The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-12-05
HOW SHOULD THE CURRICULUM BE
REMODELED?

In communication TO New York
weekly paper Brother Azarias of La Sale
Academy, on Fountain street, makes the
following strong plea against slavish ad
herance to mechanical methods of train
ing in schools and colleges:
ut is easy to be fault-tinding in ed uca-
| tional matters, but IL is hard matt err
enough to apply the remedy. Our best
| systems have their shortcomings: our
worst are not without their good points
| The method that insures one teachers
| success may be cause of disastrous
failure for another It is therefore. with
diiiidence that / undertake to give cate
gorlcal answers to your questions The
chief faults in our school and college
systems 81 training to which | would call
attention are these
Il. / consider our course Of studies
over-crowded. Children have to handle
too many subjects at the same time. and
IN consequence their knowledge of these
subjects remains fragmentary. They
have no time 10 dIges5 what they learn.
- L lnd that younger children are
not sufficiently we'll grounded in the es-
sential branches. Carried through these
essential branches In u superficial man
ner, they are for years handi capped i'm
making higher studies, on account of the
tWPeiicC1 anu ihddequdte grasp :hat they
nave upon the more elementary branches.
'3 Our educational system, as at pres
ent carried out. contains too much
machine work. There is too much dead
ening system and too little vivifyiug Der.
sonality "A are made to undergo the
same drili; all are put through the same
mold, regardless of natural aptitude.
True it is that all must learn the essen.
tial elements; but no less true is il that |
from the first dawning of personal taste
each pupil should be encouraged TO take |
speciai interest IN the subject for which |
ne or she manlfests creates aptitude.
-et,ttsttter- thrt- there rs too m0c6 T
stress lald upon textbooks, and too lit
tie upon tie method of imparting in
formation. There is tendency TO make
the textbook every thing in the class
room and the teacher simply an in
strument, or medium by which the pupil
is forced to absorb the contents of tbe
textbook. This is reversing the proper
order of things. The text book is simnlv
u guide, enabling the student TO pursue n |
course consecutively, and aiding him To |
keep up an acquaintance with the rela-
ions OF the various principles Of the sub
ect, The textbook is simply a tool or i'm.
'trument; the teacher is the master mind
vho knows how To make best use OF that
DOL or instrument The teacher ls mora |
han the textbook, and the teachers |
yord should have, with the pupil, more
weight than the mere assertion of the
eAt-Dook. ~ Is MS place Co study the
apacity and degree of intelli sence OF his
'upils; 1T is his duty TO adapt his instruc-
ions To that capacity and that degree of
Intelligence. 10 is his privilege so TO inn
ress his pupils that they place full CON
dence IN every assertion he makes, and
p lpiIclt!y obey every direction he gives. i
AS regards the second question. .How !
houid the curriculum be remodeledp' |
'ould remark:
An ideal course of study is one having
J view the placing of the student iu
)uch with all that is best i'm the intel.
ctuai ana scientific movements of the
W lt Is such as would tic him TO un- i
,rstand the advances that science is y
aklnS, the boasts OF com mercial inter
'nrse, the best authors in modern litera
ire, the trend of modern ideas 1t is such b
would ut him To take his place intelli- $
'ntly and To advantage in the modern b
orIu, ana To RUM with ability aud sat
faction his duties toward God. toward p
nself, toward his family toward soci c'
and toward the state Now, any
ange In our course of study that is cal Sc
lated TO produce such results con G,
Ter beneficial. IL is evident that we are v,
Iransltionai state as regards educa- hi
IN. Hitherto we have been instructinp
on the lines laid down at the time oI =,
{ hentlssance. In the meantime science n' ~
5 made vast strides. Literatures nave ~
own and developed anu crystalized into -
lsslcs; and both the natural sciences ~ =.
the various lteratures of modern ma ~ ~
us are clamoring tor larger place in &c &c
course OF studies. How far are they ~ os
be admittedl How much of the Old Is as as
be rejected TO give place To the newt ~
ese are questions not to be answered
hand. They require time and trial
L patient discussion. But what should
insisted upon at once is: Cd That stu Isl
its DE well-grounded in the elements:
that whatever IL taught be we'll
lght: 90 that the first PRINCIPLES of the
'ural sciences be impaired at an ear
aye than thev generally are in the en-
sent courses; az that as the student 70,
iances he he lett greater freedom of ",
ION TO develop those talents thar are WI
,, ongest In MIN, aud tnat he be encour- ne
d in special pursuits" th
- wa