The Hawaiian gazette., 1888-04-24
THE HONOLULU INSTITUTE.
CONTINUED from page ~
FIFTH DAY.

| tors present were the Hon. &. X. Bishop,
president of the Board of Education,
with Professor w. d. Alexander and
Mr.. w. w. Hall, members of that body;
Professor w. c. Merritt of Oahu Col
lege; Professor NJ. NJ. Scott, Principal
of Fort Street School; Mr. 7. II. Glib
son of Kauai, Bandmaster Berger and
Mrs. McCully.
Mr.. Lucas took up the subject of
phonics and conducted thorough re-
view of the lessons of the week on this
subject.
Mr. Atkinson discussed the subject
of singing as an important and indis-
pensable feature of school work, and
showed its educational advantages.
| He stated that the Board of Education
considered it necessary that singing
should be taught by every teacher. 1t
was strongly recommended, especially
| to the younger teachers in Honolulu
schools, to make arrangements for at
tending Mr. Berger's lessons in the
schools The propriety of drilling
pupils in the words of all the school
songs was emphasized as an important
collateral in teaching English.
Mr.. Berger followed with some re-
marks on singing in Germany and
dwelt upon the training of the ear as
an indispensable part of the teaching
of music. He observed that it was not
because Germans were Germans that
they were noted as singers but because
| all German children are taught singing
| from their earliest years in the schools
as well as in their homes. HawaiianS
as race, have a special aptness for
music and this fact could be turned to
| good account in their school training.
Mrs. Hendry gave a full lesson on
decimals, developing the subject in
the line of language and showing how
Arithmetic might be utilized in the
! direction of teaching eXactness in eX-
| preston.
Professor Scott also offered some
practical remarks on the subject of
Arithmetic, and was followed by Mr..
Atkinson on the same subject.
Mr.. Atkinson took up the subject of
Geography and showed how geogra-
ply, like other lessons, should proceed
from the known to the unknown
He would have a complete reversal of
the old-fashiOned method of beginning
this subject at the ends of the earth,
and as the pupil advanced in the study
he approached nearer to his own place
on the surface of the planet, acquaiDt-
ing himself with the topography of his
own country after he had learned all
about the Himalayas, the Yang-tse-
Kiang and Central Africa. He would
have geography start at home, and
when the pupils acquired clear ideas of
their own local surroundings, they
might enlarge the scope of their obser-
vatiOns and take in the regions beyond.
The first General Geography lessons
for pupils in this country to learn is
that of the Hawaiian Islands.
Professor Scott followed in similar
line of argument and illustrated the
point by relating how he had when re-
Gently returning TO town on the steam
er inquired of a passenger, an old resi-
dent of Lahaina, the height of the
mountains in that vicinity, but the
question was "too hard" for the gen
tleman enquired of. As a test of the
general tendency to ignore facts in
local geography, the Professor brought
the matter right home by inquiring of
those present the height of Punchbowl
and the Pail, when it was discovered
that only few of the members of the
class were in possession of the figures.
Mr.. Atkinson returned to the sub
ject of geography and referred to a
manuscript geography, of his own
preparation, that he had used in Ho-
nolulu schools, both public and pri-
vate, suggesting to other teachers that |
they might find it advantageous to
furnish themselves in the same man
ner. He further recommended that |
historical incidents should be intro |
duced to give point and interest to |
geographical study, for, from the
earliest times, it was well recognized |
principle in scholarship, that geo.
graphy and history go hand in hand
Professor Alexander was called on |
for some remarks and responded, sub
stantially, as follows:
Though / was at one time a
Hoosier schOolmaster," l have been
so long out of the profession that [
count myself layman. 1 will say,
however, that / have been highly
gratitied by the success of this conven-
ton, and by the eminently practical
character of its proceedings. The
leading idea seems to have been the
supreme necessity of laying a solid
foundation at the beginning, and the
paramount Importance of primary
studies. These last really require very
high qualifications on the part of the
teacher, such as a thorough lnOwl-
edge of the nature of a child's mind
and of the true method of its develop
ment, as well as insight, sympathy,
tact, resource and ingenuity, infinite
patience, in word, something of that
Divine Charity which ''never faileth;n
these are rare gifts which money can
not buy
1 think, therefore, that the really
successful, primary teacher should be
held in special regard. l have some
times thought that. perhaps it is in
some respects an advantage to you
that the educational organization of
this Kingdom is simpler and more
primitive than that of most other
civilized countries, because there is
more scope for individuality on the
part of teachers and also of scholars.
Here there is no reason for any teacher
to complain of being oppressed or
crushed by the educational machine,
no excuse for his depaneratino from an