Telegram-herald., 1891-10-05
HISTORY On Thu YEAR
Annual Report OF Superintendent
Of Schools Chalmers
he ADVOCATES MANUAL TRAINING
The kindergarten system Also Recon-
msndsd-frineipai Grsessa's Report
"A Change In the Courses
Would Ne beneficial.

ton Saturday evening. At the begin
ming Of his report. Mr.. Chalmers makes
brief statement of the aims and ideas
that have actuated him in conducting
the school system during the past
year. He discusses different definitions
OF education, and states that the aim
OF public school System should not be
to make good lawyers. or good doctors.
or good ministers, but to educate hen
and women for life. and when this is
done, neither the trades nor the pro-
fessions will suffer. Complete man
hood should be placed before the boys
minds as the aummum sonum OF this
life. They must be taught TO feel that,
IAN honest mans the noblest work OF
God"
With this purpose in view the plans
Of the year have all been made To tins
end. and all other interests have been
subordinated to the one demand that
children of the Grand Rapids schools
should get all there is out of school ad.
yantages. For this reason added re-
eulrements have been made to the
teaching force, and a teachers reading
course has been provided for all the
teachers IN the public schools. This
course was planned to cover period of
two wears. Teachers have been re-
Questeu to make . careful study of the
history of education from the earliest
authentic history to the present time.
The second and third half-years of the
teachers course are to be given to the
ttudy of psychology, and during the
last half-year modern methods of
teaching will be studied. This couse is
to be repeated every two years for
teachers who have not previously taken
1t.
Enrolment and Attendance.
The percentage of increase is the
largest IN the history of the school.
This year an Increase over last year of
,43l is reported. The whole number
OF pupils enrolled Is 1888. Seventy
four per cent of the pupils enumerated
in the school census attended school
a showing that no other city the size of
Grand Rapids in the country can make.
Ninety-five per cent, based in the num-
Der belonging, were present every day.
This remarkable attendance is attrIbut-
ed to three causes: first, the hold the
schools have upon the community; sec
Otlu, tllt uuiltDcI Ol CACCAlcHt cCilOOl
buildings; third, the rigid enforcement
of the compulsory school law.
Although night school has been
provided for by the board of education
for several years, it has not met with
marked success. The attendance has
never been large enough TO demand
the employment of more than four
teachers. This is attributed to the fact
ho h,,f nm Sohnnf Nr Chai
mers offers the suggestion that night
school be opened IN any building when
twenty or thirty persons apply for ad-
mission.
After calling attention to the import
ance of kindergarten work as an edu-
catIonal factor, the superintendent sub
become a part of the school system. If
it had no other utility, the kindergar-
ten added to the school life OF child,
prepares him for his regular grade
work so that the average child Is en-
abled to complete his course two years
earlier than children who have not
completed a kindergarten course. The
superintendent suggestion IN regard
TO this work is to have young ladies in
training, and As soon az rooms can be
w tHtit uuuCl
proper supervision.
Manual Training.
Mr.. Chalmers recommends the IN
PRODUCTION OF manual training into the
nigh school curriculum. The course
recommended IS to be IA supplementary
one. and instructions will be given IN
drawing. domestic economy and shop
work. The work will not be technical,
but will aim to lay the foundations of
industry. The one great object of the
manual training school is TO foster a
higher apprec iatione of the value and
dignity of intelligent manual labor.
The superintendents report contains
a letter from Prin. Greeson, relative TO
the condition of the high school. At
tention is called TO the present over
crowded position of the high school and
the real necessity for the new one which
is TO be built during the coming year.
Changes In the curriculum are recon-.
mended. The changes relate to the
commercial course and the preparatory
English course, and are made with
view OF strengthening them. Some ex-
tensions 10 the modern language course
are also recommended. Mr.. Greeson
thinks new course ought TO be
planned. This course might be named
the scientific course, and would contain
two years of Latin or two years of
either German or French.
During the year the following studies
were taught in the high school, with
the given number Of pupils in each;
Arithmetic, 2h3; Eng. grammar, 1875:
botany, 225; L. s. history, 425: Eng.
history, 9s; rhetoric, ls4; algebra, 272;
geometry. 1876; civil government, Is5;
bookkeeping, %; ancient history, rs;
modern history, SO; physics, 50; zooi-
ogy, AZ; Eng. literature. "a; physical
geography, Al; chemisty, 81; Latin, 200;
Greek, IL; German, "a; French. So.
Training school.
Probably 10 more important action"
saws the correspondent IN connection
with the
Grand Rspids schools has been taken
IN years in the establishment OF a
training school. The cadet system has
been found wanting IN many respects.
The system necessitates the placing of
an inexperienced cadet in charge Of n
room Of forty or fifty beginners when
a principals time u almost entirely
consumed with the supervision OF the
building. The training schooi u q
necessity II high school graduates are
employed as teachers. We must irn-
port teachers or instruct our high
scao1i graduates IN the art Of teaching.
ftse teschef, even though possessed of
sccd learning and supplied with text
sos.Ss, = ss much out Of place IN
school room II be has no professional
knowledge as a surgeon IN a hosp tsl
who has all the fnasitcsi ~nrks of PARIS