New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-07-15
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF EDUCATION.
INTERESTING ESSAYS OK THE ART OF TEACHING
fgr rKLganAru TO THE TRIouSE.I


SARATOGA, july 1.-The National Council
OF Education ut session this evening adopted reso-
luton recommending that the legal school age be from
four to twenty years and the obligatory school age
from six fourteen The Council then senedto report
from the Standing Committee on :" Methods OF Peda'
gogical Inquiry. which was prepared and read by W.
T. Harris Ill. D., OF the Concord School OF Phiosoi n.y.
The first part OF the treated OF the scope OF peda
gogic uqury discriminating between school education
proper and the general education affected by the
four cardinal institutions Of civilization, namely; The
family ciy society, the State. and The Church. 1.-THE
term pedagogy" said the speaker refers to school
education prefer to use the phrase SCHOOL educa-
ton School education has four departments or IN
ter.sts The course OF study. the method OF instruction.
The modes Of discipline and the plan OF organization NO
question relating to the management Of the school can
he settled without considering the larger field OF educa
ton performed outside OF the school by the four car
dinai institutions Of Thus We have two seemingly
opposite requirements to fulfil In pedagogical Inquiry
On the one hand specialization required division and
subdivision necessary In order TO concentrate the
lalors OF sufficiently to secure thorough
ver,orv ~ the details and con OF the school On
the other hand general survey needed In each phase
and on the whole order TO discover the essential drift
and tendency Of the entire system and learn the prn-
cpes that should guide the practical work In each de-
partment."
The second part of the essay undertook to
scientific inquiry anay and specialization tie process
of discovering facts and the process OF taking gen
eral surveys forming hypoth' SEES ana proVsihl the
Dries /, shown that all practical Work requires
Guidance that general surveys or the whole
field So far ms Investigated. rational man wishes 10
act I'm view OF all the circumstances az FAR as possible
Hence practical activity cputtsually demands summary
conclusions IL closes the and decides, While thro
reica INJURY merely wishes TO go yoreVer anayzhg
and determining new facts and conuitions lie con
cluded by general survey OF the education which
The child gains froml he family and community before
the period OF school educaton a.,
Tie Afternoon session was devoted principally TO
paper by g. STANLEY Hail. OF Maryland. ON the results OF
pedagogical inquiry. lie said In brief: The progress
made In study OF children consists IN the improved
Examination Of chi dren These studies confirm the
idea that arts adaptation the chief hlng IN teac-
ing that special studies OF habit memory imagination,
OF ideas the reading and customs OF children
EN- likely superscde the older abstract me OF
study ana teaching the philosophy OF III. nnd To gave
Information without first having aroused interest Is
md OF mental outrage and makes bad intellectual us
sr knowledge of the subject taught is only the begin,
plng the teachers Wisdom The interests tastes ana
capacitles of each child must be known
The Council elected tho following officers President.
Daniel b. Hagcr OF Salem. Mass viee-presidtnt, H. -
Jones, of Erie; secretary and treasurer oeorSe Z;
Brown OF Terre Hautc, Ind The Council then aoourheo
far he