundreds OF pages. Grammar Ah"ulu ne td9en
~ithout text-booNs and Oy "A rational means BEL
Ter Teaders writers and composers would he made
by course of study properly laid out and pursued
than by all the English grammarS III eXIS.eh
Mr. Wetmore opposed Mr.. Wood. I'VE are GET
ting into namby-pamby ways ol ieach-
ing he declared hose shallow methods are
peryadIng even our Sunday chools." ! ne \Ole
Uas then Ia eu on Mr.. " etmOTes amendment aud
fbe words without textbooks were stricken out
from the sections relating the second dau ii ST
GRADES in grammar the votes beng 10 10 . aud II
10 7 respectively Oh he two grades. NJ. CoudIt
moved a substitute for that part OF page go
reiatIug to the appointment OF sptciaI
,earhDrs This provided that in the
case of the removal resignation OF
special te lcher the question OF hlug the vacancy
with a regular special teacher hhOuld DE leIt 20
the 1 ommlttee on Teachers The substitute was
carried. he report as amended, of the committee
on Course OF study was ihen Ielerrad To 'ns Coll'
bv the Board by vote of 10 10 l, Mr. West voting
in the negative.
increase averaging a little over 10 per cent was
mad, in their wages The designations Of III. NJ.
Taber and J. NJ Knox, trustees Of the tliteenh
Ward were accepted, and D. a. Harde nDeIgn ana
4 A. Hartwell were appointed IN their places.
Resolutions of thanks TO President Walker were
nas.eG ami the Board adjourned for the year,
q ne eha uIp Inv