The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-09-22

garten education is the foundation for
higher education and national character.
The two great agencies for training
children are the home and school, ana
they should work with mutual under
Standing and harmony. The school and
home should come together. with this
end in view Mothers Meetings" have
been held in several schools during the
year for tho direct purpose of co-operat-
ing with the schools. There is reason
to hope from the good work accomplished
during the year that each school viii
have n local organization the coming
year. Such organizations will tend to
produce better mutual understanding be-
tween the homes and the schools. and
strengthen the hands of the school au'
thorities when they are honestly working
for the Improvement of the schools.
Mr.. Gladstone. in 1861, inaugurated ana
established the School Savings Bank sys-
TEN in England. In the old world the
system is in successful operation in 100000
schools, and seventy-six cities OF the
United states have on deposit for the
children Sl7s.6Jl.O2
year ago encouraged by parents we
introduced the system in Scranton, first
in No. 10 school, of which Miss Josie ID.
Lees is principal. In few months, after
Il successful trial in No. 10 school, seven
today we have on deposit S9oU.OO,
large sum considering the late depression
in business.
Improvidcnce is one OF the evils OF the
day and any system that helps TO create
or encourage habits OF thrift and econo-
my must be of lncalculable benefit to the
children. A great majority OF the chill
dren know nothing of handling money en-
cept to spend it, gratifying some desire CT
no AG nd har
work together i'm the education of The
child, the conclusion seems reasonable
That both can best encourage habits OF
providence. We do not encourage or
seek large deposits out rather encourage
all to become depositors. Further. TO
avoid begging from parents. we insist
that the money deposited shall represent
services or work of some kind.
on each Monday morning of the school
term teachers receive deposits one cent
or more, for the period OF ten minutes.
When the deposits reach one dollar the
depositor receives q bank book free or
charge from the bank. where the money
is dposited. There is no tendency toward
Injurious rivalry among the pupils and
no interruption of school work.
TRAINING SCHOOL.
The Scranton Training school. with its
High School, is elcvating the standard of
teachers. 1t provides channel through
which our High School graduates, who
possess natural abilities for teaching.
may equip themselves for the profession
of teaching. There are now thirty-two
rupil-teachers in the training class and
forty-eight graduates Of the Training
School are employed in our city schools.
The absolute necessity of pedagogical III
structior and professional training Is rec
Qgnized by the Scranton school board and
eventually 1t Will mean Il higher profes-
s!onal tone to the corps more efficiency
and better salaries.
The Teachers Mutual Benefit associa-
ton was organized March l6, 1895. Nlem-
bership fee is three dollars. and month
ly dues are 1la per cent. OF the salary. IN
case of sickness or disability, members
III good standing receive 90 per cent. OF
the salary. The society is III a prosper
Gus condition and has paid promptly all
claims for sickness. The treasurer has
paid out Slij.65 and there is OH hand q
balance of sSj02S.
War times have creatcC intense interest
in geography and history and consequent
ly our work in these subjects has given
good results. 1t is an easy matter to stir
up children as an Indian chief stirs up MS
warriors, by noise and eXhortation, but to
get inspiration out of historical texts oLf
of the subject matter under discussion
in the class room. which We tried to do,
is not an easy task. What our harvest
VIII be from patriotic teaching, only time
can determine, but We feel confident that
our patriotism has been of the right kind.
Jingoism we have not tolerated. Our
lessons have been founded on historic
iact, not fancy. The question, Are we
right"' found a positive answer in every
exercise. We presented the noblest types
of heroism and taught patriotism In its
broad humanitarian sense. Our teach
ers were conscientious and true. They did
not allow the spirit of the times to fos-
ter shallow or excitable patriotism. our
teaching has been ethical. We have
taught patriotism from the standpoint
of duty to country ir time Of peace and
war
We held our fifth annual institute in the
auditorium of the high school April I-lo
The principal instructors were Professors
NJ. q. Brumbaugh, Homer Il. Spra que and
George u. Bible. We began our work at
$50 a. m. in order TO allow the teachers
TO examine carefully the grade exhibit
which was given, not tor the purpose OF
displaying our best work, but for the
purpose of giving each teacher an exam
pie and illustration of the average work
done I'm each grade. We are satisfied that
the work at the grade exhibit was or
probability we shall continue the same
work next year. over three thousand
persons attended the various exercises
during the week.
HIGH SCHOOL.
Our attendance at the high school al me
present time is six hundred and ffty-five.
five times the attendance three years ago
There are some who think pupils are ad-
mitted to the High school at younger
age than formerly. This is not true. The
average age today, Ii $40. is the averaga
age for the last ten years. The prirci-
pal of the high school sent ms the follow
ing report last wear. Freshmen, II $40
years; sophomores. lG years; juniors. II
years; seniors, Il 7-l0 years
The provisions OF the COMPULSORY law
are accepted with good grace. our at
tendance has steadily increased and tru-
ancy has been reduced to q minimum
While the compulsory law compels pupils
to attend school, we do not rely upon the
strength of the law but upon the good
sense of the community. We have sue
ceeded in placing hundreds OF boys and
girls in school who heretofore roamed the
streets.
We have consulted parents, not magis-
trates. We are receiving aid AT every cor
ner and there are G"t few boys and girls
roaming the streets aimlessly between
nine in the morning and four in the at
ternoon. Our boys and girls are where
:hey shou ue-at the desks in the school
room.
During the year We opened sixty even
ing schools and kept them open four
months. We gave instruction to l,53g pu-
pills among whom were l6I girls. For lne
maintenance of the evening schools we
spent S7607.S5. This is emphatically an
industrial town where good night schools