The Irish standard., 1893-11-25
SCHOOL EXHIBIT.
AarRaretF. Sullivan. of the Chicago
Herald, on the Catholic Edu
cational Display
AT THE COLUMBIAN ! FAIR.
An Unprejudiced Review OF the
System OF Teaching of the
Religious Orders.


System Of Teaching Of the
Religious Orders. &
Margaret F. Sullivan, 8 veteran public
school teacher who is now engaged on
the editorial staff Of the Chicago Herald,
writes several columns on the Catholic
educational exhibit at the World Fair,
from which the following extracts are
taken:
The Catholic educational exhibit in
the Worlds Columbian exposition is one
OF it's conspicuous and impressive fea-
tures. The idea Of the exhibit originated
with the hierarchy. His eminence, Car
dinsl Gibbons, was chosen president,
with the following archbishops as vice
presidents: Most Rev. M. A. Corrigan,
New York; w. 81. Elder, Cincinnati; P.
A. Feehan, Chicago; w. H. Gross, Ore
gon City; John Ireland, ST. Paul; F.
Janssens, New Orleans; F. x. Katzer,
Milwaukee; P. r. Kenrick, St. Louis; P.
W. Riordan, San Francisco; P. j.. Ryan,
Philadelphia; J. b. Salpointe. Santa Fe;
j. j. Williams, Boston Rt. Rev. j. l..
Spalding OF Peoria has acted as presi-
dent, and the executive management has
been in the hands of Brother Maurelian
OF the Christian Brothers. Memphis.
Great difficulty was encountered in the
beginning in securing adequate space.
The persistent and judicious efforts Of
Brother Maurelian, who has devoted his
entire time to the exhibit resulted at
length in obtaining nearly. all the space
desired in the Liberal Arts building. As
rapidly as exhibits arrived they were in
stalled, but SO numerous aud so abund-
ant we're they that every inch of avail
able room was not only Is. filed, but
crowded SO that double the space allowed
could easily have been occupied. Resort
was necessary to the walls for many OBJ
jects which could have been seen per-
hal to better advantage nearer to the
eye.
The exhibit covers the work of the fol-
lowing classes Of schools: kindergarten,
primary, grammar, nigh, academic, col
2egiate and special, namely, deaf, dumb,
and blind and trade or professional All
schools show their work by grades, which
are substantially uniform as to age and
steps OF progress and comparison, there
fore, is made the more convenient be-
tween this exhibition and that of, other
groups of schools, American and foreign,
in the general educational department.
The sincerity OF the Catholic educa-
5ional exhibit is manifest. The work of
the children speaks for itself. All it's
lovely imperfections are on it's head.
Teachers have not recast compositions
by children and put them forth as gen
uine; errors, such as are inevitable in
honest work Of every grade, appear here
in creditable profusion Nothing is more
offensive to good taste, if it be not repug-
nant to sound morals, than thet teachers
should put forth their own work as the
work OF the children. In some instances
frank avowal is made where the teachers
hand has been employed comparatively
with the pupils. In, for example, the
beautiful illuminations shown from the
Sacred Heart academy of the archdiocese
of San Francisco, note is made that
portion Of the work, distinctly designated,
IS by teacher, the rest by the pupils.
The Catholic educational exhibit repre-
sents substantially the schooling of $780,
600 children in parochial and higher
schools under the direction of the Church.
It comes from every quarter Of the
United States. Photographs Of school
buildings and school rooms, with appar-
atus and equipment, indicate the wonder
full progress made in the materials Of
education under the Church in Is years.
The school property of the archdiocese of
New York alone is estimated at 81, 4,515, 400,
and the maintenance of it costs annually
$208,227.3S, every dollar the voluntary.
gift Of the Catholic people Of that arch
diocese, saving double that amount for
the state, for public schools everywhere
cost per capita twice the per capita in
parochial schools. Photographs Of class
rooms, OF libraries, appliances, desks,
blackboards, gymnasla, kindergartens,
music rooms, studios, military organiza-
tions, sewing rooms, laboratories and
work ahope t7iselnaa other avidnnoea.
both material and ideal, of the prosperity
ot the Catholic educational system; and
refute, il conjunction with examin nation
papers and grade statistics, the anti
s.qnated calnmny that the teaching il in.
ferior q the plant tinadeq eqnate. Exteriiors
Igof fbnild dings are, II = true, sustere. Money
has'not been laviial1ed On tural