The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-02
Weighty Objections Raised
to Senate Bill IL.

schools. There were present from Wor-
Carroll, George F. Brooks, DR.. C. F.
Hodge, Rev. A. S. Carver, DR.. Amanda
C. Bray and Henry F. Harris of the
school committee. The Worcester dele
cation submitted the following formal
protest signed by every member of the
delegation:
At meeting held on Saturday even
Ing, Feb. is, the school committee of
Worcester unanimously adopted the
following resolutions:
That the superintendent of schools
(Mr. C. F. Carron), the chairman of the
school committee (Mr. G.. f. Brooks).
DR.. Amanda Bray, DR.. C. F. Hodge,
Dr. A. S. Carver, Mr.. Henry f. Harris,
be committee to appear at the legis-
lative hearing to demonstrate against
the passage of Senate bill No. Al, or
against such legislation as is therein
proposed.
In accordance with this resolution,
the committee appointed respectfully
submit the following:
We earnestly protest against the pas
sage of this amendment because we be-
lieve that the curriculum for the pub
lie schools should not be determined by
legislation. The arrangement of the
program in all other subjects is left to
the judgment of the local school com
mlttees. If this principle We're to be
ADOPTED in one instance, there could be
no good reason why the entire curri-
culum might not eventually be pre-
scribed by Legislative enactment, Such,
a principle is wholly foreign to the
theory OF the school system at present
prevailing in the United States.
!. IL would be equally foreign to our
theory, and as we believe, equally
harmful, to require teachers to certify
tnat they had done what thew are
plainly called upon to do. ANY failure
on the part of teachers to do their duty
speedily subjects them to discipline on
tue part of their superiors in office, The
proposed method would make the
teachers, to very large extent, respon-
slole to state authorities for the ner
tormance of their duty. This principle
would De revolutionary in the extreme.
lessen opllgatlon on the part of local
auIhorlties, and define the personal re-
extent That the normal enthusiasm
suffer. sU'e ~
The time to be devoted to any sub
Ject should be determined by those
VINO Know most about the schools
Teachers and superintendent are pre-
sumaoly best fitted to determine the
proportions in which diff ercnt subjects
should be taught Any attempt on the
part OF the legislature, or any others
outside of the profession, CLEARLY tends
TO discount those engaged in the pro-
1esslon. Furthermore, such legislation
would make it impossible to arrange
the sIudIes according to generally ac-
cepted pedagogical principles. The CIR
nculum itself would be distorted by
such interference and all development
would be rendered impossible if che
tlme Tor any single subject were to be
determined by law. Within the last
rev years, many changes have been
made in accordance with the proernss
OF civilization, and many other such
changes are imminent. Even under mo-
nafchlcal institutions, where the sys-
tenn OF education Is wholly administca-
1--WE, recommendations for changes are
made by those connected with educa-
tional affairs.
we further believe that the RESPONSE
ollty for the quality and accuracy of
text books to be used in the n1lbiic
schools should rest with the state hoard
OF education, and that the local boards
snould nave some authority IN deter
mining where text books are to be
used, as in other subjects.
AS a committee, we profess a deep
interest in the cause of temperance.
and desire that this subject should be
properly brought before the minds of
the youth in the public schools. but we
believe that such legislation as is
proposed in the Senate bill No. Al
would not only interfere with the mo
gfess and success of the public school
system as whole, as we have init
mated above, but that it would prove
an lrreparable injury to the advance
ment of temperance itself.
we make this unqualified statement
because we believe that such legisla-
ton would interfere with the reason
able exercise of proper Judgment and
freedom on the part of school officers
and teachers, and that because of the
excessive amount of instruction pro-
posed, the subject would soon become
offensive to the children themselves.
II we might be allowed to offer a, rec
ommendatlon, it should be that the
subject of hygiene and physiology
should be carefully taught during at
least three or four years of the school
course, and that the effects of mar
cotics and stimulants should be con-
nected with this instruction in such
amounts as to clearly meet the de-
mands of the case from both moral and
scientific standpolnts.
The principals and teachers of the
schools of Worcester affirm that they
nave faithfully and conscicntiously car
Iled out the provisions of the present
Jaw, out they join the school commit
Tee IN vigorously and unanimously pro-
testing against the provisions set forth
IN the proposed law calling for an ex-
tension Of the requirements in connec-
ton with this subject.
superintendent Carroll addressed the
committee. He told who the persons
are whose names are signed to the re-
monstrance and the position they oc-
cupy. He called attention to the fact
that in the bill as proposed there are
IL Thou shalt and Thou shalt nots."
he said that such a cast-iron theory
of school legislation is not found else
where. All the penalties that are now
imposed in school legislation are in the
working of the school machinery. The
Dill Is offensive to all who know any,
thing about teaching. He said it is CON
trary to the judgment of teachers.
Calling attention to the unanimous
vote OF 800 school teachers Of Worces-
ter against the bill, he said the bin
was read in their hearing and the
teachers voted without any Influence
being brought to bear. Yet there was
some question raised. To answer thar
he said secret ballot was taken Of
100 teachers, and they We're unanimons
against the Hunt bill and in favor Of
the Meyers bill. v ~
He said school authorities do not pre-
tend to use text books between the Srst
and fourth grades except readers rra,,t
books are a diminishing factor in 80,
cation all over the state. The norn,aI
schools are working in that line T,
prescribe the text book entirely Is oo,,
trary to the best Judgment Of an sch Vm1
authorities and teachers. He said wbot
u nsadnd Tor a aMnoasaful uni,,ta"na l