New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-18
PLANS OF EDUCATORS.
DISCUSSING THEM IN CONFERENCE.
WORK DONE IN BROOKLYN By TIE DFIFGATrs-
VARIOUS PAPERS READ.

The second days session Of the Department -
Superintendent of the National Educational Asoci,
ton. in Brooklyn yesterday. va, full of variety and
interest Besides di>Iatchng much routine imsino,s
the delegates listened 70 and discussed papers on the
states duty toward children OF knderrar,cn oro ,he
best way 10 accomplish more I'm the grammar ,ourso
and the importance Of manual training I'm .ducation
They also accepted invitation OF Edwin y soccer
City Superintendent of schools i'm Hoston 10 holh the
next annual meeting. in February, 500 In that civ
ai'er the Claims OF Little ROCK Ark had been strongly
pressed, and voted 10 recommend a general ccle-
bration In all the public schools on October 10 when
the Worlds Fair grounds and buildings will be dad;-
Gated. In tho evening they Hooked in a body 10 the
Pratt Institute in RyersOnst.. where they watched
trim nurses studying invalid cOolsryn in classes
with OistoveS ana womcns culptOrs modelling the
busts OF te'heded veterans, and wandered in and
out among the dressmakng and wood-carving classes
and inspected the Interesting collections of Dresden
and Berlin ware and ecclesiastical embroide;ies
Tho evening meeting was held in the institute
assembly ROOM Many ladies' were present throughout
the day. President Henry sabn. of Dcs Moincs again
occupied the chair. This morning the supcrintendcnts
will inspect the Brooklyn high schools and Mr. and
Mrs Alfred G. Barnes will entertain them at luncheon
at No. Ia PerrepOnt-st
SUPERlNTE NDENT FITzPATRI5K' PAPER.
AT the morning session. Frank A. FITZPATRICK super
intendent Of Schools at Omaha, read paper with
the title What is the duty of the state toward
children of kindergarten agel7 1t was in part
follows:
Intil comparatively recently the province of govern
ment was Thought TO be merely the protection Of the
weak but the eNigcncleS Of modern lie have i'm
PEELED he state TO reach down into the details OF private
life. and thus to shape more less the environments
of ITS citizens In the older states. cOmpusory enact
primary grammar and high school education shall be
provided In the newer states addition to ths Is made
by giving permission 10 citizens TO Obtain college and
university, and In many instances even professional
education at the expen>e OF the publc purse. liut
If "A
sentiment relative to tine extension OF Il system OF
prevalence OF a We'll nigh universal demand that The
province of the schools be extended downward. until
II includes children of three year, OF az, Nearly
every Commonwealth has provided for system OF
common schools for the pr9Icr education of the
limitation has been put upon the power Of boards of
education and municipalities in tie direction OF restrict
of certain class Of children; thus eleven limit
the aeps of Ve and fU twenty 0 '" O''VV
In spite of the experience OF John stuart MIL as
unanimous consensus Il opinion among educators that
the school education OF children could not prohtaby
than provide merely for the inteectual training Of
children. and it is Therefore in the interest of the gen
poorer people be admitted to the school at the Of
i've. The more thoughtful representatives OF the
new education merely seek 10 graft the principles of
kindergarten instruction upon the school life OF the
child that these principles may indirectly modify the
Belief the latter class Of knderearcner' hold tcna,
ciously the opinion that there limits beyond which
damage TO the child II children are to he gathered
into state school at early age Of three the type
of school be after the pattern OF the French
maternal Inc English infant schools which rdi-
caly different from, and. indeed. subversve OF the
ideas at the basis Of kindergarten training. For,
primarily the end sought in the maternal and in
FAINT schools is the earl devel )pmcnt the pupils of
these schools of the power u take Of themselves,
While the kinderearten. on the other hand. seeks 70
keep the CHILD in the realm Of developing idea>. ana
therefore postpone the teaching Of the alphabet and
the practical side Of school nfe until 4 later tune.
These infant and maternal schools also pre- suppose
q division of tie population into classes, and the eX-
istence OF duty on the part Of TIE scales npp
classes 10 take care OF and provide Tor the children o,
the lower classes. As such. therefore the stat" should
dren below the school agc who are between three and
four and one onchan But as the knde[g1fm Pro- o
all the Children of the state, it should pro,
vide facilities and means for the eduGa t',r o o,
CnS,,a an" The way Of pToyding proper fses for
constitutional objections have been swept away Inc
have 5roaght forward conditions which point to
large cities the localities whCn are specially favor
However. these iafse cite which would be greatly
benefited by the establishment Of kindergart"n@ for the
resources taxed to the utmost TO provide accommo-
dation for the education Of children VINO are tend
The school from six year, down I" four ana on
n n'r which wouM mean an addition of more
than 80 per cent 10 school eNpcndltu1s' ,.,.o .,
The prevalent Conservatism Is really OF service 10
Us in our efforts 10 establish ystem Of kndcrs9rien
Instruction because II largely reduces .the lmn'dEu
renders il possible 10 make beginning with com
paiatvey small amount Of money; 1t may be don i
gsrren than 10 have each one o! twenty iarg' ctc9
begin to equip and MAINTAIN Sys,g gn u os me Womb
require the employment OF large numper 81 tc1LneI
WHO are untitled by nature ana waning on eic s'I ~
correct practice and theory. IN such states a. Hh'
the children attending cho9 TO ,9oe a6ove the a AMI
six wears IL would that kindcreaf'chs dl PuDn'
expense are not profitable or feasible.
DISCUSSING THE PAPER
An Interesting discussion this paper was pi'ioi-
mated in by f.. y. Seavcr Of Boston; Mis- kizabeth
Harrison Of Chicago; Inspector James L hughes %
Toronto Andrew :. Draper and Others. MI SeaNer
said that 81 spent on kindergarten was better spent
than any other dollar spent in education. MISS Har
rison described the Chicago ndergarcns and told some
interesting stories about the methods OF work. ar
DRAPER said that people must get over the IDEA tha'
kindergarten a charity. In his opinion j IL came
TO a question between the Kindergarten and the 'sn
school I'm tie public school system. The high schr'l
ought to W. y. mailman Oh Id for'o' i"''' '
the following:
Resolved That the kindergarten as means To give
m he nasccnt social tendencies Of children direction
coward benevoence and civic efficiency Is necessary
part Of a complete system OF schools
After much debate the practical dnlcut'eS OF '"'
Introduction OF the system and the question OF eH
pensc the resolution was referred to the Committee on
Resolutions.
HOW TO STRENGTHEN PREPARATORY SCHOOLS
0What can be done to bring children on further III
their studies before they leave school TO 20 10 "oh'
was the subject of IA paper read by Charles W. Ill.,
president Of the Massachusetts schoonaoteIe CiuO "a
Boston,
The toplco he said assumes the existence OF a
GLASS Of pupils whose life IS shortened By the real
or supposed necessity for the pupil to become wage
or,or and less than three -cighths Of the children
entered in grammar schools do really finish the course
and graduate Among the causes are the cupdity oi
poor parents due partly to the suicidal aXity OF onr
immigration laws and the equally culpabe cnpdl'y
of their employees; the bad Judgment OF easy ehhe
parents the desire encrprising children 10 40 Tor
theroives and sometime, the failure VI the schools