The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-02-02
EDUCATIONAL.

made provision for instruction In
ply siology and hygiene, as provided
! by law, should do SO at once in order
to procure their superintendent OF
the current school fund.
The following text books were rec :
commended and should be adopted and
used by all the schools, VIZ:
Df. Smiths Primer of Physiology
and Hygiene for the lower grades and
to accompany oral instruction.
DR.. Browns Eclectic Guide to
Health, for intermediate and higher
grades.
D., Hutchison's Physiology and
Hygiene, (revised edition) for higher
grades.
Only the first two mentioned are
| necessary in our ungraded schools Nv
present. l have examined several
publications on this subject and be-.
lieve these books to be equal to any
l have seen. in matter. style, and in
the arrangement and grading Of the
matter. But much more depends
upon the teacher for the introduction
and success of this branch of school
work, than upon the text book. 1t is
more necessary that we have teachers
who are in sympathy with this work
and who will fully comply with the
requirements of the law than that
we have text books which meet its
requirements. Especially is this true
in the case Of primary work. A text
book on this subject is of very little
use to children until they can read in
the third reader; they are then able
to use the Eclectic Guide to Health.
Again, the books above named hav-
ing been recommended by a compe.
tent commission appointed by the
legislature, are and will be the books
in general use. 1t is and should be
our aim to select good text book and
then make its use general throughout
the state. We all know the annoy.
ance and Inconvenience which comes
from having several books on the
same subject in our schools. People
are continually changing their places
of reside nee, and their children In at
tending the different schools even in
the same county, often find that they
must have new books or discOmmode
the entire school. Under such Cir
cumStanceS the best results cannot be
obtained. Our ungraded schools are
the ground work of the educational
system and the very corner stone of
our government. 1t is in these
schools that the great mass Of child
rem are fitted for higher training or
to enter Immediately upon the grave
responsibilities oflife. We find these
schools encounterlng too many diff
culties already; let us not add to them
the difficulty of a diversity of text
bOokS. but select and use the books
above named.
Referring. generally, to our schools
we find the shOrtness and variations
in length of the term occasloned often
by the state of the weather; the ir-
regular attendance of the pupils &C.
casioned by the great distance which
they have to go and often by the in
difference IF parents; the frequent
changes of teachers; Indifference to
the thorough education OF children
in any save two or three of the COM
mon branches; want of interest III
the schools on the part of the COM
munity and often inefficient teachers,
constituting few of their difficult
ties. While we have reason to be.
lieve that Stevens County is doing its
share in aiding our state to hold its
position in the front rank of educa.
tional advancement, still an extra eff
fort should be made to overcome
some of these difficulties. Some Of
the districts are without proper out
buildings, very few having none
whatever. This should be remedisd
at once; no district should attempt to
have a scool without proper out-build
ings. The trustees should visit the
schools as often as convenient and
not less than twice in each term; it
encourages he teacher and children
and shows them that there is an in
terest taken in the school.
Some of our people are making a
mistake in allowing their children to
reach school age without some knowl.
edge of the English language. Their
children attend school and there for
the first time hear the English lang
uage spoken. They return home at
| night and hear nothing spoken in En-
glish until the next time they go to
school. This often happens when
VACAA AdIuCA dua oOiIlCti MCo oOIn I"-
| rents can speak and understand En-
glish. Is it any wonder that such
coildren are backward in their stud
les and that they find "school The
dullest place on earth!' If parents
knew the effect of their neglect in
this direction, they would teach their
children to speak the English lang
uage before they attend school. 1t is
right and proper that children should
know how to speak their foreign
language, but they should not neg
lect altogether their English to be
learned In the few months that some
have for school.
Every district should have school
library; and now that the state al.
most gives the books for that purpose
there is very little excuse for being
without one. School district No. 25
is the only one in the county that has
taken advantage of the new law and
secured a library. 1t is hoped that
others will secure libraries at once
The people as we'll as the children
would find them a source of informa
ton and profitable enjoyment during
the winter months. Teac hers should
also be interested in this work and il
possible have library in every schOo
distl let in the county during the pres
ent year.
WILLIAM C. BICKNELL,
Superintendent of Schools.