Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1888-03-14
EDUCATIONAL.
Enc Result ofan Exhaustive Tnvestieatfon
on the Subject Of Examinations
Recommendations
An Opposition View OF thS Question Of
Manual Training-The Art OF
Teaching.

Il ~hu6t 1F1fntng--Ine Art OF
| Teaching.
4 Every city of twenty Thousand
inhabitants has been interyiewe.
through printed circulars by the New
ark, IN. j., Principals Association
on tho subjectuf examinations.
superintendent Marble of Worces
ter, in reply TO the question of tn,
substitution of rank marks or descrip
tie terms for per cents. in cxamina
tons, argues the question at grea
length and very vigorously. We pre-
sent below q condensation of this argu
ment, and may remark that Superin
tendent Marble does not look even OF
the ranking by letters with mucl
| favor:
"a few of the teachers think tina
the members of the class can be wise
| ly stimulated by. marks, with figure,
! all the way from to 100; If one chile
lis marked 81 and anothcr6s, both vii
strive, they think, with all their might,
to SEQ which will DO ahead. In some
schools the plan has worked we'll. and
no injury has been apparent. In SONG
schools, OH the other hand, the<eyils
OF that practice are apparent. The
marking tends to poor teaching, fol-
where every answer is to be marked
the question is likely to be framed
with reference to marking the answer.
rather than to instructing the pupil.
In preparing questions for written ex-
aminations a tendency is often seen to
frame them in sections of two. FIVE, OF
ten parts, like sausage links, so that
each. section may be marked on a
scale of ten. ALI SUCH calculations
interfere with the best teaching.
1.-THE ranking of school makes
pfSminent q low motive for study, that
is the wish to Guido ones ncighbor;
and in the haste to do this. children
not unfreguently deceive and lie. Now
let us ask what good comes of all this
marking, either in its extreme or il
its partial formp this waste of time
and strength, this false motive, and
this awakening of unamiable passionse
Either, it must be claimed, we arouse
the ambition and get more work out
of the children, or else it is a good
thing in itself to compare children
with one another; that is, it is part
of the teachers work to send report
to Mr.. A to say that his boy is smarter
or is not SO smart as the boy of Mr.. b.
As to the ambition it is quite probable
that full as much harm is done in
school by oyer-stimulating pupils as
by Understanding them, for the
trouble always is that the stimulus
most affects those who do not need it,
and affects not at all those whom it
might benefit. Suppose ten dull boys
to be benefited ten per cent. by the
stimulus. and one bright girl Killed
by it, and the case can be found, on
which side do you think would the bal
ance stand! This comparing of one
pupil with another is very objection
able. If one does his best, nothing
more should be required of him,
though his neighbor has done twice
as much. II another has done only
half he might have done no is to be
blamed though no one else has done
half as much as he. The only just
comparison is between what one has
done and what he can do. The only
Just standard for any one is his own
possibilities.
''In the written examinations in
Worcester the idea has been ADAM
doned, as far as possible, that the ex-
animation day is great day of reck-
oning, a day of final account, day
of all days in the term most import
ant.
Each set Of questions in the hands
of the teacher has on the title page
this legend: these questions are not
designed mainly as test. They are
meant TO be Suggestive Of future teach
ing. The ANSWERS are not TO be rigid'y
marked as test for rank. Promotions
depend chiefly apo" daily work during
the term. -"
The committee recommends:
l. ''That so per cent of each class
in the grammar schools be exempted
from examination, and promoted on
merit provided that all such promo
tons shall have the approval and in
dorsement of the class teacher and
principal" -
2. "That the classroom work count
as one-half in the promotion of the
pupils, the results of informal month
ly tests to be regarded as the record
of classroom work"
8. THAT any one falling below IS
per cent. in either arithmetic, gram
mar or geography, shall not be pro-
noted except on the recommendation
of class teacher and principal, such
pupil to remain in the higher class
only so long as he maintains the re-
quired standing in the class"
4. "That all examinations and pro-
motions in the fourth and third grades
primary first and second year grades)
be left entirely to the class teachers
and. principal"
5. THAT principals shall leave the
power of demotion subject to proper
restrictions.
6. THAT we have semi-annual ex-
aminations--one the last of January.
the other the last of june" ,.ss =
Z. THAT we have more descriptive
terms where the examination is
marked in such terms"
Your committee would suggest:
/. THAT history be taken out OF
the list of studies marked in per
cents"
Q. THAT while recognizing the diff
fculty in the way of the change the
advantage of semi-annual promotions
be considered.
MANUAL TRAINING.
To attempt to teach the girls OF this
Western country TO cook at school
would be the same as dumping the