Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-11-16
TEACHERS INSTITUTE.
rnE ENDING or TuE SESSIONS.
Rev. Max uark raIks About Reading for
tho Nouug-Dr wIcEorsham speaks
-ntO IeMIs. IrCInrc.

/ IhUrSGdg Afternoon Tho institute
opened as heretofore by the singing oC
several musical selections after which
Rev.J Max Uark, OF the MoravIan church,
delivered an interesting address on the
subject OF
Reading Matter Tor our Young Foiks.
lie gayo numerous examples Of tho
pcruicious effects Of dino novel reading 10y
tho girls. Tell him what kind of books
your children road, aud ho will tell you
what kind of citizens they will make when
they reach manhood. There arc about
! %, 900 books published every year, and
two-thrds of them arc utterly unfit to
place In the hands Of children, and yot
worry many of them come into their hands
and are eagerly read by them. Tens of
thousands Of papers, filed with pornicious
reading arc also published aud widely
read. Tho subject OG securing good books
for tho children ia becoming moro aud
moro important every year, because uu-
suitable books are becoming not only
moro numerous but much cheaper How
70 put o stop to tasto for sensational and
trashy reading is being seriously discussed
by tho church, the press, tho Legislature
and in the homes OF tho people, The inilu.
euCo of the home may generally be safCl
trusted, for fow parents will knOwiugl .
place improper books in the hands of tho
children; but tho power of Cultyating q
correct taste in reading lies largely with
the schools. aud to the teacher we must
look moro than TO any other, to inspire the
children with love Of purcr and better
Literature. Care should b. take by them
70 read only the best books. aud to got the
children Interested in reading them, and
this once accomplished it will b9 . COM
paratively easy matter 70 control them,
and keep them in the right direction. IL
is by no means necessary that the children
should read the Same books. The teacher
should discover their individual tastes ald
cater to them, always keeping in view tho
inculcatiOn Of good morals aud useful
knowledge. Il Is not necessary that the
child's mind should be mado mere store
horse Of dry iaC.s, but that II should b2
developed, enlarged, and moulded so that
it shall be capabiu OF receiving wholesome
aud useful truths aud the child become
better and purer As 1t grows to manhood
or womauh0od.
Address by ur. wioEorsham.
Dr.. J. Il. WiCkegsham was introduced
He said he was present at the first Ian.
caster county teachers institute, hold in
this city In 1858, and was present a. every
institute hold since, aud us supposed that
ho was about the only person present who
had attended them all lie had had tho
curiosity to look over tho list OF teachers
who had attended :A2 first institute. aud
: compare !: with the list Of teachers now
, teaching in this county, aud he finds tha.
there arc only TWO on the list to-day who
were teaching thirty years ago Ilc
had examined also the list Of tho
school directors now occupying that office,
and he finds only about q half dozen who
were directors thirty years ago. In look
ing over the present list aud CJmplriuy 2
It with the past he misses the names OF
, many noble, large hearted, progressive,
self sacrificing men who served as dirCC
tors thirty years ago and who fought tho
good fight and borO the bJuut Of the battle
against powerful opposition to tho com.
mon school system. Without hope Of re
ward they la0oTed on and helped TO build
up the educational structure OF Peausylya
MA, until our system has become the bcs,
in the country. Since their day many
changes have been made in methods
school houses, furnituTe, books &C. Much
has been done to advance tho schools 70 a
high standard, but much remains to be
done we are just beginning our work
With an army of 29OOO teachers, Il, OOC
directors, lO6 county, city and borough
. perintendents, under the lead OF 4 dis
tinguished state superintendent il wo do
! IDk dllF AhGb LlNAt must be u ldNlL bbkle
where. Our course Of study must be ro
yised We arc not feeding the millions OF
children Of Pennsylvania on the bes.
mental diet. BY the act of Assembly
establishing the common schools, it wa.
not provided that any particular
l branches Of study should be taught
; By the act OF 1854, under which
we are now working, tho branches
that were required to be taught were
named and II was provided that othor
branches might be taught at the option O
directors, and in many districts Other
branches have been added and higl
. schools have been established for u more
s advanced education. But when Oui
course of study is compared with that o.
S some other counties wo find ours to bC
I much less comprehensive than theirs
, We are teaching some branches that ar,
, useless and neglecting some that arc i'm
d; portaut. As 20 our analytical grammar
D.. parsing, advanced arithmetic, geographl
!. of foreign countries and some otho
| studies, three fOurth8 of tho who'll
, | might we'll be ommltted, for II is of littl
= practical use aad is soon forgotten by th
J. scholar, whose time might be much NOR
?, profitably employed in useful studies DR.
?. Wickersham then read tho translation o
an educational proclamation, issued b.
r the president Of the French republic
;, year or two ago. 1t provides that in pri
?, mary schools there shall bo compuIsor,
= instruction, both moral and civil, from
?; the age Of six TO thirteen years reading
writing, the French language, tho clo
/. ments of literature, elementary arithma
,, tic, geography, particularly Of France
!; history, particularly Of France, som
c, common ideas Of right and wrong au
political economy, the clements Of tn
natural sciences, as applied to agricultur
and the trades, tho use of tools, element
y of drawing and gymnastics and to th
D, girls studies arc added sowing and cuttin
n OF garments. The religious instruction
] Is permitted in the schools, but ono da.
each week IL allowed for religious instruC
l- tion at home, DR.. Wick9rsbam endorsed
a. the general features Of the French system
r, az broader aud moro comprehensive tha
lf ours, and he hoped oar boards OF director
p would adopt its 5lli0nt points, or bottc
system, if one could be devised. IIo pal
France high compliment for the advano
{. she had made in education during th
s, past ten years, she having with that tim
led all other nations ia this direction. A
I. to our own schools, ho would like TO SO
J. the work of grading go on until ther
a. was not al ungraded school in the county
N Much has been done in this direction
d Thirty years ago thero was not grade
IA school in tho county outside OF Lancaste