The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-08-20
of individual desire ana pleas.

ure.
The recognition of the sovereignty
OF tho laws made for the common good,
cannot be too early demanded, or too
rigidly enforced, if it is true, as we
affirm, that the first object of the public
school is the production of good citizen
ship.
While have been most emphatic in
maintaining good order in your schools,
| have discouraged the practice of
corporal punishment. I believe that
We are very near the time when
public 1oggings in school will have
given place to other and more human
izing methods of control. I am glad
to be able to report so few cases and l
believe that still further reduction
can be made without impairing the
discipline of the schools.
Hardness and Absence.
The cases have been many more than
they should have heen. The extreme
severity of the winter weather and the
uuusra amount of snow are the prln-
cipai causes Of so large mum ber of cases.
Concerning the Grades.
The principal objection to the graded
school is its failure TO provide for the
capacity of each pupil to learn. A
class of thirty are placed together and
they are expected to do the same work.
One-tbird of the class might prof tably
do more and one-third cannot do it
we'll. Those who fail are often re-
quired to do the years work again.
Statistics show that forty per cent. of
those pupils who are required to repeat
their work in this way drop out Of
school. 1t has been found next to i'm
possible for pupil to repeat years
work under the same teacher with
much interest or profit.
The true method is this. Every
pupil should be advanced in his studies
as far and as fast as he can be, but no
subject should be left uutil he under
stands it. Ecw can this principle be
applied in graded school?
Tbis subject is receiving much at
teution ana | am giving it careful at
| tention.
The great obstacle in the way Is the
multiplicity of classes; in fact, carried
to an extreme, twill make a class OF
each pupil and thus carry us back to
the system OF seYenty-tive years ago.
when the teacher spent his time in
passing from child to child giving each
little instruction.
One OF the algebra classes in the
high-school have been able to do but
one-half of the years work. If it were
practicable this would be the best rule
to apply to every class and pupil.
Music.
The success in this branch has beer
very satisfactory in most of the de-
partments. Children from ten to four
teen read m asic readily and enjoy it
Ten minutes day is given to this
subject. In soms instances the work il
hindered by the pupils not hayinf
music readers, rs,-presumably the par
ents do not believe in its Importance
There is hardly first class school il
our country or Europe where musi,
reading is not taught and l think VI
should persevere in this line.
am aware of the fact that the strict
est economy should be practiced in tn,
conduct of our schools in this period O
depression, and I have asked for moth
| ing that was not absolutely essential
Among the things that would be Q
great service are: More outline maps
more dictionaries, reference books,
cyclopedia and q physical apparatus
A manual of the course of study
rules and regulations has not bee
published since 1891 and that edition
nearly exhausted. AS soon as th
course of study is found to be satisfac1
ory it would be we'll to issue ne,
manual
Respectfully submitted,
f. ]. QUIGLEY,
Superintendent.