The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-01-02

Defends the State College-Professor
Whittier's Interesting Discussion of
School Gymnastics Large Attendance
and Successful Observation-Disclosures
School Girls Give Fine Exhibition.
The sessions of the Pedagogical Society
yesterday were marked by a large atten-
daece and much interest. The principal
topic of the forenoon was English gram
mar, study which received a radical
handling. Before this topic came up,
however, there was brief discussion on
the needs of ungraded schools in cities.
Mr. Patterson, of the Biddeford High
School, who was to deliver the paper,
was not present; but there was dis
cussion by Levi Turner, Jr., of this city,
and Principal Corthell, of Gorham, who
agreed that there was place for the un-
graded school in cities, as place for
those scholars whose presence in the
grades may be inexpedient
Following this came the hour Of trial
for English grammar. DR.. G. w. Wood,
of the East Corinth Academy, began the
attack with a paper on "What is the
Matter with the Teachers of English
Grammar in Maine?n DR.. Wood, whose
paper was bright and interesting took
the radical position that the study of
technical English grammar should be
abolished in the schools, relying upon q
general teaching of language and litera-
ture to supply its place. Prof. Fl. M.
Estabrooke, of the Maine State College,
who was to have discussed this paper,
was absent. Prof. F. G. Robinson, of
Bowdoin, was present and participated
in the discussion. His position was less
radical than that of DIR. Wood. He
thought the study of grammar should
not be absolutely abolished, because many
teachers would be unequal to the task of
teaching language properly without a text
book. Principal Dunton, of the Lewis
ton Grammar School, thought that the
study of grammar should not be intro
duced before the last two years in the
grammar school, because the minds Of
the pupils would not be equal to it be-
fore that time.
In somewhat similar line was the
paper by Principal D. E. Owen, of
Thornton Academy, of Saco, on ENG
Z lish; How much and Howan Principal
G. A. Dickey, of Berwick Academy, dis
cussed this paper.
AFTERNOON.
The first paper of the afternoon was by
Mr.. G. F. Robinson, chairman of the
school committee of Kennebunk, on
Analysis and Synthesis in Teaching"
Mr.. Robinson's main idea was that the
art of teaching is the art of developing
the mind of the pupil, not the trade of
pouring into the pupils head a lot of
facts and then pumping them out again.
After expanding the topic in its various
relations, Mr.. Robinson came to the
method of the selection of teachers for
schools. Ministers passed their examin-
ations before boards Of ministers, physi-
clans before faculties of medical men,
lawyers before courts of lawyers. Teach
ers, on the other hand, are selected in a
hit-and-miss way. While he was not
present to advocate state school board
backed up by law, he thought there
should be more attention to this very i'm
portant feature of the school system.
The paper seemed to meet the hearty
approval of the pedagogues, and was es-
pecially commended by Messrs. Snow,
Dickey and Turner.
The subject of the next paper, by Mr..
!. o. Winslow of ST. Adams, was one
somewhat out Of the usual line, in that it
belonged less to what may be called the
technique of teaching. Whether the
science of agriculture shall be taught in
our schools, or not, is a question upon
which many not teachers will delight to
pass an opinion, and a somewhat extend
ed notice Of Mr.. Winslow's paper may be
of interest.
Mr.. L. o. Winslow, the Study of the
Science of Agriculture.
During Tie past lew years Ilefc mas
arisen among agricultural thinkers an
increasing desire for some general in
struction in the scientific principles of
agriculture, particularly in the rural
schools. 1t is claimed that for the farm
er and his children, dwelling in the
midst OF natures surroundings, some
knowledge of the natural sciences is es-
pecially appropriate, and also that the
highest success in practical agriculture
and hence the material prosperity of the
country depends largely upon applica-
tion of those scientific principles.
Whatever force there may be in the ar
gument that our district schools tend to
educate the children away from the farm
there is one point which cannot be refut-
ed. 1t is not consistent to expect our
farmers to send their children to school,
term after term, there to receive an edu-
cation as remote as possible from the
pathway in which their footsteps tread.
Education is, at best, sufficiently indirect
and visionary. If there is branch of
study bearing directly upon the daily
life of the child, by all means let him
have it.
The idea of adding this branch to the
course of study was first conceived with