The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-11-06
EDUCATIONAL TALKS
Kintergartens and Town
ship High Schools to
Be Discussed by
Teachers.
TIE COMING COUNCIL SESSIONS
Reports by DR.. Gilbert of Newark
and State Superinten-
dent Baxter.
TIE COMING COUNCIL SESSIONS

\
the Council of Education, which meets in
the City Hall, November u and 1S, were
issued today by Superintendent Snyder.
| There are two reports, one on kindergar-
| tens. prepared by DIR. c.. B. Gilbert, of
Newark, and the other on Township High
Schools, prepared by Superintendent Z. J.
Baxter. DR.. Gilbert, in the kindergarten
| report, says the committee has been in
| formed that only two cities, Plainheld
and Newark, have been heard from. For
| the reason that information about exist
ing kindergartens is meagre, the commit
| tee confined the report to recommends
tons. These are:-
1.-THE kindergarten should constitute the
| first or lowest grade OF every graueo
| school system. Under existing laws IN
| this State the kindergartens should be
| open to children of five years OF age, ana
| should maintain course of one year AS
| soon as possible legislation should be Sc
cured extending the school age limit
| downwards to include the children o. OF
| Kindergartens should then maintain a
course of two years. All kindergartens
| should be pure kindergartens and not
| modified primary schools
The length of kindergarten sessions
should be from two to three hours. As
| a measure of economy morning and an
afternoon session may be held in each kim
dergarten with the same kindergartners,
but different children. Not more than for
| ty children should be present at kinder
garten session, nor more than twenty to
| a Kindergarten. There should be in each
| kinderg arten at least two kindergartners,
| a directress and an assistant. The schol-
| astic and professional qualifications re-
| quired of kindergartners should be in no
sense inferior to those required of prim-
| ary teachers, and should include at least
| full High School course, or it's equiva-
| lent, and special professional course of
| kindergarten work. 1t is recommended
| that this latter be Of not less than two
years duration Such special professional
| kindergarten training courses should be
maintained in all State and city Normal
! schools
| Mr. Baxter, after reviewing the changes
| and progress made in township high
| schools, told his reasons why such schools
should be established. They are: First,
they are demanded by the times; second,
! they are essential to good citizenship;
third, they will promote enterprise and
public security; fourth, they are especially
needed for the improvement of rural
schools; fifth, they would provide large
range of selection for service, and sixth,
| as matter of State pride. He then gave
a plan for encouraging their establish
ment. 1t Isl
stHave the law governing the taking of
! the school census so amended as to in
| clude all children between the ages of
| four and eighteen years, instead of five
| amount raised from this change in mini
mum age constitute special fund to be
used according to the discretion of the
| State Board of Education for the encour-
! agement of secondary and kindergarten
| schools. AS the high character of the
| members of this Board is so generally
| direction of the educational affairs of the
| State is so generally admitted, it does not
| behoove me at this time to anticipate
| their administration of this fund.
| AS nearly as can be ascertained this
would increase the number of pupils of
| school age about 10000, make an increase
cent, (25 cents on each 900 of assessed
| uation), and provide a school fund of
| 5000 O00."
1 reference to transportation Mr.. Bax-
| ter says
Extensive systems of trolley lines are
now in operation, others are in process of
construction, and a still greater number
are in contemplation. Let the school
children make such use of this cheap and
| n ost convenient means of transportation
as they should, and it would stimulate
| further enterprise in this line beyond our
| have most excellent highways, and many
| others are giving especial attention to
| ton of our State is either level or only
! slightly rolling country. All these condi-
| tons, taken in connection with the con-
| tinued improvement and increasing popu-
| larity of the bicycle, warrant the asser-
! tion that our commonwealth can only
| maintain central high schools, but CEN
tral graded schools, y which viii be found
| ship. Many of our young cyclists think
nothing of taking an eight or ten mile
constitutional before breakfast. If this
| be both a benefit and a pleasure itwould
| certainly be delight and blessing to ride
| as far, or even farther, for purpose, af-
ter fortifying their systems with good
| school law provides that any school dis
| trict may by special tax raise an amount
| sufficient to transport all pupils who are
remote from school facilities, and are for
| this reason unable to attend school. This
| law, wisely designed to provide against
the multiplication OF small and weak
| commendation had it contained an addi-
| tional provision for reducing the number
Of such schools and permitting any ~ town town
without a probable forfeiture of school
| funds.
"A bill embodying the suggestion of
| fered in annual report and repeated in
| this paper was drawn during the last
session of our Legislature, but not pre-.
| sented, as there seemed little. prospect of
| its success. Action designed to further
| this much needed educational advance
| should not be longer delayed, Enough
valuable time and opportunity has al
ready been lost. We are fully able to
perform our full measure of duty to the
youth Of our State and thus promote her
best interests. Capital and enterprise
| should be able to find her no fairer field
| than ours and the business men of the
great cities on either side. of us should
| be unable to find more congenial sur
rcundings. for their summer and suburban
| homes. New Jersey will make no mis-
| take in broadening and Strengthening her
| educational work and extending. her intel
| lectual horizon. Her position, her indus
| tries, the character of her institutions
| the antecedents of her people, all combine
| to force her from position of convervat-
| ism into a imitless career of endeavor
and achievement; and it falls to US,
members of the Council of Education, in
| the grateful pioneer work of arousing the
| people to the needs of the hour. When
| present and prospective plans shall have
been matured and carried into effect our
| educational field will produce fair and
| perfect flowers, ripe and lucious fruit
and golden grain, all living proofs of the
| foresight of those who planned, and of
| the wisdom of the State that gave of its
means to- carry plans so benefcent to
their happy elimination
| Don't fail to be on hand next Wednesday.
| November 10, at ST. MichaeIs Hall, Erie and
! Tenth streets. at P. NJ. sharp, and purchase
| some Of the lots in the Pavonia section be-
| longing to the estate of Elizabeth u. Coles and
| others. Mr. Frank Stevens will conduct the
auction, which viii take place, rain or shine.
The Est contains many valuable building lots,
suitable for almost any purpose. You can get
| a book-nap giving all the particulars by call
| ing at the Auctioneers Office. and be entirely
familiar with the property to be sold before
the sale The Inquiries for this property are
~, rnefot,s nd the Auctionaer anticipates big