Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-31

man is sought whose affair 1t is to see
that trains keep upon their tracks and
in other ways behave In Il proper manner
If plans fail, If our laws work injury. II
corruption becomes rife in matters gov
ernmental. we at once cast about for /;
scapegoat.
with the growth of this principle CT
| responsibility there has. in general
arisen an idea that responsibility should
be dearly defined and strictly limited
A man must answer for errors, disasters
and crimes. but all agree that these must
have occurred in a field where he had un-
| trammeled control. Moreover. the field
must not be too large. and it's limits must
| be rigidly set
In the efforts to improve the govern
ment of American cities. undertaken in
recent times by some of our ablest and
most patriotic thinkers. nothing else
promises as large measure of success.
indeed nothing is now working so eff
fectively toward the end in view, as the
narrowing of responsibility. Mayors
whose appointments do not have to be
confirmed individuals instead of boards
or committees as heads of executive de-
partments, are innovations of which we
have reason to be proud. These officers
are carrying on a hopeful war against
the forces of misrule because they know
where their work lies and where the
boundaries of their activity are justly cs-
tablished.
One mind and one body can do much.
but in the vast majority of cases the area
of their operations must somewhat
GIRO umscribed; so we see that, in most
matters. the principle of responsibility is
not applied widely and Unfortunately.
In educational affairs, however. this
principle of responsibility is applied in
the most sweeping and all-including
manner, The growth of it here has far
0!pped its growth in any other of
u166 concerns.
ningly it has never entered the
he14sof any of our critics that it would
be veil to seek to improve our schools by
setting up limits in certain directions and
requiring good work along these lines
and within thetse limits.
dosnot exaggerate here, although |
know that what say almost passes hui
man belief About year ago listened
to an address by an eminent speaker. in
which he laid IT the door of the school,
master poverty. drunkenness. crime, mis-
government, gambling in stocks and in
other ways, the buying of lottery tick
cts. the pursuit of craZes and fads. the
American appetite for patent medicines.
strikes and labor troubles. the protective
tariff. the Monroe doctrine. and the free
silver craze All these things and many
more the results of poor teaching. Is not
the aspect paralyzing? If this Indictment
is valid, suicide would seem to be the
proper course for a school teacher |
have never ceased to wonder that the
learned speaker did not include in his
list the fall of Adam and the obliqutN of
the ecliptic.
OF course this viAw of the school
count comprehensive society. the home.
the pulpit. the press and Il thousand and
one other Things that go to make up the
environment of modern life.
| think that no one will deny that the
curriculum of the school of our day is
overloaded. 1t is admitted that many add
ditions and innovations swere really need
ed and have resulted in good. But Il good
thing can easily be pushed too far. An
attempt has been seriously made to eff
feet cure for all our ills, whether social
or political. through our schools. Sub
iects have been added to the list of stud
les without thought that the rapidly in
creasing burden must ultimately cause a
break somewhere. The scope and nature
of school work should not mirror the
ideas of cranks or of those who welcome
the latest fads.
Schools must now furnish instruction
in agriculture; they must teach temper
ance. charity and brotherly love: they
must teach honesty. frugality. the Bible
and all the subjects relating to man as
man. They must produce business men,
farmers. mechanics. teachers and good
citizens generally. And recently ii has
been decided, in one of our western cit
les. that the daily news must be taught In
school with the New York Journal as a
text book.
I'm the college preparatory course 49,
pinch is most felt Here the new ed =
ton and the colleges unite in pilina b
the work The boy who wishes to fit br
college is bewildered and often times DIS
couraged by the multiplicity of studies
which he is expected to master; and so
the teacher must. of necessity.Hput the
knife in and carry bn a trimming process
in many places Our college boys have to
be excused from much of the general
work of the secondary school. Vocal mu-
sic. drawing rhetorical exercises. &c,
must. in many cases, be sacrificed for Il
part. at least. of the course. Hence it is
reasonable that the colleges should yield
a little. and do their part in making the
road to their doors less difficult.
It is of course necessary that the asked
for alleviations should he real ones and
that. at the same time. the college pre-
paratory course should be left in such
shape as to furnish an adequate college
preparation for the average student.
What notifications. them. may We justly
ask in college entrance requirements?
First. of arithmetic. ga
This study is now. for the most part
relegated to the elementary school. al
though. in some high schools. in defer
ence to a popular demand, it is still made
subject for study. But the college boy
cannot possibly find time for it. In pre-
paration for the college examination he
must be crammed on it for two or three
weeks previous to the examinations
Teachers know that this process is all
wrong. but what tOther course is open to
them? Some colleges no longer examine
in arithmetic. The others ought to APP
preciate the situation. and follow so eX-
Cellent an example.
Above all things. in this connection. the
schools should not be forced to teach the
metric system of weights and measures
not that it is not the best system. but
because it is not sound pedagogy to at
tempt to teach boys and girls to reckon
according to two different standards.
Speed the day when the metric system
shall prevail by law. and our present
clumsy weights and measures shall be. in
the same way discarded. But until that
day comes we should not present sunsur-
mountabe difficulties. and waste the
pupils time and our own in fruitless ef-
| forts to make them proficient in the use
of both Moreover. nineteen pupils out of
twenty are never called upon to make
/ the slightest use of a knowledge of the
metric system after they leave school
| and ! think that no one would try to es-
! tabISh its CLAIMS as means of mental
| training. The few who go to col
| lege can master enough of ii to answer
| all purposes regards chemistry and
| physics in connection with the work in
those branches in college. Therefore the
metric system ought to go. as far us the
| schools are concerned.
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