The herald., 1896-03-27
THE Teachers CONVENTION
FIFTH ANNUAL SESSION OPENED AT THE
NORMAL SCHOOL YESTERDAY
Large A55embiaze of Notable Educational
Lights From Many Sections of ,h. State.
Sparring at the Morning and Afternoon
Sessions-Evening Exercises.

Southern California Teachers association
took place in the auditorium OF the state
normal school building. this city, at am.
yesterday. Prof. Charles H. Keyes of Pas
adena presided.
The program for the day, which was in
three sections-morning, afternoon and
evening-was ushered in with the regular
opening exercises of the school. At that
time the assembly room, which has n seat.
ing capacity of 1000, was more than half
tilled. On proceeding with the program il
was found that none of the speakers of the
morning set down for addresses had mate.
rallied and an internisslon until o O'Clock
was announced.
This interval was period of general eff
fusiveness; plenty of hand shaking and a
good deal of kissing. portion of the time
was reserved, however. for an informal eX-
tension of the organization by the accession
of new members.
AT 10 o'clock, as was predicted. mum
erous reinforcements by train from the
surrounding towns arrived, and the assem-
blage of educational notables from Berke-
ley and Stanford universities. of other por-
tons of the state, as well as of Los An.
geles, together with a large gathering of
teachers of Southern California, nearly
filled the large auditorium.
In the assembly were:
DR.. Thomas J. Bailey of Berkeley. who
was to have made the first address of the
morning, was unable to appear until late
and the next number of the program was
submitted. This was a report of COM
mittee on high schools, presented by Prof.
L. Z. Perham, chairman, Santa Ana,
bearing on the conditions and needs of
secondary schools of Southern California
and their relations to the universities. 1t
consisted of four Subdivisions, two of
which were read in the morning, the other
two at the afternoon session.
The first phase of the subject, prepared
by the subcommittee. DR.. Lyman Gregory,
Professors W. r. Bliss and f. p. Davidson,
was "The course of study of high schools
with one and two teachers and their rela-
ton to the universities" the second. ar
ranged by Professors Lewis B. Avery. n.
A. Richardson, F. P. Davidson and Mics
Eugenie Fuller, specified "What latitude
should be allowed high school pupils in the
election of studes?"
After the reading of these pamphlets,
which occupied an hour, many animated
and brilliant discussions of opposing ele-
Stanford University. took place in fifteen
minute speeches by several professors
specified on the program. as we'll as five
minute addresses by a number of yoluu-
tary speakers from the audience. In this
racy interchange of opinions the hearers
had the extreme pleasure of listening to
discussions, witty, brilliant, learned, argu-
left them in the totally uncertain position
of not knowing where they were at.
The chief points of controversy were rel
ative to elective studies, specialism in
teachers and pupils, the relation of the
universities to the high schools and in
what measure the latter should be domi-
mated to the higher body. The following
statement of the first division was also a
topic of dissension. 1.-The university
should accredit these schools in such
branches as English history, mathematics
and Latin, without demanding laboratory
work which is impracticable for many of
these schools"
Professor Griggs of Stanford considered
the subject of high school training not in
its relation to university requirements but
as the chief element of education for the
great majority whose graduation sends
them into the world and not into college.
From this standpoint he believed that
mathematics and Latin should not take
the lead; that the emphasis now should
not be in past needs but in present living.
He further laid down three fundamental
branches as the essentials today of good
education, namely. training in English,
English literature, history (American and
English), and science from the beginning
to the end of school life-that science
which needs no laboratory other than ma
ture itself He stated also that the student
should be allowed to take that speciality
which would lead to his highest develop.
ment.
Professor Slate of Berkeley, the next
speaker, regarded :he subject from the
standpoint of the high schools training as
preparation for university work. He also
touched on the point of discussion as to
what length teacher should be special
ist. He believed that too much zeal in one
direction occasioned contempt for another.
He also stated it to be his conviction that
every boy and girl should have the oppor-
tunity of cultivating power by selecting the
one branch of study which presented the
greatest interest to him: that any subject
properly pursued created power. and pow
er was the qualification looked for in fresh
men.
President Martin Kellogg of the State
university spoke on elective studies. Many
excellent points we're taken by this speak
er. He believed it dangerous to leave the
election of studies in the hands of pupils.
He stated that the question had not been
solved in college work, and therefore be.
came a reductio ad absurdum when left
to the decision of pupils of secondary
schools. Creating specialists early in life
he also deemed unwise, believing further
that the so-cailed developing of indiyidu-
alty was frequently another name for a
running along in that line which offered
the least resistance to the pupil.
Other conflicting addresses were made
by Professors r. H. Kirk of San Bernar-
dino. Bliss of Cotton. Jenkins of Stanford
and Sprague, formerly of Wisconsin.
At the afternoon session the remaining
two sections of the report on the high
schools were presented, the topics being
How Many Lines of Work Can High
School Pupils Carry? prepared by Profes
sors G. V. Root. =. w. Kaufman and L. A.
Molyneaux, and What Shal! ne the Mode
of Admission to High Schools? by Profes.
sors +. E. Perham and James d. Ora
ham. A discussion, similar in effect to
that of the morning. followed, in which
Professors Irving Stringham of Berkeley,
w. \. Lathrop of Stanford, Hoosh of Los
man of Ventura. n. A. Richardson of San
and DR.. Gregory of South Riverside took
part in brilliant aud testy speeches. The
discussion was closed by Professor Per.
ham of Santa Ana.
The report was not adopted, but was re.
committed by unanimous vote in order
that further investigation might be made
the reeults to be presented at the mex,
convention.
The afternoon session closed with an ad.
dress, Some Crimes Against Children, by
Prof. p. W. Kaufman of Ventura, which
was intensely interesting. All phases of a
boys life. from the home to the street
were rehearsed with highly finished hum
or. The paper, moreover, had numerous
points of instructive value concerning the
growth of the child, physically and nent.
ally.
At the evening session Dir. Martin Kel
logg. president of the University of South
ern California, delivered an able address