The record-union., 1899-04-22
"A NATTER OF SCHOOL QUESTIONS

A correspondent. presumably pupil
In the common schools, writes from the
country to the Record Union" asking
this journal to publish For the bene-
fit Of the pupils in the public schools,
the principal events in President Har-
risons administration, President Cleve-
lands second term, and also in Presi-
dent McKinley's administration, to the
present time"
The Record Union" is disposed to be
pbliging to its correspondents, and
complies information asked for when
ever it can do so without too great tres
pass upon time. It declines to respond
in the present case, for the reason that
If the publication would inform the pu-
pills of the schools in a manner that
would enable them to answer the ques-
tions of their teachers correctly without
original research, it would be of no ben
eft to the pupils.
The period covered is a term of ten
years. In that time we have made his
tory more rapidly and in greater vol
Q1llC tudA III dlly QGCdQC SlilCC ll1C lCDC4-
lion. If a written question has been
given out to pupils in the public schools
the correct answer to which involves
reading of the history of the nation for
a decade, in order to discharge d sin
gle school task, then it was error to set
that labor for the pupil. 1t is quite too
much to- ask of children in the common
schools to keep abreast with their
classes in the multitudinous studies
pursued, without overhauling historical
and political records of the past ten
years in our national history.
But waving the question of the i'm
polite character of such work; if it is
advisable, then it certainly was intend
ed that the answers returned should
be the result of reading and research
by the pupils, not by some one for
them. 1t would not only not benefit the
pupils to receive the information COM
pressed into one newspaper column, but
1t would defeat the very purpose the
teachers have in view. It would re-
Quire search of ten large cyclopedic
volumes or of the files of the Record
Union for ten years. The proceedings
of Congress for decade should be gone
over. 1t involves search of the record
OF all the treaties made and the COM
pacts formed by our nation, the exarni-
nation Of the platforms of all the polit-
acal parties, the acts of the Presidents
as reelected by and treated of in their
messages, etc. For who is to deter
mine what have been the chief events
un our history in the past ten years?
made under these administrations in
discovery. science, art and industry
docs it include the relations we have
formed or broken off with other nations ?
Does 1T embrace the several interna-
tional exhibitions held, the settlement
of national debts, the adjustment of
qailroad Indebtedness. the whole in
volved matter of the tariff schedules,
and a score of other subjects?
Or is it intended to call upon the
memory OF the pupils only to ascertain
what is stored in their minds concern
ing the greater national events under
'fhree administrations? Hardly that,
Eince none of the pupils can carry back
1he memory for that period of time
touching national matters. Original
research was intended then by the pu-
pills and formation of judgment as to
what are principal events Should
that go outside OF the information that
has been impaired to them in the
schools? Probably an affirmative answer
must be given to that question. If so
then assuredly it was intended that the
children should themselves hunt up and
give the answers.
But TO such q comprehensive and far
reaching inquiry no pupil in the public
schools is equal, or if equal, he or she
must give up too much valuable time
from current study to accomplish tn,
task We reach the conclusion that il
such sweeping inquiry has been mad,
by teachers, and if answers are expect
ed that will be approximately correct
and exhaustive, then too much has beer
given TO the pupils to do. The natural
nay the inevitable outcome Of suci