The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-27
THEY TALKED EDUCATION.
sUPT. AsHMORE BACK FROM THE
sUPERINTENDENTS' MEETING.

May BE Chosen as the Place for the
COnvention-Mr. AshmO-e Found
the Chattanooga Meeting Very
nenefciaI-Many Excellent Papers
Read-VieVvs OF Some of the Cues
lions.
Superintendent Otis Ashmore of the pub
lie schools of Savannah and Chatham
county has returned from Chattanooga,
where he attended the convention of The
National Educa tionaI Association. depart
ment of superint endence. He was greatly
impressed with the convention, which he
considers was effective in doing much for
educational interests over the entire coun-
try.
Superintendent Ashmore says there were
several hundred delegates in attendance,
almost every state in the union being rep
resented. Every state east Of the Rocky
Mountains had one or more representa-
tives. Georgia led in the number of del
egates, though the convention was held in
a Tennessee city. There were forty Geor-
gla superintendents present.
Aside from the influence of the excel
followed them, much was gathered from
the convention, Mr.. Ashmore thinks, from
personal association and contact with the
leading educators who were there from
all over the country. From this as5octa-
ton alone, Mr.. Ashmore feels that he
gathered enough to repay him for the trip.
The department will probably meet next
winter at Columbus, o. 1t is customary
for the conventions to be held alternately
- 4 nv talai
! understanding when Columbus was agreed
upon as the next place of meeting that
the convention would, in 1900, come to
Georgia. The Georgia delegation was
strong enough to have dictated almost the
place at which the meeting next winter is
10 be held and it was in return for its
vote for Columbus that the understanding
was reached to have this state be The
one 10 follow Ohio with the honor of en-
tertaining the educators.
When the time comes for settling upon
the city in Georgia that is to have the
convention there will doubtless be some
thing of a contest in the caucus of the
delegation from the state. Atlanta VIII
| want il, but Savannah ought to have it,
on account of her advantages as health
and tourist resort during the winter. The
claims of the city will probably be strong
| ly put, and it is not unlikely that in 1900
| the convention will come here.
Mr.. Ashmore considered some of the
| papers that were read before the depart
! ment very fine. One of the subjects for
| discussion was Educational Problems in
| the South" "A subdivision was 'What
| Does the Negro Get From Common School
| Education and What Does He Give to IT,
! The leading paper on this subject was
read by Prof. Glenn, State School Com
| missioner. He showed that the South is
doing its full duty to the negro from an
! educational consideration of the question,
| and that the money spent for the educa-
| ton of the race is far in excess of the
| combined taxation on all property owned
| by its people. Supt. Ashmore took part
| In the discussion that ensued, which was
| almost altogether among superintendent
| from the South.
| An interesting paper was read by Prof.
| Halleck of Louisville on "What Can Child
| Study Contribute to the Science of Edu-
| catiOn? OF late years experimental
| psychology has been pursued in many
schools of the country, laboratories being
established where the various faculties
and senses of children can be tested by
| Instruments. 1t has been thought that
much good could come from these expert
ments. Prof. Halleck showed how far it
could be carried with safety and what
good could result. The general tone of
the paper was such as to put teachers on
! their guard against expecting too much
from this kind of child-study.
The discussion of School Hygiene oc-
cupied one entire afternoon session.
Lighting and Heating" Ventilation OF
Schools and Contagious Diseases. -
formed the subject of three excellent pa
pers that were read
One of the evening sessions was devoted
to a discussion of esthetic culture in
schools, one of the papers being on On
fuence of Music and Music Study on Char
acter." DR.. W. T, Harris, the United States
commissioner of education at Washington
read paper on Value of the Tragic and
Comic in Education"
The discussion of vacation schools was
another feature of the convention These
schools are conducted in some of the larg.
est cities in the most densely populated
districts for the purpose of keeping the
children off the streets 1t was shown
that in such districts the conduct of the
schools is of benefit rather than otherwise
but the majority of the superintendent
present, Mr.. Ashmore said, seemed to
think it preferable for children to have
their vacation for recreation and healthfu
exercise rather than a continuance OF
schooling.
DR.. Sheppard of Winona, Mimi, the sec.
rotary of the department, talked on Con
unuous Sessions of Normal Schools" The
| luSth ol Sucn continuous sessions is to ar
ford opportunity to teachers already en-.
gagged in teaching 10 attend during their
vacations. Mr.. Ashmore things that. while
the plan contains many features to com
mend 1t, there are also a number that
are Objectionable. 1t was thought thai
! the continuous system would apply better
in the North and West than in the South
Another session of the department was
devoted to the discussion of grading and
promotion with reference to the individual
needs of pupils. Upon this subject -educa,
tors have for several years been seeking
a remedy for the recognized drawbacks
that exist in the present methods. The long
gaps that exist in the annual promotion
of children render the usual plan undesir
able, but it has to be employed for lack
of better. This plan is for child who
has failed of promotion at the end of q
term to be sent back to the same grade fol
aother year He thus gets a setback fol
a year, when often he would be able Il
rise to the next grade after but a shorj
time spent in the lower one. He has
TO go over much ground that is familiar
to him. Mr.. Ashmore says that a semi
annual promotion is now in operation fl
many cities, which looks to the promotion
of DuDilS every six months