The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-21
UP WITH THE TIMES.
Cambridge Grammar School
Idea Already Here.
DAILY WORK is NOW THE GUIDE.
examinations Abolished and Advances
"soe according to Mental Capacity
Need Of Manual Training.

itwlii be gratifying TO the people of Seattle
70 note tina. their public schools are we'll
aofeass, and even ahead in some particulars, of
similar institutions in the East. This il due
pHl.s % TIE ability and progressiveness of those
aoaarge OF educational matters, and partly to
A1 iae. Last In a comparatively young COM
nhuhiiy they are untrammeied by the traditions
anu pfeJndices OF their predecessor.
interesting TO compare what is being done
10y schools here with the changes proposed
W 'ae pubic schools of Cambridge, Mass, by a
committee which has had the matter under con
sioeFa.ion Tor some time past The committee
ea's that the object of the teachers must be to
.eAcn children to do things for themselves and
no" 20 use their minds: next after this comes
.ne power OF performance. the ability to do a
tning once learned.
Inc committee further recon- mends the abo-
iition OF examinations a. disturbing the rep,.
a. "ofh OF the year and as being a draft upon
Tue nervous vitality of all the children. In
pace OF examinations. written exercises or re-
'Ie"s may De given from time to time without
previous notice. It Is also recommended to
ao1ien the six years' work for bright students
o' having two classes of three years each. the
"oiA Oh which may be shortened to five or
,ou. years in all, according to the ability or
health OF. the student.
committee also suggests radical changes
AZ the curriculum in the Introduction OF more
aoVanced subjects in mathematics and Ian.
saaees ana the addition of a new subject. civil
government. Besides these studies one or two
branches OF natural science are suggested. The
.ihe saved by the abolition of examinations and
fegtonping the subjects now taught. would allow
stuuies 10 De given without overburden-
ing the pupils. The changes are referred to "a
eApsrihaensai, and 1t is said that their results
VIII De watched with interes. b V educators all
over the country. The committee meets a sup.
sss.ton made by the New England Association
oi colleges that German, French or Latin. or
any two of these languages. be taught in the
pubic schools, by the statement that at nresent
tue scnooi board has not the money to hire we'll
trained teachers of languages.
ifoi. FRANK Barnard, superintendent of CITY
schools, was seen yesterday aud asked what he
thought of these changes.
Al a large city school," said superintendent
barnard, there must necessarily be some uni
iormity In text books, topics and the Quantity
o. WORK done in stated intervals, on account of
transfers OF the pupils from one school
certain amount OF classification. and
Ior THIS purpose / should divide the
s'uoehts into divisions or classes strictly accord
ing 10 their mental capacity. In short, the work
Oh each class should require a year to complete
H. but If the work can be easily and thoroughly
uoae III less time than q year, then the work OF
TIE next year can be commenced without await.
ing the emu OF the year, overtaking the lowest
oiVision OF the class next above, If possibie
me result OF this would be to bring about a
~'y SA0oual p1OEQOItOn OF Gh0Sn who yraro
capable Oh attaining it
II am not in favor of the suggestion Of the
Ne" England Association o! colleges that
rench, German and Latin be included in the
course OF study In the lower schools. The asko. |
citation looks at this question too much from a
.oIese PRESIDENTS standpoint and not enough
rum the business side. Granting that t.ese
would be invaluable in mental training
ana development. it would be better TO have !
them taught by competent teacher. in the high
school. To ask that these languages be taught |
oy the present corps of teachers would resuIt in |
~" designations tomorrow, and how could their |
places be filled by competent teachers At a SAL |
AIRY Oh $Io a year? To secure such teachers 1t |
east $l,2U would have to be paid, and the an
nuai pay roll increased SIS, COO.
~ believe that much of the present work in
and minor studies might ia sunnlied
by more useful work, but 1 cannot 90 80 far a.
20 agree with President Eliot that a book tho
OF q wafer would contain all the
that q grammar school scholar re-
1uires.'
scientific studies are, in my opinion, fully "a
valuable as languages for mind training. and.
AIKEN along with composition, are of great serv-
ce III suggesting subjects and deyelopiug
powers OF accurate description. The modern
are, OF course. exceedingly useful.
'ut can hardly be OF much practical value as
aught 70 Children in u foreign country, for to
peak one must have constant practice. must
earn to think in the language.
II agree fully with the committee in their
heory OF teaching, and the value OF the sur-
'estiou that natural science should be taught il
.ppreciated. and has been acted upon, botany,
Zoology and mineralogy being included in our
of study. The idea of teaching e'e-
algebra and geometr is also excellent.
what appears to me the most important OF
Ii seems to have been neglected by the COM
nittee. and that is English composition.
Manual training Is q thing that we are
in need of here, and its importance can.
OF be too much dwelt upon. Fully s. per cent
I our public school students are destined for
lanuai labor. and As they constitute the bulk
! the population il ;s to then that we must
BOX for our future development. They should
taught to apply the results of their studies to
ae trades they intend to follow.
Thus it Is seen that We have proposed a plan
-hich allows OF advance according to ments,
apacity fully as much as the proposed Eastern
'stem. Examinations have already been abol-
he'd and a system of advancement based on tbs
.achers knowledge of the daily work of His