Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-12-14
A. VIGOROUS LETTER.
Something For The City
TO Ponder About.
"FADS" IN THE SCHOOLS.
Hencoops VS.. Spelling Books-Facts
From the Inside.
Editor OF the Tribune:

Editor OF the Tribune:
1t il very much easier to ind fault than
to tell how thing should be done. But
sometimes "A judicious showing up OF
faults leads to their correction and It IL
with a hope for such correction that this
article has been written, not To lead to q
personal controversy or discussion.
There shall be no controversy, so far as
the writer is concerned at any rate.
Pawtucket has always been, is today,
exceedingly liberal In appropriations for
schools. II pays for the best, wants II, Is
entitled to IL. Does IL get III | submit
that II does not, and, In proof, l cali at
tention To what follows. There have
from time to time been added TO the
school curriculum certain special
branches OF teaching, each under the
charge OF a special teacher, (doubtless
well qualined-I have no controversy wit h
the teachers. ! have not even the honor
OF their acquaintance evorv one OF
which uses upa large portion OF time,
thereby taxing 30 much from the time to
be devoted to what used to be Thought
proper school work, and every one OF
which fails To produce any result at all
valuable In comparison with that which
II displaces or restricts, and very, very far
short In value OF what IL costs. The old
fashioned recess, q refreshing variation
for the children and breathing spell for
the teacher, to say nothing OF Its being
q cleanser" for many OF the school
rooms, has been abolished, and u course
OF gymnastics lunder a specialist, at q
cost OF 81, 200 90 (f) more or less year, has
been substituted for It. For sanitary
reasons, and reasons OF vital Importance
TO the growing children, especially the
girls, this change II q bad one, but we are
told that the children are now taught to
exercise In q systematic manner" Does
any parent who gets up ip the morning
with his children, follows them around
all day, knows what and how much they
do, and finally puts them to bed at night,
believe THAI the average child under Ia
years OF age needs to be "taught to exsr-
cise" Yet the larger part OF this special
instruction Is gwen to this class OF chill.
dren, and does anyone who sees them at
home or on the streets believe that any
Improvement In erect carriage, In grace
full walking, in physical development and
growth result from this speciality Listen
to the com nents of the ,ohildreni them
selves and see their opinion about II.
Take the verdict OF the hard working
mOtneT w no bdlu tnbt Wnllc anc lHDOrou
earnestly to teach her daughter to be
modest and we'll behaved, her Efforts were
rendered OF no avail II her child was to be
"taught In school To stand up and show
her legs" This wns the impression made
upon the minds OF mother ana daughter,
whatever may have been the purpose OF
the "specialty"
Take the teaching $50 cslled,) OF draw.
In L. udp hat
a knowledge OF II Il say . knowl-
for children, or OF least that
il Is OF very great use to young people, sf-
ter leaving school, whom they try to earn
their living. But do the pupils get III II
would seem ss II they should, for this 10 a
speciality, and at . cost of q, ,2O0OO(O
more or less yesr. There is moreover
"An Outline Course OF Study In Drawing
| for Primary and Grammar Grades"
| Well, does 1t teach the children to drawn
Look over the drawing books IN any OF
| the schools, see II accuracy, command OF
the hand, training OF tho eye, correct
| judging OF distances and spaces, are
| vhown I'm the worG done. Granted that
the pupils In the "trsining school" do re-
ceive Especial" possibly valuable(O, In
struction, but they are paid f5.00(O q
| week for going to school, and when there
| 10 n vacancy in the corps OF teachers IL IL
| filled from the ranks OF the training
school grsduatesf The records show that
| II 10 not always so filed ,-wheth her IL ever
| Is / confess that have never heard and
| do not know. What 10 the earthly use OF
teaching children under Ia years OF age
such STUFF as tnis:-(extract from the
"Outline OF Study."O first grade
| (6 years, Model cube and bisect disgo-
nally to form ,right sngled triangular
prism. Pose as an Indian, and draw.
Second grade-Bisect ellipsoid vertically
| and horizontally. Observe shapes OF
plane faces. Encourage children to draw
faces OF school mates. average age to
| = years, 35 to 40 In room.) Develop, cut,
sew, draw and paste the pattern of equi-
lateral triangular prism. Third grade
Pose 90 Indian or Pilgrim, and a. Eskimo,
and draw. Model a cylinder. and qusdri.
sect to form circular plynth. Fourth
| grade-Pose asa turk. Fifth grsde-Pose
as Spaniard; children write about the
Moors, and paste It In book. Sixth
grado-Poso as Greek. Seventh grade
| Pose as a japanese. Invent polyhedrons
having co ilstsral irisngles for faces. (Who
is to do this invsnting, pupil or teach.
cr and what forI) Ninth grhde-Chll-
dren write about the Saracens and their
art. Draw three views and development
OF frustum OF square pyramid cut obliqus-
| ly to its base ETC., ETC., ETC., ad nauseam.
| Now what does all this "posing" mean
| and how 10 II to be donef Turk and
Greek, Eskimo, Indian and Pilgrim, Jew
| and Gentle, bond and freo-is this tho
sort OF drawing that ntsa boy for q trade
IS master builder or mschinist, as super
intendent OF a mill or overseer OF work.
msn' Does this qualify girl for posi-
tion In tho deslgning-room OF . jewolry
shop, house furnishing and decorating
esta lis hment, an smanuensis or q news
paper correspondent
What 10 to be said Of "Course OF
Study" that, In the sixth grade, sets chill
dren TO studying Tho Siege OF Troy,
Homer, TIE Persian Wars, The Age OF
Pericles, Apollo and Daphne, The Prone
theus of Aeschylus, The Story Of Bar
bsrossa, Schillier's Pegasus In Hamsss,"
(this isn't all OF 1t either, and TO drawing
"Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns"
and "ths pointed arch, qustrefoils tre-
gAll -