The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-05-06

/ and practicable to select from this
broad field enough Of the most whole
| some food for the thought and memory
| and imagination of our pupils"
The report very infinitely shows how
| the history course may be made lit
erary, manning the books, briefly de-
scribing each. A large part of Super
| intendent Howelfs work has been to
establish for the primary grades a
reading course TINT is course in liter
allure as well.
LITERATURE FOR YOUNGER Chill
DREN.
He SAYS: 1T il cheating
the little ones to keep them
studying words in a spelling
book, and repeating the inane senten-
ces of primers and school readers for
three or four years, before introducing
them 10 vitalizing literature. There is
fuere literature OF classic nature
suited to beginners in reading than is
commonly supposed by those who have
not been on the hunt for It,"
Superintendent Howell has been on
the hunt for it, and he has found it.
lie gives 1t i'm his report.
1t is well to pause and consider
the first three years study, for over
half our children never go beyond it
at school. 1t demands then more care
ful selection than all the rest of the
curriculum. In January there were
1,452 children in your schools doing
the work Of the first three years, and
only 416 who had advanced beyond. 1t
is not enough that these children who
stay so short time with us should
learn to spell and read. Alas, how
many never get beyond the third
years culture either at school or away
from it. The school is to blame for
this. The average teacher of little
children is guided by false principle.
She regards her chief only
object, to teach The child to
spell and read. And any book that
has easy words will serve Ter purpose,
a lifeless reading book, a senseless
spelling book. And the child goes to.
school for two or three years, and he
learns to read; and he leaves The
school and he lays down his book for
ever. He has no desire to continue
that sort of thing any longer We do
not do our duty by the children, UNI
less we arouse their interest, fire their
hlHA1C bIltIEG IOI
knowledge, and then lead them to
the clear waters of classic literature.
This is about all we can do for child
rem at school and if We do this, we have
done great thing for them. We cam
not educate them at school. We can
only start them. We believe that our
course starts them in the right direc-
ton. Every child that stays with us
three years can become fairly edu-
Gated person; and, what is more inn
portant, he will-if he has opportuni-
ty of reading the right sort of books
MANUAL TRAINING.
The report is strong for industrial
education and manual training. It
urges that sewing and cooking be
made part of the school course.
1T is time we were applying COM
mon sense to school curriculums. They
are now established without reason,
but in conformity to fashion, as the
ladies cut their dresses.
Zone would think from an exanina-
ton of our school curriculums that
mono of the children would ever have
to work with their hands, that all will
be engaged in solely intellectual oc-
GAl1<tbi0llSs t4idb L1Nf nave iOU I'd yam
a livelihood but only to care for the
business interests they already possess
or will inherit. For besides the art
OF writing they are not taught to do
anything with their hands, and all
their pursuits are purely intellectual.
They leave school with more knowl-
edge, perhaps, but with less ability
to do things, TO accomplish something,
than the boys and girls who have been
az work. And, too often this kind of
school training has given them a dis
like and a contempt for manual work.
Hence it is, their training all being in
an opposite direction, that so many
school educated boys never amount
to anything.
CURRICULUM MUST HARAIONIZE
WITH CHANGED CONDITIONS.
"There was time when such cur
rieulum was rationaI--at Ieast more so
than now.It waswhen only the wealthy
few were educated. But now that the
schools are open to all, to the day La
borer's daughter, the freedman's son,
as well as to the children of the
wealthy and cultured, we must change
our curriculum to harmonic with the
changed conditions. If our aurricu-
lum were not best for all, we must re-
member that the children in our
schools who will have to work to gain
a living far outnumber those whose
parents can start them in business.
Moreover the children of the poor and
ignorant, require more at our hands
than those from homes of ease and
refinement. And yet we are teaching
stocks and Bonds to children that
do not know where they will get their
next meal. Girls arc parsing sentences
who cannot cut ont garment or cook
loaf of bread. Boys are foundering