Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-03

| The intelligence of city is fairly reflected il
its schools Chicago logcians may be inclined
to argue that such rule does not apply to tn.
public institutions of learning in the lakeside
city. but their arguments cannot but be re-
garded as weak by those who have read of tn.
results Of DR.. J. VI. Rice's investigation. DR.
Rice is probably tbs most practical and ad
vanced of American educators an expert in tn,
science of pedagogy. He has been wandering
up and down the land studying the various
public school systems and has come to the we'll
defined conclusion that the standard in
Chicago is very low. This condition is, sayt
the investigator, due to an insuficiency
Of supervision and to the fact that the qualif-
cations requisite to procure a teachers certi-
ficste are too few and too easily attained. Dr.
Rice had some extremely interesting expe-
riences, especially with the teachers, and his
comments on their peculiarities, published in
the Forum, would be laughable were the sub.
iect one Of little importance. The least eff
cient instructors were forever assuring him tina.
their respective schools were the best in the
city. and one Of them was SO shockingly un-
grammatical as to receive special attention in
the report. You wasn't smart that time "
and You wasn't quick enough" were expires.
sions used by her in speaking to the scholars,
and in excusing some of their shortcomings she
frequently referred to the illustrated condi-
ton of her charges. Some of the reading done
in another school represented what the doctor
said was the result of the mort perverted form Of
instruction he ever found anywhere. The
Youngest pupils were started on their distortive
career in response to a command to begin with
the mouth movements" whereupon half a
hundred little ones rang the changes on the
novels a. and o. While uttering the sound
"a" (Which was as in "car") the mouths were
stretched open as far as they would 60; in 'e'
the corners were drawn as closely as possible to
the ears, and in 100" the lips were pointed.
The facial expression Of the pupils must have
been extremely srotesque; to see fifty pupils
thus occupied at once presented scene that
beggars description. Then the teacher said,
Your tongues are not loose" and at once tho
fifty youngsters put out their tongues and
wagged them in all directions, and then, says
DR.. Rice, ''the principal complimented tho
children highly OH the superiority Of their
wagging." Well may he remark, "What an idea
These pupils must have received Of the purpose
OF school when from the start they were
taught systematically how to make grimaces
and wag their tonSues.'' Following these ex.
traordinary and meaningless exercises came q
succession Of head movements and more facial
eccentricity. Then there was reading and
the pupils were supposed to apply their
physiognomical gymnastics to the reading.
Their appearance and actions while reading"
says DIR. Rice, "were enough to make one shud.
der. To me many of the pupils did not look
rational when they read" Everything was done
in the most tragicai and impressiveiy absurd
manner, most unnatural and supremsly ridicu.
Ions. In another room the pupils stared hor.
ribly and flung startled giances broadcast in nd.
dit.on 20 twisting their ysages SO that they were
not in the likeness Of anything In the heavens
above or the earth beneath or the waters under
the earth. From such training as this will como
self-consciousness and aEectation, both dan.
gerous. Blair merely stated truth when he
said that by forming themselves on fantast ito
models the young begin by being ridiulous and
often end in being vicious. Sensible Chicago
should put stop to this foolishness. Many Of
the cisy's schools. particularly those In the 70.
Gently annexed region, are OF the best type,
but within the old city limits there Is educa.
tionsl weakness. True greatness 10 moral
strength. and moral strength Is q product Of
modern educative effort.