Omaha daily bee., 1896-04-04
PUBLIC SCHOOL PURPOSES
What the Great System Has Accomplished
for the Youth.
IOWA EDUCATORS DISCUSS THE SUBJECT
vast sums spent in other Directions
which Teachers Think Might
lie Diverted to Better


The second days session OF the South
western Iowa Teachers association was
filled with good things from an educational
standpoint, and all of the papers and dis
cusslons were listened to by an audience
that filled the Presbyterian church to its
utmost capacity.
With the opening OF the morning session
promptly at 9 o'clock President Warner
delivered his annual address. He said in
substance:
mo idea more benefcent than that of
the public school ever entered the heart
of man. To place the blessing Of an educa-
tion within the reach of every child,
to place in its hands the key of knowledge
and of power, to Danish superstition and
misery and sin by lifting the entire people
to a purer air and a broader view--this
is the mission Of the public school. In our
own country the movement has spread
slowly, educational efforts have been feeble
and the results have been meager. But It
is a big task to educate an entire people.
TO nerceptibly increase the average of intel
iigence in a great nation. During the year
1894 the total cost Of education in the United
States was $1SG, 004, 693. In the same year
the governments expenditure for pensions,
army and navy and interest on the war
debt aggregated S255, PSI, 915. We spent more
for gunboats last year than the total income
OF all our colleges and universities. We
imported more than $53, 900, 900 worth of
silks in the same period. Expenditure for
alcoholic drinks in this sober country is
estimated at 81, 200, 900, 600 per annum. 1t is
six times the cost Of education. Not that
we love intelligence less, but our stomachs
more. Hair Of the voters of some of the
states can neither read a sign board nor
draw their names. Even Iowa Legislators
hnNyn hn,- NAAI. IN
grade as given by the census of 1890, and
have been opposing progressive legislation
ever since on the score that we are smart
enough already.
ONE BAD FEATURE.
Thousands Of children in the public
schools are spending their time in idleness
and a large proportion of the funds en-
pended for education is practically wasted
by the employment Of unqualified teachers
and the failure to provide proper equipments
for the school work. The policy pursued
by our neighbors across the Big Muddy is
In a general way typical of much educa-
.tional effort. Over there, in order to sup
port a school in it's work. of enlightenment
and intellectual healing. they establish a
saloon and a brothel to blight manhood and
curse womanhood. Such are a few of the
facts and conditions that confront us. The
public school has much to accomplish be-
fore it can stop for the congratulations of
its friends. We should face the facts, I'M
derstand our limitations and then turn reso-
lutely to the tasks before us.
The conditions shown by these and
other facts to which attention might be
called demand action along many lines. Ex-
penditurcs for education must be very
largely increased. Much more money
should be expended for buildings, libraries.
apparatus and teachers in all our public
schools, and particularly is this need ap-
parent in the rural schools. The education
of all the children OF any community Is the
greatest work undertaken by the public and
ought to cost more than any other or all
other local enterprises. Increased expendi-
ture must come, and it need not, must not,
involve the placing Of any real burden upon
industry or or the humble home
of the people. Corporations must share the
burdens of social organization. The time
has been too long that the assessor asks
no unpleasant questions and the taxgatherer
is unknown"
LINE UP FOR THE FIGHT.
President Warner closed his address with
an appeal to the teachers to line up for the
fight in favor Of the school against the sa-
loon and urged the holding of mass meet
ings in every school district for the pur-
pose of creating renewed interest in the
school needs.
THE Teachers Preparation for Nature
was the subject of a well written
and interesting paper by A. w. Merrill of
Stuart.
A.. A.. Taylor of Greenfield was not pres
and 1.-The Teaching Of Sciences in the
Grades was the topic next on the program.
1t was handled by G. /. Miller of Boone,
who was followed by w. c. Van Ness of
who had for a subject the teaching
Of science in the High school.
These papers were followed by a general
of the subject, led by f. B.
Cooper of Des Moines.
The closing number for the morning ses- |
sion was an illustration of methods used
IN primary number work in the Scarrett
school. Kansas City, by ]. G. Hisey, who
his talk by means of a phono-
graph, which reproduced class exercises in
number work. thus to an extent taking the
place OF an actual class exercise In the pres
snce of the association. The demonstration
vas exceedingly interesting and was highly
appreciated.
The afternoon session was opened by an
given by the pupils of Miss
Nettie Morris class of the first and second
grades In nature study, showing the methods
instruction used in the Council Bluffs
schools with children under IL years. Miss
Norris took an ordinary bean of
md by an interesting talk and series Of
questions developed a fund of information
rom the young children on plant life, the
process OF growth OF plants from seeds and
lips. A number of other interesting, but
exercises were given and the pupils
Isked to explain them In their W language.
kinds of wood were shown and the
'upils told in their own way of the dis
inguishing marks of the various kinds of
rees.
]. r. Kirk. state superintendent Of Mis-
ouri, occupied two hours in the discussion
the topic. How to Enrich the Instruc-
ion in Country Schools The public school
ystem that has been the nations pride is
Iwfully out Of killer, according to Mr..
light. He went all over it from the
building OF the school house. the selection
4 the teachers and the methods Of instruc-
ion and pronounced 1t all bad and getting
worse. He kindly told how 1t could be
emedied, however, and thus did not leave
he educators without hope.
IN ii RURAL SCHOOLS.
ut is understood" said Mr.. Kirk, that
here is an agreed course of instruction in
he rural schools. This consists OF seven
ears of reading, spelling and penmanship.
hat ought to be long enough for the
lementary studies. Along in the seventh
II eighth year the child is given a little
aste of grammar Of geography, and finally
llowed a little reading in mythology. The
hid on entering his school has an average
'ocabulary of 1000 words and has half as
much as he will have when he
from a university. He is carried
onward by challenging him into activity
nd talking to him in the language in which
he world has been talking to him" 9
Mr.. Kirk took up the country school build 5
1Ps and DOinted ont the dafapts In tho