The herald., 1896-12-01
Opening Sessions of the
Institutes Yesterday
1 large NUMBER OF TEACHERS
In Attendance and Many More
Expected
SOME ABLE ADDRESSES
Delivered by Professors Hallman, Kirk,
Linscoth and Williams
The Section Work Is Progressing V-sy
Satisfactorily
Interested Audiences Engaged in the
Work-Two Thousand Teachers
Delivered by Professors Hsllman, Kirk,
Linscoth and Williams
The Section Work Is Progressing v-ry
Satisfactorily
Interested Audiences Engaged in the
Work-Two Thousand Teachers
Expected to Invade the City.
Today's Program

Today's Program
The opening exercises of the Los An
geles City Institute were held yesterday
morning in general session in the audi
torium of the high school building. Out
of the seventeen hundred teachers en-
ployed In the city schools but seventeen
failed to answer to their names at the
roll call. This, however, was due to
the confusion of the two conventions
being held at the same time.
After the singing of America and
prayer by Rev. A. w. Rider, Mr. c. L.
Ennis, deputy superintendent of schools,
delivered the opening address. He con-
graduated the teachers upon the rare
pleasure in store for them in listening
to some of the best educational thinkers
in the country on the best subjects at
their command. Owing. he said. to a con-
servative board of education, a faith
full superintendent and an appreciative
public, there had been no sensational
disturbances in the schools this year.
Since this time one year ago there have
been eleven new school buildings erect
ed, containing ninety rooms. There were
thirty two added to the old buildings
and the one acquired by the annexation
of outlying districts made a total of
1885 school rooms in this city. All but
seventeen Of these are in use, and If
situated in the more congested localities
these could also be utilized
Only two teachers and about one hum
dred children are now on half day time,
the total attendance being at present
1859 pupils. Instead of admitting chill
dren to the kindergarten at the age of
five they are now taken at four ana a
half years.
While there is no state in the Union
that provides more comprehensive and
liberal system of education than our
own, there are still some defects to be
remedieu
Mr.. ennis would suggest these
changes: First. that school boards
should be allowed to go into the open
markets and select text books He con-
sidcrs the state series now in use the
most useless ever devised by a set of
incompetent compilers. He would ad-
wise the establishment of a truant re-
form school in every large city. where
properly punished. This he thinks
would lessen petty crimes and save
many boys and girls from the Whittier
reform school,
He would advice also flexible course
of study, that would not subject the
primary and grammar grade pupils to
too long course of preparation for the
state university for the almost exclusive
benefit of about one per cent of the pu-
pills Of the public schools. He would es-
tablish preparatory schools in the cen
ters of population to fit the students
for the state university, rather than al
low the university to press down the
crown of thorns upon the brow of child
hood and cruelty our babes upon the
cross of higher education.
Prof. Foshay then introduced DR..
Hailman, who spoke on The Kindergar-
ten and the Public Schools. He said ii
gave him pleasure to talk to teach
ers in California, the state that had es-
tablished the new education and been
so liberal in other departments. The
kindergarten in the public schools is an
experiment. and there are hindrances
to be removed--a conservatism of estab-
lished methods from the state university
to the parental home. Previous prac-
tices are preferred to reform. That the
kindergarten has succeeded in ingraft-
ing itself upon the old stock Is proba-
bly, due to this conservatism. Though
it is hindrance to the sanguine reform
CT. 1t may be a blessing in disguise, as
1t may prevent the structure falling to
pieces for want of firm foundation.
The kindergarten was first introduced
Into the public schools in Austria, where
1t Is conducted more nearly to the idea
Of Froebel than anywhere else; the in
dividuality Of the child is respected. In
Belgium it il carried on quite satisfacto-
rily, though it's a mixture of day nursery
on the one hand and sub-primary on the
other The work Is prepared there by
superintendent of teachers and adapted
to the average child, and the real child
goes ur,harmed or unblessed, as the case
n Ia nif
the speaker feared, the same fault ex-
lists; the program fend divides the day
Into ten and twenty minutes and pre-
determines how long the little darlings
may be happy, instead of allowing them
to be happy all the time. In the program
school the little child is as glad to be free
as the older boys and girls. In Italy
similar fault exists. In France it is
called maternal school, though they
have adopted some of the kindergarten
methods. Sugar coated devices are
employed to interest them in the Rs.
It might have been we'll if the schools in
this country had not been called kinder
gartens; in so many instances they are
sub-primary schools.
They are too crowded to do true kim
dergarten work. A little child should
not be In crowd; 1t should be allowed
an opportunity to become Thoroughly
acquainted with its schoolmates and all
restraint removed. Inc Kindergarten
mother should be enabled to watch and
cultivate every little tendency toward
spontaniety. To prepare children for
the primary school Is not in accordance
with the spirit of the kindergarten, and
is delusion that prevents knowledge
In this country they are not kindergar-
tens but sub-primaries, and while it is
a benefit that we see the necessity of es-
tabhshing schools according to the ideas
of Froebel, we should not think we have
the best there is. The training schools
teach the methods of the sub-primary;
they do not develop the motherhood lat
ent in every good woman. They teach
games and a few things, but do not I'M
press upon the teacher that they can un-
fold In any way but logical sequence,
which has no part In development Of the
child: it is psychological sequence. The
tendency of this training is to suppress
instead Of develop. The true kindergar-
IN spirit recognises the child's indavid-