New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-30
TRAINING OF CHILDREN.
THE TOPIC OF THE LAST DAY OF THE
UNIVERSITY CoNvOCATIoN.
PRESIDENT ELIOT. OF HARVARD. ADVOCATES
PLAN WHICH WOULD ENABLE THE INDI-
vIpUAL TO ADVANCE WITHOUT REFER

vIDUAL TO ADVANCE WITHOUT REFER
ENcE TO HIS CLASS ASSOCIATES.
Albany, June 29-The final session Of the Re-
gents Convocation was held this morning. the
topic discussed was The Proper Relation OF
Secondary Schools to Schools Below Them
Superintendent c. f. Gorton, OF Yonkers salo
secondary schools existed to prepare students ior
college and also for those who could go no lur-
Their than the high school The ambition OF stu
dents in lower schools should be raised to the
goal Of higher education.
Principal Edward Hayward. Of Lockport. said
that every town aimed to keep close connec-
ton between its high school and the elementary
schools. The high school should be natural
elimination Of those below Every pupil should
be made to feel that the high school was neces-
sary to develop and make practical the studies
acquired in elementary schools Teachers In
lower schools should understand and appreciate
high school studies. so that high school teachers
could depend on the training in the schools be-
low.
The State Superintendent Of Public 1nstruc-
ton. c. r. Skinner in his address warmly sup
PORTED secondary and higher education. He gave
promise of cordial cooperation from the new al
ministration, and what he said was received by
the convention with marked enthusiasm
NEW IDEAS IN EDUCATION.
President Eliot OF Harvard. emphasized
The breach now existing between the gram
mar school and the high school. 49,.
@ The desirability Of introducing many hlgh
school studies into grammar school work. Latin
and French, for example, should be taught IN the
grammar schools. not that everybody snouIu
learn them there. but that the chance shouio oe
given. ,, suor.
8 The advantages IF introducing Depart
mental instructions into elementary schools
Under the latter head he said that 1t had been
popularity supposed that there were intrinsic oit-
ferences between grammar and secondary schoo'
subjects Dr. Harriss recent report made IL EVIL
dent to all that there was no innate dlnerehce
except such as was based merely on the pupils
receptiyity. The same subjects were studied at
different stages. In the same way many persons
tried 10 draw difference between college and
university studies saving that the investigation
method could be pursued in university. but not
IN college work. Here again no real distinction
had ever been made. The investigation method
could be used everywhere throughout educa-
tional work. il 1t was adapted to the pupil.
Grammar school buildings must be more ire
Quent than high schools because little chill"
could not go far away from home. but tnere was
no difference whatever in the quality OF teach-
ing IT was true that one child differed from an.
other in capacity ability. power OF compreheh-
sion and expression. So did the same cniio oH-
fer at different ages. There was also oiHerence
In sustained attention. One person couid not
consider the same subject more than hve minutes
In successon; another could remain attentive LOT
hours There was much In elementary schooi
life which tended to train children to inattentioh.
For example one child could get In one minute
what others required horr to master. the
result was that the first child spent nity-hi"e
minutes in not attending.
d,,lt ered their STOCK
Of remembered facts and in powers Of compan-
son and Judgment as we'll as in powers Of ex-
pression ard in mastery Of a vocabulary. some
bovs came to Harvard with vocabulary OF only
a0o or 300 words. Everything was either nice
or "buly." They had few nouns. limited num-
her of verbs and no adjec:ives to speak or
ORIGINALITY TO BE BROUGHT OUT.
The original variation in children should be
multiplied and intensified. The object OF edu-
cation was to develop their differences. to make
them unlike rather than similar. This bore on
the method of promotion, which should never
be a mill process, by which uniform products
were turned out in passing through certain
grades Promotion should be determined by
The capacity of children. We all knew that
ehidrep differ in capacity for different subjects
Some could master mathematics more reaoiy
than others. and should be advanced as .hey
acquired proficiency in the subjects studied
There was just the same reason for depart
ments in elementary work as In higher grades
though 1t was not necessary that there snoud
be as many. This method had gradually come
into use in the best New-England schools, ana
It had been conspicuous success. Inc pres
ent grades kept poor children from nnding our
what they wanted. They were taught to be clerks
and made to feel that they could not have the
privilege Of the rich mans son to study Ian
euage in their early years: The present pub.
iic-school system did not offer right studies at
the right time The boy of nine ten years
should begin studies covering the gap between
elementary and high school WORK: OnJectlo r,'.
to beginning these advanced subjects in early
years are: $50,
/ Doubt as to the results Of educating chill
dren Of the common people as well as possible
lest II lift them out Of their sphere This was
one of the commonest objections, and was ut
terly undemocratic. 1t should. above all. be
an object to educate children above the occu-
patton Of their fathers and mothers. II pos
sible.
q 1t is wholly impracticable to have such
teachers in elementary work. This objection
underestimate the ability Of the elementary
school-teachers. 1t could be done. for 1t was
being done in New-England schools
3. A great many principals held That the ior-
eign-born element in their schools made II I'M
possible to undertake such work. They said
"shall we teach these foreignroorn cniidren
French, German and geometry" Why not!
These children were as bright and as nteiiiBen'
as American children.
THE NEW PLAN TRIED.
: At the close OF his speech President Eliot de-
voted an hour to answering questions suggested
by his remarks. In his replies he stated that tht
departmental system had been introduced int
several Boston grammar schools in the last TIVE
years Of the course. when the children were abou
twelve or thirteen years OF age In some SUD
urban schools Brookline and Winchester. II hat
been introduced still earlier. In college studen
might be at the head Of senior class In Latir
or Greek and at the foot OF freshman class II
zoology The same principles should be applied
to elementary work.
AS to undue neglect Of certain subjects. M
x1a IL ING nf mn n
woman except that Of the mother tongue. which
except within the last fifteen years, had been en-
tirely neglected by all systems OF education
Many thought mathematics necessary In re
atty there was no subject which had been so un
duly studied. Arithmetic vas the most useles
thing that any child learned.
President Eliots remarks were the feature o
the convocation.