Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-18
TEACHING THE YOUNG IDEA
Discussions Of School Superin, endsnts in
Session in BROOKLYN,

1 cosioh ~ DaoOAAyus
An Interesting discussion followed Mr.. Fitz.
patrick's paper on the kindergarten school
read before the school superintendent in
brooklyn yesterday afternoon. Aaron Cove,
superintendent OF the Denver public schools.
was the first speaker to discuss Mr.. Fitzpat-
TICKS paper. He said he thought that the
statutory question was not an important one
That could be corrected easily. He was opposed
10 the establishment OF experimental kinder
gartens In one or two places. The kindergarten
had passed the experimental stage. The most
important question before the department. was
not the merit not the dcsirability OF the kinder
garsen. but how should the financial obstacles
De removed which had been presented in Mr.
| fitzpatrick's paper.
| L. p. Seaver. superintendent of the rublic
schools of Boston, gave history of the kiuder-
garten experience OF his city He said the way
| to obtain assistance for the kindergartens was
10 show by an object lesson that dollar spent
In the kindergarten was better placed than a
| dollar spent in any other part OF the school
system. lApplause.I
| Al the invitation OF President Sabin Miss
| Enzaoe,n Harrison. president of the kinder
| She said that in the DEVELOPMENT Of the kinder
Sarten system she believed the education OF
| the mothog should be taken more into co:.,iJ-
Grafton. She did not believe day creches we're
necessary.
When there was a general understanding Of
| the kindergarten system mothers circle, woUll
grow around them. she Endorsed Mr. i:
patricA suggestion that there be sixty,
Ieh III thc A!ncerSarieu, thirty in the N off,. i,
ana 'nir'y III the afternoon. What these Wi.o
were interested IL the kindergarten feared was
that The Glasses would be overcrowded There
Was 100 great an fdea OF ths expense Of the
kindergarten. In one class of one hundred in
boston the total cost OF material used was $50
:. superintendent Powell Of Washington asked
! II the same teacher could teach tho morning
| anu afternoon classes.
Miss Harrison replied that she could if she
WAS as strong as she should DO. Continuing
Miss Harrison said that she Endorsed the eau
tion OF Mr.. Fitzpatrick concerning inefficient
stinct IN every woman would atoue for other
defects In Chicago the teachers had to un-
oergo three years training. Miss Harrison
saio she believed that there should be a special
supervisor Tor the kindergarten depar tment as
much as for the drawing and other depart
ments Roplying to the criticisms Of the play
circle Miss Harrison said it was based on the
initiative instinct and WIS valuable because it
interested the children. In proof OF its eluca-
eonai vaiUo she related some experiences
which amused the audience greatly.
j. L. hughes, inspector OF schools, Toronto,
canada. followed Miss Harrison. He said the
question was not SO much was the kinder
garten worthy" but could it be adopted?"
He explained tho kindergarten system of
Toronto. He did not agree with the statement
that the poor children needed the kinder.
Sarten most Often the children of the
wealthy needed it most. lApplause.]
Mr.. Powell asked if there WAS not COM
pensation found in the primary schools in the
more rapid advance of children who had had
kindergarten instruction.
MI Hughes said that in his experience there
was. The expense Of kindergarten instruction
IN toronto, not counting permanent material.
WAS less than $3.50 per pupil per annum.
W. L. Hillman, city SUPERINTENDENT of the
La Porte, Ind, schools, offered resolution, as
follows:
Resolved, That the kindergarten as a means
to give the naScent social tendencies of chill
dren direction toward benevoience and civic
efhciency Is a necessary part of a complete
system OF schools"
State Superintendent Draper of Albany. in
secondlng the resolution, said that there were
two or three things to be guarded against
lney could go to the public unless they could
Snow the taxpayers the utility and necessity of
me system. There was great danger In COM
promising Or semporizing in this matter. One
oil the saddcst things in the public school sys-
tenn was to bring children of three to six years
INTO the public schools and not put them under
the care OF an experienced Kindergarten He
believed with Prof. Powell that the kinder
garten might be an economical and not an ex-
pensive auxiliary, because its influence would
be shown In the primary grades. If it was
choice between kindergarten departm Mt and
high school department he thought the high
school DEPARTMENT ought to go. Applause.
In conclusion, he said that the idea that the
| kindergarten was a public charity should be
| eradicaled. [Applause.]
Commissioner Harris said he hoped oppor-
tunity would be offered to discuss the financial
aspect of the system. The conflict between
the taxpayers league and the advocates Of the
system was The most important question. Mr.
Harris explained the experience which he had
as superintendent of schools in St. Louis in the
Introduction OF the kindergarten. The class of
men he had met i'll taxpayers leagues were
men who wished to gain political favors from
the people-usually men who did not pay taxes
at all, but who wished they could. daughter
The best people in Missouri. he said, were on
the side OF the kindergarten. He criticised the
decision OF the Supreme Court of the United
states, which found the kindergarten uncon-
stitutional. Mr.. Harris said they should make
the schools strong III the community, and there
would be no diiiiculty in getting money for
them.
Mr.. Fitzpatrick took the platform again for
o few minutes. He said he wanted to emphasize
ono point So far as Importance was given 20
the games III the kindergarten Just SO far
would the children be intellectually weak He
DeleFeu II took more competent instructor
10 teach kindergarten than any other branch of
the hchooL AND yet they proposed to get kim
dergarten teachers cheap. 1t was easy enough
10 decrease expenses in any department but
The department would suffer from il. He would
rather take ten years to start the system tEan
start with poor material
Mr. hlIiman's resolution was referred to the
committee on resolutions on motion Of Dr.
Maxwell Of Brooklyn. The department then
took recess. When the department reas-
bied at 2:45 o'clock paper was read by
Chas. biiiman, president OF the Schoolmasters'
Club of Boston.
At the conclusion Of the reading Of Mr.. Hills |
paper Mr.. Pratt of Brooklyn read short paper
descriptive OF the Pratt Institute.
Instructive papers were read by J. H. Shipn |
OF Little Rock, Ark; j. II. Blodaett OF the CEN
sus bureau, Washington; E. o. Vale Of Chicago |
editor OF the IntettiJenca-; Mr.. Hughes of To-
ronto and President Crook of the National |
Educational Association.
A recess was then taken until evening.
At the evening session the leading address
was delivered by ". b. Powell, superintendent
OF public schools at Washington, his subject
beng rs there place for manual training
between the kindergarten and the SCHOOL,"
After the reading of several other papers
there was a general discussion in which several
gentlemen took part
Al a late hour recess was taken until this
morning.
Newspaper Publishers
IN ttfnar