Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-07-11

| culture of modern civilization It is ex-
| pected that the public school will rival the
private school in impartins a taste for
music, art, good literature. and good con-
versatlon. The cultivated teacher is at q
! premium, and carries forward the train
| ing OF the home. That training has a
high moral value, and promotes the inter
ests of the church aud of society at large
BY common consent the school must
serve practical enos. The school under
takes to teach the child skill in the use of
| his bands as a part of his daily and al
most hourly task.
Sensation and muscular movement go
together in all forms of elementary learn
ing. The intellect has no existence separ-
ate from bodily movement and activity.
Manual training belongs in the pri
mary and grammar grades, logically.
since it is almost universally found in the
kindergarten and the high school. An
| other argument in favor of its general in
PRODUCTION is found in the fact that only
a small fraction of the children of cities
ever reach the high school. Physical
training is called for to counterfeit the
weakening effect of city life upon chill
dren.
1t is also expected that the essentials
of the common school subjects will be re-
duced to the smallest number. and that
they will be taught in the most thorough
and scientific manner These demands
mean that a child shall. when he leaves
school, be able to earn his living, and
hat his school life shall directly contrib
tute to that end.
Improved methods of teaching and a
better knowledge of principles have almost
banished the text book, as such, from the
room of the most successful teachers.
We no longer teach book, but sub
!ect. The subject can never be put into
a book, nor derived from it, A subject is
really taught only in concrete form. This
is as true of geography as of arithmetic,
The better training and supervision Of
teachers will also change the order
of subjects and establish new and
more numerous relations between
them. 1t will bring the elementary forms
of all knowledge into the school room
These same influences will destroy the
mechanical operation of the socalled
graded system, break up large classes into
groups, make it possible to recognize the
Individual capacity and tastes OF children,
and allow one child to advance faster than
another.
A greater unity should exist between
tho grammar and high school and the
schools below. Many subjects hitherto
taught only in the high school are begin
ming to be taught in elementary form from
the very first. The reflex value of this So
called high school education will be in
calcnlable in earlier years, and the violent
and harmful division between the two
parts of the system will be avoided
The progress already made in these vari
Gus notifications ought to be tabulated
for reference. The best public sentiment
is always forcible argument, and strong
support in favor of reform.
What has been accomplished in many
cities, East and West, in these changes is
most useful as evidence. This form Of
evidence is too often ignored. The pro
posed changes should on the one hand be
made with great caution, and or tho other,
many of them should be made with perfect
confidence Under proper limitations they
are in harmony with our civilization, and
indefinitely increase the usefulness of the
teacher and the effectiveness of the public
school system.
Mr.. Lemuei S. Hastings, principal of
the high school at, 5shu8, y. IL read
paper on "Whtt High School Graduate
Should Know and BE Able to Do"
At the close of Mr. Hastings remarks,
President Stetson asked the audience to
rise and join in the singing of America, ="
which was done with a will.
/. Dr. VIM Il. Peck, principal of the CLASH
cal department of the Providence High
school, read paper on Conditions OF
Programme Making in Secondary
Schools.
The evening session was attended, by
the largest audience Of the convention
The address by DR.. Samuel r. Thurber OF
Boston, on the response of the public
school system to the demands of the pub
lie was able and interesting Prof f. w
Scripture of Yale, gave a lecture on 'Tht
Methods and Results of Child Study
plentifully illustrated by stereopticon.