The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-29
sos PARTISAN SCHOOLS.
Civil Service Law Recommended for
Improvement of School System

Civil Service Law Recommended for
Improvement of School System
The district and graded school depart
ment OF the State Teachers association
met for the first time Wednesday otter
noon at the First Baptist church. Supt.
Is. B. Bone, presided.
The first paper was read by Supt. J.
H Jackson of Nickerson. It was en-
titled. Equal Opportunities for Child
rem in Rural and City Schools" He be-
Heves that the advantages lie largely In
favor Of the city children. He says that
classification Of country schools is alb
sOlutely impossible with the present
facilities. The wages are too low and
the term too short for the progressive
and ambitious teacher to remain long
in the country. For this reason mainly
the country children have unequal
chances with the city children. The
paper was discussed by Supt. Martin r.
Howard, LeavenWorth county; Supt. J.
v COlV1lle, SedgWlck county; Supt- X
F. Curran, Crawford county; Prof. W.
S. Picken, State Normal, and others.
A paper on the subject, Relation of
the Public Schools to Purity in the Ad-
ministratiOn Of Municipal, County and
State Governments was prepared by
Supt. J. W. Cooper of Newton. He said
in part: Never before has there been
such a need of strong arms, strong
brains and purity of legislation as at
the present time. 1t depends largely
upon a proper training of the young.
Whatever we want to take place in the
schools Instruction must root and
ground the pupils in the underlying
principles Of government. Most high
schools give one term to the study or
CiVicS. So few pupils ever reach the
high school that the subject should re-
CeiVe attention In the grades. We some
times hear that training for good citi-
zenship is the province of the church.
This as a mistake, as the church can
never withstand the effects of detri-
mental home influences or Of inefficient
GRh Tre9f n a 111 RI nj Nrnf nr-z
of this country receive their only train
ing for citizenship in the schools.
Teachers Of the past thought 1t neces-
sary to hedge the pupils in by rigid
rules The teacher of today gives but
one injunction, Do right But the
pupils do not always know the right;
to test their ideas of right and to lead
them to a correct appreciation OF the
right is the duty of the teacher.
IF anything is base in the whole
school system 1t is the degradation Of
1.-THE schools to partisan purposes. This
could be effectively overcome by apply
ing the civil service law to the appoint
ment of teachers. In the selection of
school officers, not alone competency.
but moral fitness should be considered.
THE ideal of the school should be
that of sound morality and the develop
ment in pupils of a character that will
Withstand temptation"
The paper was discussed by Principal
H. w. Dingus, Mount City; Supt. E. A.
harrington, PaOla, and Miss Catharine
darkness OF Ness county
The primary and kindergarten de-
partment met in the First Presbyterian
church, with Mrs. J. H. Hunt as chair
man. A lecture by Miss Charline P.
Morgan, supervisor of kindergarten at
Kansas State Normal school, on "Rela-
ton of the Kindergarten to the Public
School, was first upon the programme.
It was a practical talk and was thoT'-
oughly enjoyed. About thirty minutes
was occupied by a general discussion of
the lecture.
Miss Esther Schopflin of Kansas City
read a paper on What We Expect the
Kindergarten Children to Know When
They Enter the Primary" 1t was dis
cussed by Miss Ravens, Wellington;
Miss Hedges, Garnett, and Miss Nc
CURE, Omega
At the city superintendent Round
Table several talks were made by
prominent superintendent of the state.
Supt. Dyer of Wichita spoke on the sub
ject of enriching the elementary course
of study. Supt. W. NJ. Davidson of To
peka spoke on the subject, What Is the
fShearer Method of Promotion its Ad-
vantages and Disadvantages. He said
in part: THE Shearer method is this:
In the east the annual method of pro-
motion prevails, and in the west the
semi-annual. He maintains that the
number of pupils is too great for the
teacher to meet the needs of each indi-
vidual. So the room Is divided into
groups of four or five pupils of an aver
age ability. 1t increases the number of
Rotations, but greater thOrOughness is
secured. Promotions occur at the end
Of each month. If a pupil is ready to
do the work of the next division, he is
passed up and the examinations at the
end of the term are done away with.
The examinations should be for teach
ing purposes and not for promotion"
Supt. GIOtfelter of AtchiSOn spoke on
the question, "Can the Elementary
Course be Shortened? If so, How?"