The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1885-02-14
THE SCHOOL QUESTION.

Trustee Birney Interviewed.
To make sure Of the correctness Of the
following interview, IL was submitted to
General Birney, and he Endorsed 1t. A
Critic representative met General Blrnoy
this morning and asked:
"Did you see tho interview with Super.
intendent Wilson, published in THE CRITIC
soon. after you presented your resolutions in
tho board %
Eyes. did not think it needed an an.
swer. The public may be trusted to appro-
ciato tho improperly OF an unprovokcd
personal attack on a trustee by an execu-
tive officer Of the board" replied General
Birney.
did you SEQ Mr.. Falrbrother's letter on
written examipations2'"
"Yes. II was the first inlimation / had
that what had said and done against ok
aminations held for percentages, with
view to fix the relative standing of pupils,
was to be misrepresented as having been
said and done against written exercises as
tests of knowledge. As to tho value OF the
latter, agree with Mr., Fairbrother and all
other educational men, and have done my
best to extend the practice Of them. They
are indispensable in the upper grades aud
very useful in the lower.
~ saw Mr. Fairbrother's letter about tho
LIST instant, and finding, on inquiry, that
some Of tho teachers In my division had
been led or had fallen into the same mis-.
take, / called teachers meeting on the
Sd instant and cautioned them against It,
explaining fully my opposition to competi-
tive efforts for class standing and my appro-
baton Of testing the knowledge Of pupils
by written exercises"
"Havo written examinations been stopped
in the Second Division"
mot to my knowledge While the COM
petitions for class standing by percentages
! have been stopped, the written exercises of
every kind are continued. If any teacher
has suspended them, have not been in
formed of 1t. A school cannot be properly
conducted without them"
Did not the teachersin your division, in
answering Mr.. Loveioy's questions, con-
denim your views?"
.Mr. Lovejoy's questions were leading
and SO framed that tho answers related,
almost Of necessity, to written exercises or
examinations. Not one of them separated
the competitive principle so us to got an an
swer on that. The few answers saw con-
tanned nothing. / did not approve. 1
glanced hastily over the answer of that ex-
perenced teacher, Strong j. Thompson,
principal of the Abbott building, and be-
lieve could indorse it. presume all the
teachers pronounced themselves in favor of
testing knowledge by writing. Mr.. Love-
joy was on safe ground when he questioned
them on that subject. Ifhe had questioned
me, would have answered as i presume
tho teachers did"
"One OF your resolutions was directed
against the multiplicity of studies in the
grades. Do you insist on that?
eyes. 1t is reform that has become
necessary. The studies now pursued in the
eighth grade are as follows: Spelling, pom
manship, drawing, written arithmetic,
algebra, history, geography, map.drawing
physiology, music, grammar bookkeeping,
reading, intellectual arithmetic, word
analysis, Monroo's vocal exercises, compost
tion, declarations and Walter Scott me-
mortal exercises. There are nineteen in
ALL but as tho candidates for the High
School take algebra in lieu of physiology,
the correct statement is eighteen. BY
stIaining points, two Of these might be con-
solidated under the head of arithmetic and
three under language; but the fact remains
that they are differentiated as separate
studies in the school practice"
Which ono of these do you propose to
drop2"
81 have not particularized. All are good,
and so are stenography and dozen other
things. But we can't teach every thing
that is good we ought to teach fewer things
and more thoroughly. This examining
weakens the mind; proper education
strengthens it,
as not the majority of the board against
your resolution 2"
''Thcy were at frst. think they feel
differently now. They gave mo fair
bearing last week. a good mauy facts
were cleared up in tho discussion. Some
of the members had never seen fall set OF
the daily programmes, and were not aware
of the great number of studies pursued. Ny
resolutions may be amended in some way,
but there is fair prospect that they will
be passed substantially. The board will
hardly take the responsibility of re-estab-
fishing competitive examinations or OF
maintaining the very large number Of
studies now attempted to be taught"
What have you to say about Mr. Love
joys roportW
Nothing whatever Two years ago Mr..
Lovcjoy published himself in the papers
as my personal enemy. The public will
judge his report. / am in the board to pro-
mote the interest Of the schools, not to en-
gage in personal alterations"