The record-union., 1899-01-18
SOCIOLOGICAL EDUCATION.
MEETING OF TEACHERS AND
OTHERS LAST NIGHT.
The Author Of the Proposed Bill
Discussed It With
Them.

There was quite large assembly OF
teachers and others last night at tne
rooms of the City Board of Education
to listen to w. J. Gavigan I'M relation 10
g bill introduced by him for the forma-
ton of a Bureau of Sociological IN
struction.
He said the bill had been prepared IN
line with the formation of Mothers
Clubs, for the purposes of child STUDY
In order that literature might be uis-
tributed and that progress on the hhes
indicated in the bill be attained, the
State Superintendent of Public lnstruc-
ton had been named in the bill as the
head of the organization.
He read the bill, which PROVIDES lor
the formation of the bureau by the
addition of two deputies to the ONCE
of the Superintendent, who, with nl1n'
should constitute it. 1t provides Iur-
ther that Boards of Trustees or CITY
Boards of Education shall have power
to provide for the physical examination
of children attending kindergartens ana
primary schools, and in their discretion
classify them according to their pnysl-
cal strength and temperament. Qauh-
fed licensed physicians may be en-
ployed, to be paid in the same manner
as Census Marshals, but he thought
there were many young physicians VINO
would voluntarily serve as examiners
without salary, and take an interest
In the work.
The bureau is also. to prepare Tor
circulation and distribution among the
mothers of school children and teachers
of public schools data and literature
which would better equip them with
knowledge for the moral, mental ana
physical training of childhood, and
bring about cooperation of parent and
teacher in training and educating OF
the pupil The members of the bureau
are to study crime and pauperism with
reference to drunkenness, opiates, id1-
ocy and disease.
The expense to the State, he said,
would be about $4,000 a year, to put
the plan into operation and practice
the study of sociology with regard to
children. It is, he said, a modified copy
of the bill passed by the Legislature
last session, but vetoed by the Gov
ernor, who, while he approved it, dis
approved of the classification in some
respects. He hoped that any of those
present would make any suggestions to
better it.
Senator Boyce who was present, said
he favored the bill and stood ready to
do all in his power to forward it. While
the former bill was vetoed by the Gov
ernor, he thought he had no unfriendly
feeling toward it. That bill was much
misunderstood in the Legislature and
was much criticised. but he thought
the present bill an Improvement, and
he was much interested in it.
Copies of the bill were distributed to
the audience, and after they had been
examined, Mr.. Gavigan asked any who
were interested to make remarks.
E. I. Calvin said he thought this a
movement in the direction of better
education He would not only advo-
cate distribution of literature among
the teachers but the work of uplifting
the children The cooperation of the
mothers with the teachers is another
important point in the bill. There has
been too much of a gap between the
home and the schoolroom, and it should
no longer exist. He favored teaching
from physiological charts, better ven
tilation of schoolrooms more attention
to proper seats. and other important
matters. There should be good Ii
braries and plenty of good literature,
to which the pupils should have free
access, their minds be directed into the
proper channels, and teachers should
strive to develop right thought and
principle. There should be a law in
every State against the misuse of the
printing press and the bill board. which
daily upsets in the minds of the chill
dren as they go to and from the school,
the lessons in purity and good morals
they have learned there.
Mr.. Tighe said he had been impressed
by the scheme for the distribution of
literature to the parents. When the
parent is interested in his child. he OBJ
serves better the influences that are
being exerted upon If parents can be
interested in this line a great work
will be done in bringing them and the
teachers together.
Superintendent Erlewine said that in
his position he was brought much in
contact with the problem of under
standing between teacher and parent.
Whatever could bring them closer to-
gether must do much good. He thought
there was much in the personality of
the teacher. No matter what were the
scholastic requirements of the teacher,
If there is a lack in personality there
must be failure.
He did not see how the details of the
bill were to be wiped out. It would
give information by examination, for
instance, that child was near-sighted,
color blind or nervous but he did not
think it would be we'll to put all the
nervous children together in one room.
Mr.. Gavigan said the examination
would segregate the nervous from the
phlegmatic children, but the bill does
mot provide for putting them into two
different classes. 1t would, however,
show that a child was perhaps nervous
and required different treatment The
restlessness of a child often arises from
disease and the examination would
disclose that fact and indicate a proba-
BILE remedy. The literature provided for
by the. central bureau would throw out
hints for the management of such
cases. The teacher and parents would
be educated in first principles and in
the signs and symptoms which indi-
cate disease.
Miss Weeks. Principal of the Sacra-