Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-01-03
Afternoon Session.

Afternoon session.
The afternoon session began with con
siieraiion of the subject "Do the Pupils
in the Public Schools Fail to Remember
What They Learn, Assimilste What They
Study and Develop Intellectual Power Be-
csuse--Ist. Of an Imperfect School Sys-
TEN and De efeciive Courses of Study"
This branch of the question wss cousd-
cred by Geo. c. Puripgton, principal of
the State Normal School at Pennington.
Mr.. burlington said that to his mind the
discussion of the question resolved Itself
simply into = criticism of the present school
system of Maine and when thst subject is
under consideration there is little room for
the rainbow chaser" II is useless to e1-
peet good results from poor machine even
with the best operatives and with 80 poor &
machine as our school system We must ex-
pect poer results except in the case Of those
rare teachers tho have the genius to tise
above the systems. He then spoke of the
great changes during the last fifty years in
conducting business. He also contrasted
newspaper work. religious work and
charities with the methods of fifty years
ago. But in school matters our machinery
js largely what it was in our grandfathsrs
day. The district system rests on all our
work like = nightmare. There is too little
| re. possibility on the part OF the school Of
fieisls, and Maine is far behind every north
ern Ssste in the supervision of its schools
To remedy this he would have
State superintendent backed by
board of education. An active,
energetic county supervisor. local ir-
| .pector in each town, State examination
| and certification of teaehars. Under the
present arrangement the cities of Maine
| pay less for the supervision Of their schools
/, than is paid for direct supervision IN some
| shoe shops. Therh are some factories and
| at least one insurance company, that pay
more for superiutendeuce than all the city
| superints nfents receive. The state pays
| more for the superintendent Of its horses,
| cattle and pigs than all its expenses in con-
| ueetion with the office Of the State supefi1-
teudent. Il pays more TO guard end pre-
serve its fish and game than for its disourse-
| ment Of its large school fund
The second division Of the question-"ls
Such Failure Due to Faulty Methods OF
Tn.,ruction9'' was answered by Mise Fan
ME P. Hardy. Superintendent of Schools
at Brewer.
Miss Hardy said the popular notion of
| education is too narrow. We need to edu-
cate tie whole man. Without education
of the senses tie intellectual training suf-
| fers and moral training becomes more diff
cuIt. Sense and manual training
are also necessary to make good citi-
zens. who should first be moral and indus
trious. then intellectual. Formerly homes
provided such instruction, but As eiviiiza-
tiou changes, the State for irs own safety
| shaul; assume the ro,k, furnishing in.
s,rucfion in trades il called for There is
/. tendency in this direction. and to meet
such A demand Il would not probably be
necessary 10 increase the time spent in
school.
1 How Can the Teacher Grow in
i Eiicisncy7
va. eon,idsrsd BY J Fl. Parsons, Principal
of the Augusta High School. who said
This ,ubiees should be Of vital interest so
tevs;y member of the profession Grosta
il essential 10 all life, whether Of msttsr OF
af mind. The successful teacher must
have love for his work. One generally
likes TO do what he IL eoing well, and What
ever is neglecssd or poorly done becomes
a,,.s.sefui. The teacher should grow in
knovleSss. He should know more
rhsn the subject taught. No teacher
can. afford to be without the Ia
| sui,ztion that comes from An irt+
mate ssq qusin.anceship with the we,tknosr
Characters sf history and of hctien- Their
q need cf . detnite purpose. in the naiSa o
be teacher. for each recitation. lie mus