Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-03-31

I'm collegiate aud acadom G work was
cbos,u to select the members aui ar
range the meetings Of series Of ojn-
iereuoes on tho principal subjects thai
onter into ,ho cJurscs o. study OF the
secondary schools OF the United states
'rbo work OF each conference as TOT
mnlly assigned by the committee was
TO bs confined 10 single subject OF
study and was 70 Include an legally
concerning u) The proper limits Of tue
s,plect a, o nigh school branchi 90
The best methods Of teaching ~ t')
The proper assignment OF time Tor IT,
e,udy; and 90 The btst methods Of
tssling tho pupi's proficiency In 70.
The appropriation by the NA'ional
Educational association OF ss,o0O To-
wards dofraying the eKpon1es OF the
pr8tosed conferences evidenced 'ho
lnterclt which that b1iy fc,t VA the
undertaking; and the personnel Of The
epneml commiller, largely composed
a. 1t was Of the leading representative
OF educational work ia the country
was assurance IN advance OF an lh'
yestipatlon which would DO far roach'
lug aud thorough.
After some preliminary work. the
Committee Of Ton, 10 use the name by
which II iskunorally known decided TO
urranize nine distinct conference
one Tor each VI the following
su. ircui /. Latin; .. Grccki ..
English; 4. Other modern lans ungofj
o, MaihemnucB, o. pbysics, astronomy
und chemistry; Z. Natural his.yrli 3,
History, civil government anu pol'lchI
economy; o.. Geography.
Eacn vi the conferences was mauo
g. consist OF ten members VINO were
drawn about equally from thc colleges
nuI from the SCHOOL,, who were geo.
graphically fairly representative Of the
entire Cluutfy, anI whose ucuuiaffhip
aud experience Ia teaching particular
subjects would give weight u thuif
conclusions.
Without exception the conferences
Addressed thumaul 10 tue tasks a.
rlLuuu them with great zeal auu ahll'
liy. Upon completing their worh,
rrpJrts OK tlUir Investigations
niiI cOuclusi0ns wufo made
TO tho Committee OF rcu,alu furnished
the basis u A iiual relofI W Tue Nation
~ Educational association.
Ouu o. tue "a Ist noteworthy circum'
stances c0nnrc.si with tho 10 or, n1d
one which prUmitei mu.h iJf EvurfN
oluCAuOn - America, ~ tue inct INA!
colleges anu schJUla here have mal1
cImmOu cause Ia tue uiuiy 1i prop
lens all. ctlng tho interests VI blth. IL
IA Ina
tendency oil the higher institution mas
teen 10 ignore tue lower, and VI tue
lover 10 separate itself from the higher.
The practice 10 which e.or has peau
continued at ,ho cost OF tue college VI
au alienation OF this stream Irom
which only can come its gtowthi and
~ theHchoOi OF an uuuUtuinl checking
uf It's own development, lnu report
itself IL simply fail aud free eApfea'
sion OF the necessity Tor closer hftlot-
lation with Oue another OF all paris ul
tho educational sybiemi anu u NO
other suggestions were embodied Ia H.
% would still DO Onu OF the mj1t lm'
pOttnut educational documents over
made public In tins county.
No better evidence IL needed OF the
harmonious spirit aud gOOu faith which
characterized the work OF the various
conferences than tho conservative
views which prevailed C0mpusodi nh
the conferences were, o. cNpufts VA tho {
various huids, tue gr.vTal PUBIC
was prepared 10 tud lhUt tlty hh4
each attempted 10 fuvolutionlze iun'iuc'
ton Ia tho iutetests OF a eir several
departments; but IN this expectation
disappointment was both marked anu
agreeable. Not Que OF tho confer
onccs pressed the claims Of ils own SUIT
lert further than the interest Il ulher
subjects would justify aud m TACT uolnr'
na the conference ON geography, were
OF the opinion that more time was
devoted 10 their subjects In school than
tue results obtained would warrant.
Even tho conferences ON Latin anu
Greek, subjects which have always
shown an inclination % cuCfonch
upon others Of the couIsc, Iii
not ask Tor more time than
the better high schools IOy give u
tholt study. And while other c0n-
ierenrrs, a. for example that oil ma,h'
emstics, asked for an earlier iutroduc'
ton OF some OF their subjects, they
made tho granting Of their request poe
Hihle, not 10y further overlooking the
coutsp, nor by asking for lime thai
could be claimed by other fubIuctn, b d
Ly coudensing and ubbleviatiug ON
OF their own. This characteristic o.
the work OF the conferences ana o
the committee makes available aud
practicable many suggestions thai
otherwise could not have been real
lied In practice Ia the scho0ln. The
tepoTt thus becomes IA valuable contTi
button TO helpful educational litera'
tuTe.
The recommendations ami sugges
lions embodied IN toe report are re-
markably free from speculation or ever
merely theoretical conclusions In
deed, the praclioability Of every recon-
meudatlon OF both committee and con
ierenoea could be tested by aclua
observation In the school rooms Of tn,
country; for none nte made which are
not somew hoTe now In operation.
In effect then the aim was not 4
inauqurate n revolution In the school
either by the destruction Of exist M
COURSES Of study or by the introduction
into them of an array OF novelties
Their purpose, nv revealed by
the result accomplished, was rather
Hrst, 10 make careful study OF The
educational values OF the various sui
lectH In our present currleulni with
view, second, 90 u better determine
ton OF the natural order ana prOpe
time limits Of studies; aud, hird I,
aunUhuafNm thN lINnEH