The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-13

apparent wherever the grade system
prevails, that during recent years
almost Of necessity-the institution has
been considered more than the indi-
vidual." While he writes Of colleges,
this Is as true of our graded schools,
probably more so. The Individual is
sacrificed to the juggernaut. If the ul-
innate purpose Of the system were to
bring about a complete homogeneity,
by constant pressure exerted through
successive generations. until the flu
ture American would be as like his
fellows mentally as two peas are like
each other. no better. more effective in
strument could have been devised than
is our present method of grading.
1t grew easily out Of the conditions
of city education, where masses must
be dealt with. and commends itself
because Of it's comparative ease and
orderly movement. But it ignores every
law of mental development in assum-
ing equal faculties to all children, US
ing the spur at one end and the snaff1e
bit at the other to make the extremes
keep pace with the means. If it is
immovably intrenched in custom and
prejudice, educators, not content to
float with a system whose injurious
effects they see, are trying to anchor
ate its evils. and among them is Will
liam j. Shearer. superintendent of the
Elizabeth. N. J., schools He discuss
es, in the June Atlantic. 1.-THE Lock
Step of the Public Schools" and we
have circular in which he presents
his plan and gives the testimonials of
principals and teachers in all the
grades as to its merits after a trial
of a year. Briefly, his plan is to clas-
s1fy the students in any grade accord
ing to their attainment and ability.
subdividing into small classes, thus ad-
Justing the instruction to the capaci-
ties of the pupils to receive it, and re-
classifying as often as needed, a thing
impossible where one or two grades
are massed in a class. Each class is al
lowed to make as rapid progress as it
is capable of making with due regard
to thOrOughness, and pupils are pro-
noted to advanced work whenever they
are competent, regardless of the period
in the school year.
1t is plain that this plan obviates one
of the curses-no milder term fits-of
the grade system, which, assuming the
false premise Of equal ability, would
drive the whole class at uniform speed
through the prescribed curriculum by
consecutive marches of allotted length
Inc inevitable result is the discourage
ment both Of the bright and Of the
dull. AS Mr.. Shearer says, 'the ma
jority become discouraged and drop
out Of school, yet many wonder why
80 per cent are found in the four low
est grades of the twelve-year course"
Happily st. Paul schools are exempt
from that other product of "this demon
OF uniformity" promotion on eXamina-
ton, against which his plan wars ex-
termination; but enough of the other
evils tarry, and they are serious enough
to warrant those in charge of our
school interests, the board of educa-
ton and the teachers, in considering
Mr.. Shearer's plan with view to it's
adoption. The G. 10 e has never con-
cealed its dislike of and opposition to
the entire graded system, but it has
never spoken Of it in the bitter terms
that this educator does Before this
demon Of uniformity, which cuts short
the school life of the majority and
menaces the intellectual life of every
pupil in the schools, can be throttled,
it is absolutely necessary to abandon
this nerve-shattering, character blast
ing, timewasting. worse than useless
bulwark of the Procustean bed Of
grades, which has made pupil suffers
out of thousands, who, but for it, would
be teachers in deed and in truth" We
still believe that our schools will never
be the educators they should be until
the "all-grades-in-o ne-room" method Of
the country school is adopted; but we
see that that can be reached only by
progressive steps, each demolishing
some portion of the ''Procustean bed"
and as one Of them Mr.. Shearer's plan
merits attention.