The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-07
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL UNION.

The Public School union of the city will close its
second full at the meeting tomorrow night in the
Central high school, and enter another of greater
breadth of work with the encouragement of having
its right exist by meeting and satisfying public
The general officers of the board of directors will be
chosen the reports of the officers and committees and OF
the local unions will be presented and the lines upon
which the unions profaby work next year will DO
discussed In these days of social activities when the
tendency organized effort strong the forma
tons 1t is proof of yirility when any OF
them survive their first year. There Is among them that
struggle for existence with the survival of the est that
characterzes life this planet and makes amid many
disappontmens and heartbunings for ultimate
The primary purpose Of the unions is to bring the
patrons Of schools better understanding and a
probation of the modern methods Of teaching and
far possible the impression that progress faddism
that however striking may be the forward movement
among other sciences that of pedagogy attained perfection
generation ago. Such an impression, If widely enter
ained handicaps the schools by putting those holding it
in chronic state of adverse criticism, which. freely
pressed at home is absorbed by the children, making
harder the task of the teacher Where there appreciation
the that teaching felt the universal Impulse OF
Improvement has developed into science. If yet in
complete there is cooperation Of the home and school
that greatly facilitates the work in the latter 1t to
bring this very desirable condition that the union
established and, in those districts where the union
has been successful in attracting the interest and
support parents it is the testimony of teachers that
their work is greatly ghtened and the progress Of
pupils greater This is but the reflex action of the in
uence Of the unions the children through the homes
During the past year the potentiaes of the unions
have developed lines other than the primary 1t
has been found that there material field for useful
tivity we'll the scholastic 1t took shape
first in the movement Of the unions organizations,
awaken public opinion to support the demand for in
creased financial support for the schools and it placed
hind the delegation in the legislature the backing Of
large constituency knowing what it wanted, before which
the efforts Of few to defeat minimize the increase
proved futile. interest the schools attention
tended the schoohouses, they with their
tion their needs and their faults became matter of
yestigaton The unions became supporting body Of
sttuents behind the principals lend weight and influence
to their requests for needed supplies Some unions alarm
prevalence affections of the eye among their
children studying the light supply of the with
view to securing such changes Of structure will ar
ford the greatest possible quantity of light
In the process of differentiation thus going in the
growth Of the unions is apparent that they beco
ing the adults of the district the intellectuaso
should be restricted children of school age
but that their be expanded to include every
ganzed effort that has education in any direction for its
purpose. For this suitable provisions will have to be
made In the buildings and. where possible, in the
old ones. by making assembly halls permanent part CT
each building be used for school purposes and for these
gatherings Under the discreet control Of the board
prevent abuse these be opened to every
organization having educatve non-polcal purpose.