Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-10
EVERY DAY SCIENCE.
Success Of the Slojd System of Train.
ing the Mind and Body.
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Much attention has of late been directed
to the "Slojd" system OF handicraft in con-
nection with the London, England, school
boards. Slojd instruction in its great de-
velppment is due 10 Sweden, but the origi-
nal realization of the idea belongs to Fin
land. Slojd is a word derived from the old
Morse language, and is peculiarly Swedish
in its present Specification, with meaning
very comprehensive but very difficult to
define. It implies "work with the hands
and with simple tools" The Swedish
slojd schools have been in existence only
about 20 years, and they have increased so
rapidly in Sweden that it is becoming
very general practice in that
country to combine the slojd instruction
with that of the common schools, and to en-
ploy the school teachers themselves to teach
it. While the elementary schools prepare
children indirectly for life, the chief aim of
the teaching of the slojd is to give the pupils
formal instruction; that is, to develop their
mental and physical powers. It has also
for its material and practical aim the
acquisition Of general dexterity OF hand.
This formal education which slojd has in
view aims principally at: Instilling taste
for and love of work in general; inspiring
respect for rough, honest bodily labor; train
ing in habits Of order, exactness, cleanli-
ness and neatness; accustoming to attention,
industry and perseverance; promoting the
development OF the physical powers; train
ing the eye and sense of form.
Miss Teskey, Of the sydenham College
for Ladies, was one Of the first to make q
practical application of this system in
England, and to her is due the credit Of
the discovery that It's methods Of teaching
are as applicable to girls as well as to boys.
Miss Teskey stated that her attention had
been first drawn to the subject of sIojd in
1887. and that she took up the study of ii
principally with a view of introducing it
for the pupils in the school with which she
was associated, as o means Of active bodily
recreation. She had long noticed with con-
cern how girls spent their spare time and
holidays in reading. writing, drawing,
painting. and needle work, the only active
exercise they took by way Of recreation be-
ing dancing. In summer, of course, they
had plenty Of outdoor exercise, but in the
winter they were greatly in need OF some
interesting active occupation to counteract
this continual sitting and stopping over
books, drawing, etc. She soon became con-
vinced that slojd afforded interesting
and certainly active bodily work, and
and that it might be made most
important factor in the development of the
powers; and, therefore, on this ac-
count alone, would be invaluable to girls of
the upper classes. But most of all she was |
impressed with the educational of slojd in |
the moral training of girls. Unconsciously |
they learned self-reliance, accuracy, perse-
verance-all qualities which need very
special cultivation in their case. The re- |
suits of Miss Teskey's experiments have |
been most gratifying, and she states that |
slojd, so far as her experience has gone, has
fulfilled all that it proposed. It developed
the pupils physically and mentally, the
physical advantage being soon apparent in
individual cases, as well as in the whole
class. and as to mental training it reused
the indolent mind by giving il something
definite and tangible to think about and do,
and excited taste for the love of work.
This was shown in q very marked manner
in several cases. and some who before would |
sit idly over their lessons for an hour or two
Quite unable to think or to concentrate their
attention, got through their lessons briskly
and cheerfully in order to have time to
spare for slojd. Any teacher of slojd, says
Miss Teskey, would soon be convinced of
It's great power as q means of training the
and cultivating the eye and
sense of form.