The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-07-02
SLOYD IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CONTENTION or MANUAL TRAINING
TEACHERS Al BOA 4RDIAN SCHOOL.

Present-Instructive Exhibit of the Work
ofPupils-Supt. Kendall Welcomes Visi-
tors-Number of Papers Read-Proceed-
ings of the Day aud Evening Sessions.
AT the Boardman Manual Training
High school on Broadway the American
manual training association is holding
it's fourth annual conference. Over
100 delegates were present from all
parts of the country, most of them
supervisors of schools, members of
boards of education or active teachers
of the manual education branches. The
association has extensive exhibitions of
the work of pupils in manual training
schools on the second and third floors
Of the Boardman school. The various
schools throughout the country have
sent specimens of work done by the sew
eral grades, and plans and drawings il
lustrate their methods. The exhibition
is open to the public to-day. 1t is we'll
worth inspection.
A remarkable exhibit of clever cary
ing in woods is shown by the Omaha
Manual Training High school, Several
pieces of the work have called forth un-
stinted praise from experts.
Bristol (Conn.) Manual High school
rivals the Omaha wood carving eX-
hibit, and far away Chicago Is scarcely
outdone In the same line. A very clev-
er piece of work Is a wooden helmet
such as Chicago policemen wear. A
great variety of the same sort of work
is brought by the representative of the
school in East Orange, N. J. Different
styles of work are shown, among 9TH
ers that of the French and the Italian
renaissance, the Elizabethan, the
Swedish, the Persian, and the Byzan-
tine.
Another line of exhibit is that of fine
work in iron and other metals, The
Baltimore Polytechnic school probably
leads, closely followed by the Pratt in
stitute of Brooklyn.
Forgings of all sorts and all stages
of finish evidence careful methods and
excellent instructions.
A tempting display of bakery deli
cacies and breadstuffs is also on exhi-
bition. A net covering keeps flies and
hands off the tempting viands.
The Boardman school has an eXcep
tionally fine line of needlework. Pat
terms made by pupils, doll dresses and
gowns made according to measure
ments are exhibited. Dainty kerchiefs
and delicate needlework excite ladies'
interest Altogether 1t is good evidence
of very valuable training of talented
young people.
Afternoon Session.
The second session began at 2
o'clock yesterday afternoon. Mr. w. H.
Bass, instructor In charge of the wood
work department of the industrial
school of Indianapolis was the first
speaker. He described in full detail the
departments and methods of this excel
lent training school. He dwelt particu-
larly on the phases of activity which
are peculiar to the Indianapolis insti-
tuition. 1t is a city public school sup
ported by taxes like other public
schools, except that the state legisla-
ture passed a law permitting its estab-
lishment, and it's funds are drawn from
separate tax. In February, 1895, when
the school opened, the pupils enrolled
numbered 525 The attendance has in
creased so that 925 have applied for ad-
mission in September of this year Mr.
Bass said in part:
1t may be we'll to go back of it's origin
and consider the pre-existing condi-
tions. For some years previous the
high school had an elective course
made UP Of required and elective sub
jects. There were not elective courses
to choose from but elective subjects.
Promotions were made twice per year.
The course was for four years, and
each pupil was expected to carry three
subjects. 1t is convenient to consider
the work done on each subject a half
years work-this then made twenty
four half years work necessary for
graduation Previous to the adoption
Of this plan there were two courses,
either of which pupil might elect, but
having made his selection and contin-
ued in it for some time, he could not
change to the other course without Sc
rious loss of time. Should a pupil be
weaker or stronger than the average
he could not take fewer or more sub
jects than the average; and should he
fail in one subject he could not go on
with the others. So the elective sub
ject plan was adopted. This plan has
been in use for several years, and it has
some advantages to commend it. I'm
der this scheme a pupil may be per-
nitted not only to select his subjects
in such manner as to make up a
course suited to his particular aptitude
and needs, but he may push ahead ac-
cording to his ability, or go at a slow
er pace, according to his lack of abil-
Ey-he may pursue but one study at a
time or he may take five, providing he
can show good reason for so doing.
'But moments consideration of the
plan of electlng subjects discloses the
fact that all classification of pupils as
unit was destroyed. No set of pupils
entering at any given time would re-
main a unit throughout their high
school course, or even for the first year;
as some would take four subjects, some
two, and all select subjects according
to whatever influences guided them So
it was not an uncommon thing to find
first and fourth year pupils reciting in
the same class.
However, this plan worked we'll so
long as all subjects were given one rec
itation period per day, but manual
training came in as a two-period sub
ject, and the difficulty of making a pro-
eramme without conflict began; then
physics was made two-period subject,
chemistry and free-hand drawing soon