Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-18
md that others are wholly deprived Of the

Inc condition exists; the children are not in
schooL They should be. Their education is
demanded by the interests Of the community.
Again, many children are Withdrawn from
schooi before they would be IL their parents
were able to furnish the books required by
their Advancement and promotion. large
NUMBER OF children. therefore, get only
modlcum OF education. The interests of the
state demand broader learning and a more
'horough disclplining than these children get.
AGAIN, there Is much waste 20 the community
at large IN the purchase of text books By indi-
slduals' as many OF these books are used but
lor snort time and, being of little or no value
rs library books, are DESTROYED or thrown aside
10 prevent this unnecessary outlay and. what
Is infinitely more important to the state, TO
insure desirable minimum education of every
.hiia' peheSe the state should furnish the
text books as well rs the instruction
respectfully recommend that the board of
trustees request the honorable Commissioners
TO ask OF Congress an appropriation for the
purchase OF text books to be used In our
schools. Many school districts. MANY cities
and several states of the Union now furnish
text books for their schools so the subject is
not new one. The additional expense OF fur
nlshing text books 20 the community will be
relatively small, being less than 81 per scholar
per annum after the first year. The outlay the
nrst year VIII be necessarily greater than this
The American community is more interested
To-Day IN having every child benefited by its
schools than 1t Is in having the character OF its
schools improved. Not how high shall we take
our schools nor how broad shall we make our
courses of instruction. but how may every
child be reached and be made a safer and bet
ter member of the community, is the problem
to be solved. Any movement or Instrumental
lily that reaches down and uplifts will give
value to the school system and compensation
to the tax payer.
HEALTH EXERCISES.
The decision of the trustees to give to the
sPlOols tra; ,;
Is no doubt wise one. The arrangement of a
course of health exercises may safely be left TO
grow under wise care, much investigation
and something OF experiment. Perhaps no one
system now known Is either practicable in the
public schools or desirable fer the American
cltizen. We train men foI different purposes in
life from most other nations. The man in the
American community is a unit whose relations
TO the state differ widely from the relations of
the man whose state requires of him number
OF the best years OF his life in military service.
Not great strength. abnormal development. but
good health, elasticity, symmetrical develop
ment, are desirable. Some exercises from the
German system. some from the Swedish, some
from the many American systems. may be
united as experiment and experience may
dictate.
MANUAL TRAINING.
The Introduction of manual training has
caused some change in school management
1t is the consensus of opinion. almost unan-
lmous, that decided advantage has been
gained by this innovation. All concede that
no academic loss has been sustained The
majority agree that positive. appreciable gain
has been made IN the academic studies. A few
are disturbed by the interruption of time-hon-
ored programs. while the majority report no
Inconvenience from this source and report in
creased love Of school, increased interest in all
studies, better appreciation of what is taught
ffar Stor.. 4 of
the relation between what is taught anu the
affairs OF life, and resulting therefrom broader
and more intelligent grasp and, consequently.
greater cheertulness and less disposition to
consider the school as a place for tasks and the
teacher as a taskmaster.
When it is considered how small relatively is
the increased expense to our schools it must be
conceded that the above enumerated results
amply repay the community for all expense and
the school authorities for all trouble incident
to the incorporation of manual training with
the school work of the child
The educative value of creation the causing
OF something to be that takes form. with related
parts that has value, that is made for purpose
that Is clearly seen, compared with the educa-
tive value OF lesson learning. need not be dis
cussed. Both are valuable; neither is enough.
Each Is made more valuable by the help of the
other.
In spite Of all efforts. and they have been
legion, to make schools other than places for
coming lessons, such has ever been their
prevailing characteristic. The introduction of
scientific studies by scientific processes has
changed not only the methods of work but also
the purpose of work in most OF the leading col
leges and universities of the land. The intro
duction OF kindergarten with its processes has
changed not only the methods, but the purpose
OF primary instruction.
1t is needless to say that the kindergarten
methods and the scientific university methods
are the same IN principle. While these two
innovations have made such radical changes
IN the two extremes of our educational sys-
TENS comparatively little Improvement has
been made III the teaching of those grades of
schools lying between these two extremes
1t Is true that, to some extent, nigh schools
have been affected by the work done above
them; intermediate schools have been affected
by the work done below them. These results
have been adventurous The great mass of
intermediate schools today are authoritative
and ddactlc on the part of the teaching I'M
challenged and memorlter on the part of the
learning.
We have found that manual training, con-
nected as it is with all grades of our schools
related as 1t Is to almost every branch of study
pursued, has changed the processes of teach
ing and given the teacher a new and better
purpose of instruction has changed the process
of learning and given the pupil, at everv step
in his work. an intelligent and tangible purpose
for such work. Thus today does the work of
our schools in all grades more nearly CORE
spond to that Of the university or the kinder
garten, different only i'll grade.
Another year il will be possible to extend the
sewing the cooking and the shopwork into the
suburban schools and give TO them all the ad-
vantages afforded the city schools.
NIGHT SCHOOLS.
The night schools were better attended dur
ing the past year than ever before. though the
attendance fluctuatcs. This fuctuation iupairs
the value of these schools very greatly. III a
wider range of subjects could be taught. thus
giving better choice of subjects, the attend
ance would be greater in these schools.
1t is not clear, however. how this change
could be accomplished without materially in
creasing the expense of these schools. There
is, nevertheless, no doubt that some forms of
manual training may be advantageously in
troduced, such, for instance, as sewing and
cooking. At least, however, an experiment in
this direction might be made another wear by
the opening Of one sewing school and one
cooking school, If either or both should fail
to succeed the loss would be inconsiderable
while the experience would be satisfying.
l believe also that an advanced grade of
school should be opened for those who have at
tended SO regularly during the past few years
that they have practically completed the
course thus far provided for them. l am led
to this belief by frequent expressions of desire
OF such grade on the part of many pupils, as
also by many expressions of opinion on the
part OF teachers of night schools that a higher
grade of work is now desirable. Should such n
school be opened it should be centrally located
and permission given to pupils in ali parts of
the CITY to attend il