The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-05

The annual meeting of the Barnard
| Club was held this afternoon at the Troc-
adero Dinner was served at l o'clock,
after which the members went into
formal session.
The most important business OF tie meet
ing was the presentation Of the report of
the committee on educational progre IS in
Rhode Island by Its chairman, Prof. Ii.
{. Bumpus of Brown University.
THE REPORT.
Your committee, appointed February,
1895, TO report from time To time upon
the educational progress in Rhode Island,
and to promote such measures as the club
may approve, begs leave to submit the
| following: We meet at time when there
are many material signs of educational
| progress within the boundaries of our
State. 1t was but . few years ago that
| we were invited TO attend the opening OF
| the grand structure on Pond street, our
| High School, a building then considered
OF sufficient size TO accommodate easily all
stuoents for years TO como. But the ad-
vocates OF manual training soon presented
their claims, and another building with
its expensive equipment was placed be-
side the first The ground Is now being
| prepared for third, and appropriations
have been made, and land has already
been purchased for fourth.
most expensive building for those
who intend TO teach is now being erect
ed, and we have every assurance that at an
early date the structure which accommo-
dates our highest legislative and execu-
tional bodies will be supported on its
right by that which accommodates our
principal material factor in educational
progress-tbe State Normal School.
Within the last five years. the State has
built and equipped thoroughly modern
agricultural college, and our municipali-
ties have appi opriated upward OF 1,OOO,-
600 for school edifices, net including the
large appropriation for the present year.
In the meantime, the old University has
shown no signs of senility; on the con-
trary, IL has shown remarkable activity.
1t has increased its attendance three-fold,
has improved its plant, has opened its
| doors TO women, aud through It's depart
| ment OF pedagogics has become an integ-
| raj part OF the school system of the State.
| Our private schools and academies are pro-
| crossing with those OF the land-but as
| State educators we should not be satisfied
| with the general, inaccurate and uDclas-
| sitied record of material progress. The
data should be carfully collected, classi-
fled, or:elated, condensed and submitted
to the club, palatable and highly nutri-
tious, aad your committee recommends
that at some subsequent meeting, the
subject of Material Signs of Educational
Progress in Rhode Island receive special
attention.
We are organized L.ings; our activ ity
is therefore directly dependant upon the
limits of our environment, and as teach
ers we have our limits largely deter
mined by certain governing boards. In
many of our towns and cities, these
boards are composed OF business men,
who have the interests Of our schools at
heart, and Who wilt listen To the advice
of those who have adopted teaching sas a
profession, and are in u position to know
whereof they speak. Moreover species
of friendly 1ntermunicipal rivalry has
arisen, which has resulted in the special
development of the favored few, but as ed
ucators OF State, we must look into the
rural districts and see II the development
of the few under more favorable condi-
tions has not led TO the many, less fortu-
nately situated. Has education in Rhode
Island been only progress OF education
in municipalities? Is the inigultous sys-
tenn of "district trustees being corrected
so that any pupil OF the State, no matter
how far he may be located from The CEN
ter OF the population, can anu must re-
ceive Instructions from high and ster-
ling quality. This club should then be
acquainted with such advance as 10 being
made in the foundation, maintenance and
supervision of the school systems OF the
State to progress in school admins
tration in a broad sense.
1t was our privilege at a recent meeting
| to listen to paper delivered by one who,
| as United States commissioner of educa-
| tion, could handle in a most mastery way
| the subject of correlation of studies. We
| left the room with many convictions
| and many doubts. Is there the necessary
improvement in the arrangement OF our
| studies that will lead TO synthetical
whole of substance matter, and finally Of
| mindf Are the notifications in the
world in which the student lives met by
| correlstive notifications i'm The element
| airy curriculs2 Are certain OF our studies
| adapted TO all alike, only because they
| meet the special needs OF none? Are we
| paying more attention, or are we paying
| less, to the relative values of educative ma
| terial than are our neighbors? On the
| other hand, is there real Improvement in
| the prescription and arrangement OF sub
F., jects, or is what we now view as improve
| ment TO be considered by our successors
| as the adoption OF fads2 We should, at
| some time, have the entire question OF
| correlation OF studies In Rhode Island pre-
| sented as a growth, that from the lines
| of the past we can determine the proba-
| BILE lines OF the future.
Has the,subject of the special education
| of girls received the attention from the
| club that should be given II? Are we all
| acquainted even i'm a general way, with
| what is being done in the secondary
| schools of other States, and can we stand
| comparison? Are we doing the very best
\ that can be done for equipping our young
women to hold their own in the struggle
| O. social evolution? Possibly in thickly
| settled manufacturing community, the
girl will require very different special
preparation from that given in our rural
districts, but the training that Will tend
TO make her high-minded, that will devel-
Oh that which IL good. that will impress
upon her the duties and privileges OF the
home, but not stop with the home, that
leads to nobl G thoughts and high ideals,
that will make her wise and womanly,
is the training that should be given in
city and hamlet alike, and IL Is what
should be obtained i'm Rhode Island, IL It
is not now here. IL should be the duty of
the committee on educational progress to
examine into this matter aud report TO
you.