The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-25
---0I5D OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEMS
,sbmore Back From the India
D.nclis Convention.

,sbmore Back From the India
papclis Convention
,,,+o,aent Otis Ashmore of the pub
I.booIs has returned from his trip to
~ where he went to attend the
~. a, meeting Of the department of
ai''1 -,u+andents of the National Educa-
.ioral Association.
The meeting was very successful one
...n IN the number of representative ed
Tors in attendance and in the charac-
- If the topics discussed. Nearly ev-
.+ate in the union was represented,
come Of them quite largely. Georgia
- seventeen representatives and Mas
roobusetts nearly twice that number.
e. we're assembled not only the SUI
I"pirtondents of city school systems, but
=, ,rsstdents of universities and col
- directors of normal schools and
IDOLS of industrial training, and, indeed,
sS,-erv department of educational work.
rns naDers and discussions, Superntend-
Asbmore said, included a wide range
~ to2ics, covering almost every phase OF
bool supervision and development.
Among the strong papers presented was
one Inv Superintendent l.. II. Jones OF
Cleveland o.. on THE Province of the
s1neryisor." The true function of the
snnervBor was clearly pointed out and
many errors sharply criticised. A num-
her Of interesting and valuable facts re-
rertlv developed in child study were ably
presented by several of the leading edu-
cationa Investigators of the country.
oPublic Libraries and Public Schools"
oSummr Schools" Music in Education"
THE Rdation of Citizens and Teachers"
"The Piper Use of School Houses, 6 "Es-
sentials # a Course of Study" School
sanitato." and Teaching Art in
Schools, were some of the subjects dis
cussed,
DR.. in Rice of New York, who is at
tracing S much attention by his articles
on education in the Forum, was present,
and condcted an interesting discussion
upon the hree RS.
Il made special point to visit some of
the schools of Indianapolis" said Supt.
Ashmore as they are regarded among
the best in tie country. l observed closely
the system n operation and the methods
used in thee schools While many good
suggestions we're gained from these visits,
two featuresin particular were noted, the
longer time devoted to the school course,
and the thoroighness of the teachers, par
ticulary in tie lower grades. | have Of
ten noted these features, however, in
many of the northern and western schools.
one of the evils of the southern schools is
the tendency 10 push children beyond their
depth into stldies for which their minds
are not prepered. This error so often COM
mitted by ambitious parents and teachers
must result only in artificial stupidity and
mechanical effort on the part of the child.
Nearly ali these northern and western
schools have eight years in the grammar
grades and four years in the high school.
The average age of children entering the
Indianapolis high school l found to be
fourteen years and five months, and the
average age Of their graduates was eight
& cen years and ten months.
But these schools have a great advan-
s tage over ours in the financial support
which they receive and the consequent
8 equipment possessed by them. AS a mat
ter of course their states are richer than
ours, and the population is nearly all
white. The scientific department of the
s Indianapolis high school is nearly as wei
equipped as that of our state university
much better in biology and botany. On a
visit to San Francisco a year ago / found
that one of the high schools there had just
s put in a supply of chemical apparatus
alone costing $1,000. But that city alone
raises a sum of money for her schools
equal to the whole public school fund of
Georgia.
But, while these schools as whole pos
seSs many advantages which most of
our southern schools do not yet enjoy,
when we take our educational environ
ment into consideration" said Superin-
lendent Ashmore, "the prospect with us
not without encouragement. Our city
scnool systems compare very favorably
win those Of the north and west, and
Whlie we have much yet to learn from
our Older and richer sister cities in ed
ucatonal progress, still we have in our
savannah schools many instances of as
good school work as any 1 saw in Indi-
annapolis or Cincinnati. 1 endeavored to
Keep on the alert to observe improvements
~ educational work, and l trust that I
eH'Il De able to make some valuable sug-
eSuohs thus gained to our own teach
Inc meeting of this department of SUI
n rlh'inlenaents will be held next year at