Smyrna times., 1894-12-19
The Meeting of School Principals at
FELTON,.
EXTRACTS FROM REPORT OF COMMITTEE
ON CURRICULUM TO The STATE
PRINCIPALS ASSOCIATION.


the subject
By this plan each instructor is as
signed certain branche7 to teach dur
ing the entire course, instead of all
branches to teach in one or two grades.
Commissioner Harris thinks that for
lower grade schools experience is
against it," The difficulty under this
system has been chiefly this: the
teachers of greatest energy and skill
draw the whole course Of study out of
shape, influencing the pupils to devote
the chief part of their time to the
branches taught by themselves. The
weak teachers can not hold up their
side of the course Of study to its proper
standard"
Has not this chief difficulty been re-
moved by the system of grading recon-
mended by the committee?
Another thing that works against
the success of this system, - Dr. Harris
continued, is the fact that teachers in
the lower grades ought to have their
pupils study under their supervision.
These special teachers do not have
such supervision"
Although this very serious objection
might be at least partially met 10y the
formal devotion Of an hour at the close
of the afternoon session to pupils who
require special assistance; the time in
which the busy teacher is forced to do
what little individual work is possible
under present conditions still another
difficulty initiates against the success
of this plan.
w. T. Canaan, Esq, Secretary of the
Board of Education at Tyrone, Pa,
where the system under consideration
has been tried for several years, thinks
that "the greatest objection is discip-
line. One teacher may have the
scholars under perfect control, aud the
next one coming III, not being a good
disciplinarian may undo what the
regular teacher may have accomp-
lished"
But after all which is worse for the
pupils 2-that they should be for an
hour of each day under poor dis.
ciplinariaE, whose bad influence would
be counterbalanced by the work of
stronger teachers, or that they should
be under that poor disciplinarian foI
two years, often during the most criti-
cal period Of their moral development
without any check whatever? Is il
not better to distribute the error?
On the other hand the advantages to
be derived from the" "Semi-L Lancastrian'
plan make it worthy of most searching
investigation and careful trial
With it even in the town school q
! grade need not always mean year
and thus might be avoided the super
fetal work resulting from hurrying {
! backward class over the required
ground, as well as the equally injurious
repetitions to which bright papils have
to submit.
The teacher being with the same
pupils for years instead of months coulC
study character more, understand dis
positions better, and consequently d,
more and better work Each teache
would become a specialist and could dr
one or two things very we'll instead 0
everything moderately well.
OF course each district school ha
some of the advantages and most o
the disadvantages of the ''Semi. Lancas
trian" plan. But those schools havinI
but one or two teachers. without bein,
able to make them specialists, Nigh
profit greatly from certain of its feat
ures. Indeed it is in the hope that al
schools in the Association might ulti
mately make successful use of tn
system in some modified form, that tn
committee recommends q more com
plete investigation of so promising
subject.
This report could not be prOperl
closed without some general suggestion
as to which of the required studie
should be taught in each grade, as we
as to what extent they should b
taught Indeed a detailed curriculum
would have been prepared and submit
ted to the Association, had not tn
State Board of Education soon after b
appointment of the committee issued
"course of study for the public school
of Delaware" which presented in detail
the proper work for the first four grade
with brief outline of that for the re
naming six.
The committee thought it but court
eOus to await the actpp az the Stat
Board on the work of the gramma
grades, in the hope, however, that sue
action will Ge immediate. As the prir
cipals of the State should be cOnsulte
IN the arrangement of a course of stud
to which, when satisfactorily con-
pleted, all schools should be compelle
by law to conform, the cOmmjttt
would suggest that 5, standing commi
tee of three on curriculum, gradiu;
and textbooks be appointed by tn
Association, and that the State Boar
be requested to give the committeeme
an opportunity to express the Ass,
cations views on all matters fallip
within their province.
For the most part the committe
heartily approves the curriculum a
ranged by the state Board In viev
however, of the fact that many pupil
particularly In the district schools, pc
form during their whole school Iii
little more than the work laid dow
for the first four grades, Y S. Histoi
should be given q more prominent plat
In those important years than as pOss
BILE supplementary work when the lOc
board is willing to furnish histOl
readers. Not that textbook shou
. be used, but tales Of patTiot heroes an
phbTlOllO ubcuSt COulEluutiuR oS NuS
do, more directly to the accomplish
ment of the ends for which publ
r schools were instituted than does an
other study, should be made part {
the required work, rather than Il
: "fahles, myths. and fairy tales" whiC
J, are no more interesting and mere
have place ~ good literature, an
p stImulents to the imagination.
Then toe, while Temperance Physio
ogy may not have had the desired {
feet of preventing pupils from heoou
ing smokerG and drinkers, since Il
law demands that it should be taugl
In every grade, the law should be Obeyt
The mistake should not be made hov
= ever of putting it on an equal tim
footing with the other branches.
J, talk or later recitation every coup
OF weeks, continued throughout Il
wear, would fully carry out the purpO
of the devoted women who had
= teaching made compulsory.
In general the committee would