The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-31
DIATHEMAITCAL SECTION.
A Weak Spot in Public School System
Discussed.


The remarks made by William Hawley
Smith in his lecture to the teachers
Wednesday night about the real purpose
of the common schools has set many OF
those in attendance upon the teachers
meeting to thinking, and yesterday there
were many expressions in regard to what
the purpose of the common schools should
be- The question was brought up, unin-
tentionally, in the mathematical section by
a remark made by Prof j. p. Naylor, of
Greencastle, and there were several express
sons on the subject. The trend of thought
seems to be that the whole purpose and idea
Of the curriculum of the common schools is
wrong. At the present time everything
points to the college and to higher educa-
ton along classical lines. although the coll
leges themselves have broken away from the
idea that a student must have completed
certain studies leading to a classical edu-
cation before he can enter for a degree of
any kind in college. In the course of
Mr.. Smiths remarks Wednesday night he
said that ne was informed that it would
take a man forty-seven years TO complete
all the courses of study that are provided
by Ann Arbor University. and that more
than one hundred different diplomas were
provided for in the arrangement of the
work.
These thoughts have had their fruit al
ready in stirring the teachers to a realiza-
ton that it is only a small portion of the
school children who have the desire or the
financial ability to complete a classical edu-
cation and that to those who want to learn
the arts there should be provision made in
the common schools for at least the foun-
dation of this work.
Prof. Naylor spoke of the good that is
being done by the Indianapolis Training
School. He considered it model institu-
ton. After his paper there were some re-
marks on this line of thought. One teacher
said he thought the course Of study should
be suited to the desires and the ability of
the student, so as to give him the best that
could be given, considering the place in life
and business that he expected to occupy in
the future. During the course of his re-
marks Prof. Naylor created considerable
amusement and brought out much laughter
by his way of treating the fads of the
school teachers. in the course OF his re-
marks he said:
II suspect that the introduction Of the
laboratory methods of study is in part re-
sponsible for this rage after the so-called
practical. 1t has not been long since the
War-cry of learn to do by doing was heard
throughout the land and the fad of the in
ductive method lay heavily upon us. When
l came to Indiana the fad was the 'tnductiVe
method, and you had TO get out of boy
ideas he never had in him, even If you had
to use corkscrew or porus plaster to 90 It.
every pupil had to have one even II 1t
proved fatal. Just now are in the throes
of child study and ne who does not talk
learnedly of 'impediments to mind growth,
correlation 'apperception' and such like is
not in the push at all; [ have not yet
are some new sort of microbe or carbuncle
However, there is no fault to be found with
proper child study. have two delightful
subjects of my own that tax my possibilities
to the utmost. The only criticism l have to
make is that so many of those who are talk
ing most eloquently about the matter are
not furnishing their own raw material
However, all that is another story, as
Kipling says"
Other papers were read by Prof. Afford,
of Lafayette. on Algebra and Nature" and
Miss Eva Lewis, of Huntington, on "Geom-
etry and Nature" The election Of officers
resulted as follows: .. d.
Polytechnic. -
Vice President-Alonzo Abbott, Evansville
High School.
Secretary-Niss Amelia Platter. Indian
apolis High School.
Executive Committee. c. Trout, In
dianapolis High School; Prof. j. A Miller,
Indiana University; Daniel Freeman, Eli
wood High School.