The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-10

cation to which the school fuud ~ =.
be lawfully applied; this Il cordor,, !. ~
BY Art 5000. Revised statutes ~ Is.s
which was = re-enactment OF the n,sssss !
passed years ago. Kindergarten ed,,css,cs
can not come within the terms Of secss |.
riAntsm as Will be more fully eho I'm hs,sI
after. = ' ''
The school age is now hxed by les,s,..
tive enactment as follows; Art. xons ia !.
viscd Statutes Of 1885, "All children win.
out regard to color over years ~ q
and under II years Of age at the her,S !.
ming 81 any scholastic year shall BE- q,
titled TO the benent OF the public school
iund ior wat year This age does not
therefore to the question, ought Inc Stat
to provide for such education? That II
ought to so provide we believe is a nos.
tulate and not proposition. Kinderrar-
ten children earden) is place for train
ing young children who have passed the
nursery and have not reached the school
room. We will not attempt by argument
TO JUSTIFY the expenditure of State funds
in kindergarten education further than Ia
say that We believe we have passed the
field OF debate along that line. An argu-
ment directed against an expenditure Of
State funds for kindergarten education
holds good against any and all educator,
between the university and the kndcrear-
ten. III -
BY the kindergarten it is not proposed
TO organize nursery, but to take young
child which has passed that state and
has not yet reached the school room.
surround Il by beautiful ana lovely things,
and by the use OF form, color music,
plays, etc., organize its mind and body
for the work to follow In the school room
and after life. And here we quote from
.Talcott Williams In contribution to the
Century In January, 1898, as follows:
The child is led through series Of
formative occupations in plating, weav-
Ing, modelling through games which bring
into play all the social relations, and
through songs and the simple use of num-
DER. form and language. The gifts ali
play their manifold purpose inspiring the
child, awakening and leading the indi-
vidual along the path the race has trod
and teaching self-control."
The child does not attend the kinder-
garten to hear lectures; it does not 70 as
task; 1t is not made to go, but 1t goes
because 1t wants to go: it goes for the
pleasure and profit 1t finds In going 1t
has surroundings to suggest and promote
inquiry. Information is not $crammed Into
1T by rule and rote, nor thrashed into 1t
by hickory. 1.-The kindergarten child has
passed the nursery; It r. no longer In
the school room; its mind is expanding
and It seeks information. Children within
the kindergarten age must have games
and plays Unguarded they organize for
themselves, and who does not know the
demoralizing games and plays INDUCED in
by blameless children. These children
come from the yard the street, the alley
and the gutter.
II is not our purpose to enter fully into
details as to the Importance of kin
dergarten education. We believe 1t will
be recognized by all who give the subject
any thought; but it may be Of interest to
notice what other States are doing upon
this subject, though we think that Texas
should lead them all. Philadelphia, Bos-
ton, Milwaukee and st. Louis have incor-
porated the kindergarten into the public
school system. New York, Chicago, Brook
lyn and Buffalo are now demanding the
same thing, and we think the governing
power will unquestionably yield to these
demands. In Baltimore, Cincinnati, De-
troit Pittsburg, Washington and New Or
leans kindergartens are maintained by
charitable and religious associations In
San Francisco the kindergartens have
been endowed and are thus supported.
France has the system and ten years
ago had 741,224 children In the school be-
tween 8 and years old, The population
of France 1t must be remembered is more
than a third less than the United States.
Five years ago the children in the kinder
gartens of the United States were only
so, 423. Switzerland was the first country
to adopt Froebel's system. and at that
time 1t was the only republic In Europe.
France did not adopt 1t until she became
a republic. And yet Froebel. the founder
of the system, who came from the Thur
ingian forest OF Germany, is quoted as
saying, THE spirit Of American national
ity is the only one in the world with
which his method was in complete bar
mony and to which its legitimate instltu-
lions would present no barrier"
Texas is great State. always looking
after the interests of her children. We
know she will not remain a laggard in
this mighty march of mental and physical
force
We trust that your honorable body will
see its way clear to comply with the re-
quest herein made. We believe that the
can be made without be-
coming offensive ~ the constitution and
that it will only be yielding to the de-
mands of the great mass of the people.