The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-29

his own speech; in many cases he must
be the judge to decide the question and
he must be able to analyse properly
in order to decide correctly.
Disagreements and contradictions
should not occur in text books. Its def
nitions should define its principles, Sc
so far as possible with a living lam
guage should be interchangeable. Infinitives
and participles are either verbs or not
verbs. Clauses are either sentences or
not sentences: certainly they cannot be
both.
Supt Moses on the Selection of Stu.
dies, suggested Il definite but graded
broadening of the course of study in line
with the recommendations or President
Eliot. of Warvard. in his famous adj
dress. How the School Course may be
Shortened and Enriched from which
he quoted at some length.
Superintendents of schools also should
examine applicants for the teachers po-
sition on the literature of the profession
as the count examines applicants for
law license on legal questions.
1t is surprising to see the almost alb
solute uniformity in the selection of
subjects, in a grammar school course,
in schools so widely separted as those
of Massachusetts and North Carolina.
Not that such is unwise, but it is never
theless somewhat startling. 1t is no
less surprising to see the dissimilarity
in the course of study in IL European
school and an American school. They
emphasize what we make incidental.
As instances of this they teach Bible
stories in every class as carefully as we
do secular history. They give one
third the time we do to arithmetic.
They teach foreign modern languages,
beginning in the third year Whether
they are right and we are wrong is
another story, but ii surely must give
us much food for thought. The selec-
ton of subjects for normal training
should be carefully scrutinized also.
The great renaissance in education was
not produced by following q Latinized
curriculum. The great genius of Pesta-
lozZi which shone first amid the glisten-
ing peaks of Switzerland. gained its ra-
dance from the great illuminating power
of common sense applied to existing con-
ditions and there is no law of Nature
conforming such action to any one
period of time.
At the evening session of the aSsocia-
ton Supt. J j. Blair, of Winston, pre-
scented the subject of the High School
Course" He believes it possible to Sc
cure an eleven-year course in the city
graded schools, instead of ten, The
schools of the State have usually high
school class, but no recognized curricu-
lum for it. Mach school forms its class
to fit certain conditions of its own course
of study and is hardly systematiZed yet
into a uniform high school course.
English should have five hours week
in such course; not English language
especially. but also English literature.
Science should have the same promi-
nence One ancient language and one
modern language should be taught III
the same year. Chemistry should pre-
cede physics. Geometry should precede
by two years the study of Algebra.
Arithmetic should have no place. as ii
should have been finished in the seventh
year.
The preparation of some few pupils
for college should be incidental and not
the principal object of the high school
class The colleges should accept equiv
alents in all studies and not be ironclad.
1t does not so much matter what the
subject is il the pupil gets the mental
training which is the object of all edu-
cation. The city of Wilmington has the
only public high school in the State and
also the longest school term.
Discussion by Prof. Noble. Supt.
Moses. Supt Mangum and Supt. Flow
ers.
This completed the subjects for discus
sion for this meeting.
The following officers were unanimous
" elected for the ensuing year:
President-Ernest =. Mangum.
Vice president-W w. Flowers.
Secretary J. Blair.
The place of meeting chosen for next
year was Raleigh the time, Tuesday at
8 p M, following December 25th, 1899.