St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-18
THE MADISON MEETING.
Four Thousand School Teachers
in a National Assembly.
Outlines of Their Interesting Discus
sions of Educational Topics.
Splendid Hospitality Of Madison, Park
Illumination, Etc.
Especial Correspondence Of the Globe. i

MADISON. Wis, July. 15.--Yesterday the city
seemed crowded with strangers; to-day it Is over.
crowded, thronged, jammed full and running
over. Frequent accessions to the large number
Of teachers already here had been made during
the earlier part of the day, but the arrival this
afternoon, at 3 o'cloqk of delegation of 600
pedagogues and school maam's from the New
England states, added to tho sense of fulness
so generally manifest about the city and swelled
the number in attendance at the convention to an
aggregate of four thousand.
The president OF the ASSOCIATION, attended by
brass band and large number Of teachers and
citizens, met the yankee delegation at the depot
and gave them a demonstrative and cordial vel
come.
The meetings of the council of education Of the
Wisconsin State Teachers association, and OF
the Froebel institute have been interesting and
well attended through the day, and yet steady
stream of animated humanity has been all day
pouring through the capitol building viewing
with delight the fine collection of educational
work displayed by the exposition.
KINDERGARTEN ASSOCIATION.
Last night the Froebel institute held its open
ing session in the senate chamber with large
attendance. Prof w. n. Mailman, the president,
a famous advocate of kindergarten training,
spoke on the essentials of the new education. >
He defined the new education as simply new
statement of the established principles under
lying all educational work. Insight into the
laws of being and SPONTANEOUS obedience to their
requirements leading to freedom are the highest
outcome of educational work. AS
practical demands he designated the need
of respect for individuality, social training and
the proper consideration of hand and heart, and
the great Importance of adjusting surroundings
as to lead to good habits for practical expert
ence in the use of what is learned at school.
He spoke Of the need of better courses of study
which have the child for their'center and aim at
its growth and development instead of sacrificing
itwith fifteen arbitrarily chosen subjects of study.
He considered the practice of leading all children
in the direction of the college pernicious one.
The school must consider the wants of the whole
people. Hence the curriculum of the school
must be fuller1in its scope and adapted to the
needs of each pupil at his time of life, giving him
whatever insight he can get into all important
subjects.
This morning the members of the institute
had the pleasure of listening to a mastery nd
dress on the subject of 'sWhat Extent can the
kindergarten Become Part of the Public School
SYSTEM by Supt. James MacAlster of Phila
delphia. Mr. MacAlister is an eloquent and
forcble speaker, and his address, though de
livered without notes. was one of his best efforts.
No abstract will do him justice.
Two addresses have been delivered before the
institute this afternoon, one by Miss Sarah A.
Jewett, of Milwaukee, showing ''How Efficient
Training Schools could be Organized and the
other by President John Ogden, of Washington,
D. c., on ''What Benefit may be Expected from
Charity Kindergartens?'
During the afternoon session President Bick-
nell was presented to the members of the in
stitute, and in a, few we'll chosen words, well
coined this organization to the ranks of the Ma
tional association with which it is now incorpor-
ated
Dr. Duncan, of the Indian territory, requested
Mrs j. W Ridell, teacher of Indian youth of
the Cherokee nation, to give some of her exper-
fence on kindergarten instruction among the
Indians. Mrs. Ridell came forward and spoke
in an entertaining manner upon the peculiarities
of the Indian race and their aptitude for learning
certain things, and told how the kindergarten
methods were especially adapted to develop their
best traits. The session closed with discussion
on '.Manual Training as Suggested by Froebel."
THE NATIONAL COUNCIL.
The solons of the association have held their
sessions in the audience room of the Baptist
church, and are supposed to have boiled down
their thoughts on important topics SO that they
can be presented to the general association in
solid chunks Of concentrated wisdom.
This august body, known and designated as
''the council, :" is,composed Of the leading educa
tors of the country, chosen from the membership
of the association: men eminent in their profess
sion and who are well qualified by their ability
and experience to discuss ihtelligently the
weighty Questions pertaining to the science and
theory of education. Such men DR.. Harris,
the Concord philosopher A. j. Kickoff, of Ohio,
one of the great leaders in educational reform,
Louis Sedan, of St. Louis, clear thinker and
forcibe speaker, Prof Payne, of Ann Arbor,
noted for his keen analytical mind, Dr. Folwell,
of the State university of Minnesota, an earnest
energetic worker, DR.. L. E. White, distn-
guished author and deep thinker, Prof. Aaron
Cove, of Denver, Colorado, young,
but bright and brainy, typical
western man, Yankee with lightning pumped
| into him Such men as these with others of
| equal ability compose the council; and its de-
alterations are therefore held to be of some con-
| sequence.
The council has been in session since Friday
of last week and has had presented and discus
sed reports city schools ON pedagogics, higher
educati on, etc.
! Yesterday afternoon DR.. Lemuel Moss, of In
diana, presen ted the report of joint committee
on preparatory Schools" secondary Educa-
tion'' and ''Higher Education As to prepare
! tory schools, the preparatory departments of
| colleges, academies and public high schools were
all Endorsed, but the importance OF preparation for
| college in high schools was especially urged.
ms to requirements for admission to college, il
was held that since the degree of Bachelor of
| Arts implies acknowledge of Greek and Latin,
preparations should include those studies, but
that other corresponding degrees should be es-
tablshed The course of instruction in high
school and academy shall coverfour years. Latin
was recommended as admirably fitted to assist in
the modern languages.
spirited discussion followed DR.. Harris de-
sired that high school examinations should be
such as would cover requirements for college
Prof. Payne, of the Michigan university, ex-
planned the relations between the university and
the high schools of his state, showing that all
preparation for college is done by
/ high schools President Folwell, OF the state
University of Minnesota, explained at length the
system in vogue in that state, whereby that state
furnished fund to he distributed to such high
schools as furnish q preparatory course to col
lego, and who comply with certain conditions i'm
posed by the state.
Prof Thomson, of the Rose school OF Tech
nology, of Terre Hapte, Ind, made y strong
speech in favor of technical training as one fea-
tire OF our American education, holding how
ever, that linguistic training of the right kind
was still the best disciplinary study, even for
these who were fitting themselves for engineers,
machinists, and the like.
The last meeting OF the council was held in the
Il ii.