St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-07
A SGHULASllG EtfUkl
The Kindergarten Wedge In
tr0duced Into the Public
Schools.
Inspectors Have q Lively.
Spat Over the Method
Adopted.
DR.. Smiths Gallant Fight for
Pure Democratic Prin-
ciples.
School Employees Rounded;Up
By the Vigilant Inspector
Pyle.


set forth:
seems to be a successful close. The teach
/ erS, though somewhat discouraged at first,
are now becoming familiar with the new
course OF study, and are discovering that it
IS al once simpler and more effective than
The old. The manual training work in the
seventh and eighth grades has at least
aroused great enthusiasm. Glasses are large
and eager 10 atteLd. One of the great educa-
ton il problems i'll all progressive systems is
the training of the hand i'll intermediate
grades Our work so far is largely expert
mental and only partially correlated with the
other work. but the benefits OF even this ex
pertinent are evident. We still need sys-
tematic course beginning with the kinder
garten and extending through all grades No
city i'll this country has as yet developed
thoroughly satisfactory manual training
course. Boston seems to have come the near
est, and they are scarcely further than we.
would recommend that for the coming
semester work similar 10 that now done III
the seventh and eighth grades be extended to
the sixth in as many of the larger bnildingsa as
the present teaching corps can care for; that
the needed tools be secured and instructions
given TO pupils of the sixth grade at their
own uiliingS on one day of each week.
BY these small beginnings we hope to help
to solve the problem as to what is wise train
ing for the hand and the eye and the study of
form in all grades. In regard to the literary
side OF education we are much more clear:
are OH the right road. But manual training
is still largely all eppendage and not an in
herent part of our educational system.
The voice of the secretary had scarcely
ceased ere indications of an approach
ing disagreement between the in6ivld-
ual members of the board was evident.
The first question fired at Supt. Gilbert
was as to the probable cost of the neces-
sary tools to each pupil in case his rec
ommendatio1 concerning the general
introduction of manual training should
be adopted. The superintendent was
ready for the assault, and promptly re-
Piled: ''SiXty-five cents per pupil, il
some of the simpler tools are home
made. and S1.15 if they are all pur-
chased" DR.. S. e. Smith wanted vari-
GUS details as to the manner in which
the new departments were to be con-
Quoted. His queries poured in fast, and
they were evidently going deep into the
matter, SO to simplify matters the report
was referred to the committee on
schools, with instructions to the conf
nittee to report on all the details of the
proposed innovation.
AppOintn ents and Transfers.
The committee on schools presented
their report of the various changes
made since the last meeting. 1t sets
forth that: !
A leave of absence for three months, with
out pay, was granted to Miss Una Smith,
teacher of first grade Webster school, to date
from Jan. 1, 1872.
The resignation of Miss Mary Mangan.
teacher of second grade Hendricks school,
to date from Dac. O. was accepted.
The resignation of Miss Olive Long, teacher
of sixth grade Longfellow school. to date
from Dec. 9. was accepted
Miss Mary Curry was appointed teacher of
first grade Webster school. g.
Miss Juetse Pulyer was appointed teacher
of first grade Sibley school.
Miss n. d. Brigham was appointed teacher
ofsiXth grade Longfellow school
Miss Kate Pullman has been transferred
from the fifth grade Webster school to the
sixth grade Jefferson school,
Mrs. L. A. Per was appointed teacher OF
second grade, Hendricks school.
Mrs. E. A. IIolcombe was appointed teach
er of the fifth grade, Webster school.
Miss Mary A. NJ. Coffin was appointed
teacher of Fisher Ames school.
E. G. Rossman has been transferred from
the Mcclellan to the Madison night school,
Miss Mary Curry's resignation as teacher
in the Van Buren, night school was accepted.
II was recommended that ungraded schools
be opened in certain buildings TO care for
pupils not adapted to the grades when this
is possible under the rules of the board.
1t was also recommended that one primary
room in the Sibley school be for the coming
semester transformed into a kindergarten, to
which limited number of children of five
years of age may be admitted; that the pu-
pills be divided into two classes one for the
morning and one for the afternoon session.
each class to have not more than twenty five
pupils.
A Lively Fight.
The sting of the report was contained
in the last recommendation, but it was
quickly discovered and as promptly OBJ
jected to by DR.. Smith. He moved to
adopt the report after striking out the
recommendation for kindergarten at
tachment at the Sibley school. He ar
gued that it was a discrimination:
against the other schools in the city,
and the kindergarten was no more
badly needed at the Sibley than else
where. He could see no reason why
this school should be preferred, nor
why place should be created for
particular teacher.
Mr.. Pyle was in favor of the entire
report. including the recommendation
for the kindergarten, and he could not
admit the force of DR.. Smiths argu-
ment. He SAID: ''If we cannot have
kindergartens at all the schools, that is
no valid reason why we should not in
augurate ole at the Sibley. 1t is only
an experiment as to the feasibility of
ENGRAVING the kindergartens upon the
public school system"
nC was CuSdStu III
by every member of the board, in which
DR.. Keane and DR.. Smith were Op-
posed to the other members. DR.. Bridg-
man, chairman of the committee making
the report, made quite vigorous speech
in favor of its adoption. and said:
"KindergartenS are no longer an ex-
pertinent, but incorporated with the
public schools they are as yet new; so
it is the part of conservatism to first try
them in limited way"
DR.. Smith took another hand in the
fight. lie not only was opposed to the
discrimination as against the other
schools, but said there was very unfair
and undemocratic principle involved in
the limited number of pupils provided
| for in the department to be established.
| Said he: snake it broad enough to
| admit all the children in that district
| between the ages of five and six years."
This suggestion was put in the shape
| of a motion and thoroughly discussed; .
DR.. Stamm was in favor of mot giving
the children of millionaire any more
rights than those of poor fellow" and
| he supported the motion.
| A vote was ordered on the motion to
| include all the children between the
| ages of FIVE and six, and Inspector
| Auerbach, who had been absent during
| the discussion, was called i'll to vote
| On the roll call Inspectors Keane, Smith
and Stamm voted aye, and Inspectors
Bridgman, Pyle and Scheffer voted no;
being tie, the motion was lost. On
| the original motion of DR.. Smith to &C :
cept the report striking out the recon-
mendation as to the kindergarten, the
| vote was Smith and Keane yea and the
| other five speetors-Auerbach, Bridg-
| man, Pyle. Stamm and Scheffer-no.
! The report was then adopted as a.
] whole. DR.. Smiths vote being the only.
| one in the negative, and the doctor
prophesied the board would regret this
sort of action. DR.. Smith moved that
the children first applying shouldlbe re-ss
| ceived, aud that nothing like selection;
should be allowed. This was agreed to,
! and Supt. Gilbert was requested to an.