The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-02-02

Perkins Page was chosen principal
He left Newburyport with the parting
injunction from Horace Mann: Sue
coed or die" He succeeded. He met
all opponents of the new plan on the
platform, and in the public prints.
And a little more than three years
later he died. But just 90 years ago
he had written a book, Theory and
Practice of Teaching" The first edi-
ton of this book dragged along into
the 70s. Today, amidst the hundreds
OF works on the subject of education,
four different firms are pushing as
many different editions of this work.
Probably no man in England is ex-
erting a greater influence upon pri-
mary education than Inspector T. G..
Roper. And his little book of so
pages entitled "A Pot of Green Feath-
ers," and later, Appreciation, is the
| plainest and simplest statement /
know of one of the most practically
| important doctrines of psychology. 1t
| furnishes the key to some of our most
| difficult problems. Before leaving you
1 wish to express the hope that in
| taking up other work you will not
neglect these two little volumes. Both
| are gems. About $50 of the teachers in
the out districts are taking up this
course. Next summer, Wen we meet
! together, it will be pleasant and prof
liable to have thus much in common
with one another and with the teachers
| from the other districts.
| The next speaker was Miss Duncan.
| She dealt with methods. She confined
her remarks to the practical work in
| the school, the needs of Hawaiian
children and foreign children in native
schools. The word educate means to
draw out" but with the Hawaiian
child, we find little or nothing to draw
until we have first put something in
The burden with him is to teach him to
think, how to think and how to express
his thoughts Pages Theory and
Practice of Teaching was recommend
ed as a valuable guide in this instruc-
ton. The speaker also Endorsed verti-
cal writing as an immediate need.
Professor Edgar Wood was the next
speaker. His subject was Mature
Study and he said:
I'm response to the request of your
committee for the outline of a course
of lessons in nature study have the
pleasure to submit the following:
81 The study, by simple expert
ments, of some of the phenomena that
are aaily taking place about us. This
would include the study of matter in
it's three forms-so1id, liquid and
gaseous-and forces controlling mat
ter.
-. The relation of life (planO to
the air about us and how the plant
furnishes food, clothing and fuel, and
purifes the air. The life history of the
plant from seed to seed. 1t must be re-
membered that the primary object of
nature study is not that the child may
get knowledge of plants and animals |
or of inanimate nature, but that his |
interest in nature may be aroused and |
that he may be trained to observe, |
compare and express The study of |
language does, or should, form a large |
part of our school curriculum. In the |
study of language we aim to enable !
the pupil to speak and write the lam
guage correctly and fuently.
Prof. NJ. M. Scott Wed with the band
across the street for attention to
his very interesting remarks on the
subject of English" Most of his
tory" he observed, I'VE get in books;
and first hands is always good place
to get things from" The speaker was
impressed with the good fortune of be-
ing raised by mothers who spoke Eng
lish rather than Chinese or Japanese.
The work of a young Japanese to mas
ter the characters and words of his
language would more than complete
the usual English course, from the
primary instruction through the uni
versity. This condition was an i'm
pediment to the Japanese. They know
it Yet they master it, and English,
German or some other language be-
sides.
There is a great tendency to draw
English. Newspapers, even editorial
writings, are imperfect in the Ian
guage; while many of the advertise
ments ARE nauseous to a Christian"
Children get this class of literature and
grow to use it.
The editor of the Popular Science
Monthly recently wrote that, even with
the increasing volume of literature and
the improvements constantly being
made in the school systems. there was
growing illiteracy in the United
States. Fathers went at things direct
ly. There was an alarming tendency /
to degrade the language. The speaker
thought it would be an improvement |
to teach English properly in the
schools The worst sin was the use of
wrong words. Get the correct word |
to express a thing. The bad coin of
English invariably drove the good coin
out. Character can better be built up |
by good language. Something can be
done by teachers to loose the iuency |
of speech and promote good language"
Professor Hosmer of Oahu College !
spoke of Education" as follows:
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentle
men:-It is pleasant to see the inter
est in the cause of education as is in
dicated by your presence here this
night.
The question. what is the best edu
cation is an old one, but it is always
new, and of living interest to each new
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