Morning journal and courier., 1891-09-12

SUPERINTENDENT CuTUlS COluu6uCcu db
length upon the many improvements in
year. The principal new building erected
story, eight-roomed structure, which will
satisfactorily supply the needs of people
living in the Annex.
The total number of teachers in the ser
vice of the city is 342.
Most of these teachers are doing excel
lent work, and are doubtless ambitious to
do better. Efforts to improve should
never be relaxed. Where there is no prog
ress there is likely to be stagnation.
Training school for teachers can, there
fore, no longer be regarded as doubtful
question. It is universally conceded that
special preparation is an absolute necessi-
ty for those who presume to enter upon
the responsible work of training the
youthful mind. In accordance with this
prevailing sentiment, normal and training
school for teachers have been established
and are now successfully maintained in ev-
cry civilized country of the globe.
The school authorities of the city of
New Haven have taken wise and liberal
steps to found and foster this essential
feature of the modern school system.
The oratorical knowledge of the laws
of mental development is never a suff-
Practice, under the yeof an experienced
instructor, who is competent to detect
faults and faithful enough to expose them,
is the only way to train pupils to be salts
factory instructors.
This aim of the training school to pro-
duce good teachers is not necessarily an
tagonistic to the welfare of the children
who attend the schools for practice. For
five months of the year they have the bene-
fit of the very best teaching talent the city
can afford. They come directly under the
influence of the principal and, unless the
pupil-teachers are very weak and inefficient,
the children are given exceptional advan-
tages.
Mr.. Curtis praised in unmeasured terms
the kindergarten system in use in New
Haven schools. He says all the kinder
gartens in this city have been we'll patron
lied during the last year and number of
advantageous changes have been recently
made.
The superintendent bestows similar
praise on the primary and intermediate
grades, which have made vast strides in
usefulness and influence since the solid
studies and the discussions of distractions
has been changed for object lessons in the
concrete world of material things.
After noting the importance of the gram
great masses of the population, Mr.. Curtis
gees into discussion of the high school,
which he calls "the browning feature of
the public school system" More room is
greatly needed. The corps of instructors
is strong and the equipment fine, but the
accommodations are toe limited for the
attendance. More room is urgently
needed. Mr.. Curtis calls for the revision
of several courses, especially in the COM
mercial department., where he recommends
the substitution of practical studies for the
modern languages.
The superintendent says this concerning
am of the opinion that the Hillhouse
high school is still somewhat oppressed by
the tyranny of examinations and overbur-
dened by the incubus of the marking sys-
tenn.
The fact that such examinations have
| perverted the best efforts of teachers, have
| narrowed and grooved their instruction,
have been conducive to examining and the
| most vicious habits of study, have tempted
| both teachers and pupils to dishonesty,
! and have caused much of the overpressure
| charged upon the school, has served to Gre
ate such a prejudice against examinations
that in many cities they have been abolish
ed altogether.
In spite of these evils Superintendent
Curtis still thinks that examinations are
necessity, but with limited sphere and
supplemented by daily oral tests.
Mr.. Curtis realizes the great worth of
a system of manual training. He admits
the vast economic and utilitarian benefits
flowing from such instruction. Besides
these, one great object of instruction in
hand-work is to foster higher apprecia-
ton of the value and dignity of intelli-
gent labor, and to remove the prejudice
which now exists between professional and
mechanical labor.
The concluding portion of the report
treats of the advances made by the cooking
school during the past year; suggests plans
for the improvement of the evening
schools; praises the free textbook system
and the school exhibition at the armory
last June; and suggests the sending of a
suitable educational exhibit from New
Haven to the worlds fair in 1898. Mr..
Curtis also believes that the school in
their mission to inculcate patriotism
should have set aside number of flag
days in honor of memorable events in our