Evening star., 1898-07-13
M A N U AL TRAINl N G
Its Desirability Shown as Part Of Elemen-
tary Education.
Experienced Pedagogues Discuss n
to the Rising Generation.

The department of elementary education
held it's second and closing session in the
Congregational Church this afternoon at
o'clock, the meeting being opened by Pres
ident Hailmann, who announced that, ow-
ing to the enforced absence of two of the
speakers, the program for the day would
be slightly different from that announced
Miss Mary F. Hall, supervisor of primary
work in the schools of Milwaukee, Wis,
read paper on the value of the hand in
the acquisition of knowledge and express
sion of thought Miss Hall is enthu-
siast on the benefits of manual raining.
and showed conclusively that only by en-
ploying and directing the natural energies
of the healthy child can the best develop
ment of his brain cells be attained. and
that hence manual training is an essential
feature of successful education, both men-
tai and moral
Word Of Caution.
Miss Halls paper was dis cussed by Su-
perintendent George Griffith of Utica, N
Y, who proclaimed himself friend OF
manual training, which he mad long adVo-
Gated and which he had introduced into
the schools of Utica and other places, but
it was necessary he said to utter a word
of caution against giving TOO prominent a
place in the school course to this work.
III mas It's proper pidCe we tHu"'
give it its due share of attention" said the
speaker. "and it is a stroke OF policy 10
recognize 1t as part, and part only, IN
education
At one time II was necessary to eXaEger-
ate the place of manual training in order
to introduce 1t in the school, but there is
danger nowadays Of losing sight of the
fundamental law that self activity is MOI
to be limited to manual work.
A Law of Instruction.
Mr.. Griffith went on to say thai reason
ing is as truly self-activity as the exer-
else Of the hands. and that teachers must
recognize the fact The part os the brain
devoted to motor activities is large com
pared with other sections, and in cxer-
else through the hand this part Of the
brain Is educated, and it was shown that in
manual training one Of the most important
channels both of attaining and expressing
knowledge is opened, and TO be o. real
value must be begun when the child Is
young: yet there is danger of mistake when
We hold that our instruction shoaid oe al
objective. Use objects in order TO get rio
of objects and to establish the fundamen-
tai ideas so clearly that we may work
without Objects was a law Of instruction
which Superintendent Grifhsh impressed
forcibly upon his hearers.
The speaker closed his most interesting
remarks with the statement that he had
observed that children universally took
most other things, and therefore X should
be used, not only in the shop, but applied
in all lines of school work--geography.
arithmetic drawing, &c.-to cultivate the
imagination of the children, giving life
to the work through the hands.
In Elementary Schools.
The second paper of the session was de-
livered by Principal Richard Waterman of
the Chicago schools, who held the atten-
ton of the entire audience while he spoke
upon Manual Training in Elementary
Schools" illustrating by descriptions of
the work as carried on in the Chicago sys-
tenn.
One of the most interesting features of
his paper was an account of the teaching
of domestic science. where not only is
cooking taught to the girls, but house
keeping in all it's branches, from bed room
to cellar.
Manual training to be of value.' said
Mr. Waterman, must he with a purpose
for only so the best results attainable,
inculcating accuracy, promptness ana neat
ness.
Evils of Rivalry.
Mr. Waterman was followed by Super
visor B. c. Gregory of Trenton, \. j., who
was to have discussed q paper by Nj. Hig-
gins of Toronto the desirability of fos-
tering the social effort the pars of pu-
pills. In the absence of Mr.. Hughes, the
subject was most admirably treated by
Mr.. Gregory, who showed the disadvan-
tage of the old system of holding children
to arbitrary standards of competition The
only true measure of eacn child is him
self, and rivalry is always opposed to help
fulness and the fostering of the best spirit
in class. He showed that the child who,
though possessing small capacity, does
faithful work, is worthy of as much or
greater praise than the naturally bright
pupil who stands at the head of his class
Mr.. Gregory closed his remarks with
those most beautiful and encouraging
words Of George Eliot, Failure after long
perseverance is better than never to have
had a striving worthy the name of failure
THE SOUTHERN CONTINGENT.