The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-29
NEW OFFICERS ELECTED
f. 2. MANGUM, PRESIDENT; JNO.
]. BLAIR, SECRETARY.
"To BROADEN THE COURSE OF STUDY
Discussed by Supe. intendent Moses. superin-
tendent Blair Spike on the Subject Of
The High School Course"
Meeting Adjourned.
Meeting Adjourned.

The Association Cf City Superinten-
dents met yesterday afternoon at
o'clock. Superintendent Flowers, of
Durham, gave his report Of the years
work. Some trouble win a smallpox
scare caused n poor attendance during
a part of the fall term. he said The city
will in the near future, have a new
building to properly accommodate the
increased number of pupils. The city
public library has been a wonderful help
to the pupils, as well as the people of
the town.
Superintendent Flowers then present
ed paper on English composition.
This was philosophical statement of
the causes of the use of poor English
among the applicants for entrance to our
colleges Some of the leading points he
brought out were these:
Students who go to college represent,
as rule, the best work of preparatory
schools, and if schools are judged by the
students they send TO college their work
is in no danger of being underyalued
j have recently been permitted to see
statements from the leading male col
leges of the State, and they show a
lamentable lack of preparation on the
part of the students who last September
applied for admission to these institu-
tons. 1t has never been claimed that
the college requirements in English are
excessively high, yet according to these
statements not more than 20 or % per
cent. of the pupils applying were adj
mitted without conditions. except in one
case, and if you eliminate those who
were admitted on certificate, which is
not always guarantee of superior
preparation, the per cent. is much small
er. not more than 10 per cent.
Notwithstanding the probable discrimi,
nation against English, / do not believe
that the difficulty is the result Of neglect
so much as instruction of effort. When
n boy goes to college, or anywhere else
for that matter. his previous work in
English is judged by his ability to ex.
press his thoughts in a clear and forci-
bic manner. lit matters little that he
is able to analyse the longest sentence
in Paradise Lost, or to give verbatim
literature, punctuation, the definitions OF
Purity, Propriety and Precision, and il
he is unable TO write correctly a simple
sentence and violates all the require
ments of good diction. And yet the
training which many pupils get leaves
them in just such condition when they
reach college.
We have devoted too much time to the
science of writing and too little to the
art. We have taught the pupils too
much about how TO separate sentences
into their parts, and not enough about
how to put sentences together We
need, ourselves, to understand more
fully what we should try to accomplish
in the study of English. Let them
study grammar and, at the same time
let them study it carefully and thorough
ly, but do not expect it to make them
good writer's. Just as well expect a boy
to become a good base ball player by
studying the Base Ball Guide as to be-
come a good writer by studying gram
mar.
The pupil should be required to write
everything he has to write as carefully
and as well as he can, otherwise he will
soon be unable to write well at all. The
pupil who tries to write well only when
he has occasion to write a composition,
and dashes off his other written work
carelessly and thoughtlessly, can no
more become good writer than one
can become a good Christian by being
pious only on Sunday.
No matter how carefully nor how
often these exercises are corrected, if
pupils understand that they are to be
held accountable only for those exercises
which are written primarily for the pur-
pose of being corrected. their improve
|. Il ind i'm
prove at ALL
In any subject of the curriculum a
pupils progress is largely conditioned by
his ability to express his thoughts, and
any Improvement in the pupils manner
of expressing himself makes possible a
corresponding improvement in his other
studies.
This paper was discussed by Superin-
tendent Mangum, Prof Noble and
President Alderman of the University.
Superintendent Il. +. Mangum then
opened the discussion of the Teaching
of English in short but comprehensive
paper. discussed by Prof Noble, Prof.
Alderman, Superintendent Howell, Sup
erintendent Moses.)
Among the leading thoughts he empha-
sized were these:
If the elementary school is really the
strategic point in the work of teaching
English, our efforts must be greater at
this point Apparently no subject is be-
gun under more ideal circumstances than
English, but as life grows more COM
pick, habits of speech and thought often
become so bad that the teachers work
from the very beginning is, in a great
measure, reformatory. In other sub
jects, out of school, the pupil only loses
what he forgets, but almost every in
fluence out Of school fortifies his in
difference to serious. systematic English
work. Few teachers can counteract the
influences of the street, of the play
ground and, frequently, of the home.
Hence it is all important as the child
grows older and his logical powers be-
come developed, to lead him to criticise
himself.
Perhaps in no other study is the
teacher compelled to depend so entirely
upon himself. He must be an English