St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-14
PARENTS ARE BLAMED
Necessity For More Frequent
- Visits to Their Children's
Schools.
superintendent Taylor De-
scribes the System Of Edu-
ton in Vogue Here.
Training the Young Idea in
; the Way That 1t Should
Go.
Applicants From the East Who
] Are DESTROYS Of Becoming
Teachers.

WHICH uclIucI IlCHCo hOt PO"SA 49,,
achieve. What marked difference In
the education of to-day and the educa-
ton of-ay! fifty years ago! The differ
ence is not only marked on this CONT
nent, it is to be seen in every clvlllzed
quarter of the globe. The impetus mus
given to the worlds intercourse is I'M
measurable, and it is daily becoming
more marvellous. :.
Among the fOrerunners in educat!on,
and by this is meant public education,
the United States at once takes prom
inent position, as it should do. A new
country. free from mOnarchlal despot-
ism and aristocratic thraldOm, it is only
fit that she should take forward place
in providing educational facilities free
for all-rich and poor. There is, how
ever. a fear that citizens may grow care
less and neglect the opportunities placed
at the disposal of their offspring, and
to them word of warning should be
sufficient.
Prof. S. S. Taylor, superintendent OF
the city schools, is the best authority on
the school system of st. Paul: lie pos,
sesses long scholastic experience, ana
is a competent exponent OF puoilc
schools. Il do not say" remarked frof.
Taylor in the course of conversation,
that citizens of st. Paul take no inter
est in the educational system of this
city. There is a feeling of sympathy
already existing, but | should like to
have this feeling intensified; that they
should seek to know little more or
what is being
DONE IN THE SCHOOLS.
81 have always claimed it to be to the
advantage of a school system in any
place to have the taxpayers visit the
schools. Parents out to be interested to
know what the schools are doing, what
the teachers are doing, and how their
children are being educated. Ii this
was done he would be saved great
deal of unjust criticism on our schools,
which, at present, simply arise out the
fact that people who criticise our meth
DDS are not fully acquainted with their
working. They attach too much I'M
portance to 'hearsay;;'. they take too
much heed of things said at home by
children" The situation as expressed
by Prof. Taylor will meet the approval
of most sensible people. and 1t cannot
be too widely known that the Scnoois OF
the city may be visited at any time by
taxpayers and parents.
A general outline may be given of the
educational system of st. Paul, which,
by the way, is attracting considerable
interest in the East-a fact particularly
noticeable in the large number of appli-
cants from the East for teachers APP
pointments. The system has all the
features necessary to make 1t most prac-
tical and beneficial, and in relation to it
Prof. Taylor may be allowed to explain
it in his own style: '"To begin," me
saws, s'We have the teachers training
class, instructed by competent teachers.
SinceathiS school went into operation
and the young lady pupils have gradu-
ated and been placed in positions in our
schools, they have in large majority
of cases shown themselves well adapted
for the work. 1t is an advantage to our
system to have this teachers training
class if for nothing more than that
those who have graduated have taken
positions and done we'll, and secondly,
that the class at the present time is the
largest we have had. There are now
thirty-one young ladies enrolled, and
after these have graduated by the
action of the board of education, their
claims for positions in our schools will
BE CONSIDERED BEFORE OUTSIDERS"
1t will thus be seen that, by the st.
Paul board of education at least, ade-
uuate arrangements are made for the
proper training of teachers. This is
noticeably lacking in other Western
cities-indeed, in the country districts
or the state of Minnesota, the training
of school teachers is totally inadequate,
and the system of granting certificates
almost absurd. What must be thought
of system which a county school SUI
perintendent suggests should be rear
ranged ''in order to remove from the
field of local prejudice, favOritiSm and
political bias?" Fancy a teachers GER
tificate depending upon such system,
and the class of teacher likely to be
produced.
After describing the teachers train
ing class, Prof. Taylor spoke on the
public schools of the city. Commence
ing with the grammar schools, he said:
"The education of the higher depart
ment is to equip pupils to enter the
High school. In our grammar schools
pupils are supposed to complete the
study of United States history, English
grammar and arithmetic. They are eX-
pected to be taught the outlines of civil
government, which include the town,
city, state and national governments;
also physiology and hygiene and large
variety of general subjects. In geOgra-
phy they are thoroughly grounded in
all that relates to Minnesota in particu-
lar and the United States in general.
Of course other parts of the world re-
ceive due attention. The system of
penmanship is unequaled in any other
schools of the Union. The develop
ment of the schools in this respect has
been truly remarkable. Drawing has
also been carried on with great success,
and our music system has made wonder
full progress since its
ESTABLISHMENT TWO YEARS AGO.
Pupils are first taught musical sounds,
then the combination of musical sounds,
after which they are taught to sing the
scale, then read music until thew have
become sufficiently familiar with mu-
steal sounds to adopt the words. The
teaching Of German has been in our
schools for number of years, and as
the schools grow in size the interest in
German seems to grow. One Superin-
tendent and twenty teachers are en-
ployed teaching German. With regard
to the grammar schools generally, in
buildings where proper system of
ventilation has been secured. we are
abolishing the Old-fashiOned-time
recess during lessons. This will pre-
vent the elder children congregating to-
gether. There are thirty-four grammar
schools. in some of which the ventila-
ton is equal to 1,50O cubic feet per each
child.nL
From the grammar school any scholar
may work their way, free, into the High
school, and of the system there the sup
erintendent of school remarks: "Suf-
ficient proof OF the success of the High
school is afforded by the fact that its
graduates are able to enter direct with
out any examination. any Of the East
o,,, ooIIanac Tho anrOllmant ic nom