Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-26
PROGRESS OF The SCHOOLS
New Departures in Methods Of instruction
Within the Past Year.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
study of Pictures and Artists Proves
Interesting and ProhtabIe-Meth-
DDS Designed TO Train the OBJ
servation of the Young.

superintendent Pearse has filed with the
Board Of Education his annual report on the
work of the city schools for the last year.
It deals with all important phases of the
conditions of the schools and discusses In
an interesting way some new departures in
the methods of instruction.
The total enrolment in the schools was
1863 greater than that OF the year before, ex-
elusive OF the number added by the estab-
lishnent OF night schools and despite a
slight falling off in the number of children
Of school age in the city. The average num-
ber belonging, however, decreased three.
This slight decrease and the absence OF the
increase naturally expected from Increased
enrolment, was doubtless due to the small
pox epidemic and all its attendant circum-
stances; and the same cause. combined with
the unusual severity OF the winter weather,
cut down the average daily attendance no.
ticeably.
On account OF the falling off Ia daily at
tendance the cost of maintaining the schools
per pupil increased, although number Of
other factors, such as increased fuel bills
increased vacation pay to janitors and res
toratlon of reduced teachers salaries, also
contributed to the same result
One of the many undertakings of recent
years to render school life as attractive as
possible to the children is the use of pic
tures in the school rooms. Until lately the
few pictures that adorned the walls of school
rooms and halls were very likely to be some
kind OF cheap, gaudy chrome or print. The
picture movement has been scarcely less
concerned to Danish these as TO increase the
number Of good pictures. The Omaha Wo-
mems club, through it's art department, has
been of material aid in aroueing interest
among school children in artists and good
pictures, an interest which exists among both
pupils and teachers 1t has not in very many
cases been possible to get expensive pic
lures, though good many engravings and
large imported photographs are to be found.
But reproductions, by wood engraving and
Photographic processes, have been procured
in large numbers through the efforts of the
pupils and are scattered through every
school.
The influence of these pictures has been
noted particularly in two ways. An in
tellectual interest has been awakened in the
study of the picture, in the artist, his per-
sonalty, his time and his principal themes
But beyond this the pictures have been felt.
The beauty, the dignity, the sentiment have
appealed to the children and often moved
them without their consciousness of the fact
Unpromising and apparently dull pupils have
often taken deep interest in them when It
seemed that no other part of the school work
would
Science Lectures.
Lessons in the elements Of natural science
sometimes called mature lessons" have be-
come part of the work in most progressive
schools. These sciences are not taken up
Systematically or by the use of any text
book, but the common animals and insects
and plants and the common phenomena of
nature which present themselves to the eX-
perience of all are studied in a simple, direct,
experimental way. Such Of the reasons for
the phenomena are talked over as the chill
dren are prepared to discover and under
stand. The caterpillar is watched through
the various changes of its career until 1t is
fitting about as handsome butterfly. The
beetle, the ant the sparrow, the kitten, the
seeds and leaves and flowers are all brought
into the school room and the children study
them instead Of hearing about them.
The theory is that benefits come in at least
two ways. The children learn something
about the common things in nature with
which they will be brought in contact more
or less in their daily lives; they get pleas
ant interest in them and habit of seeing
the things that are about them. Further
than this these studies put thoughts into
the little heads and furnish valuable ma
terial for use in number lessons language
lessons and in other work of the school.
The most serious drawback to this work in !
the schools has been the deficiency of the
teachers in this very knowledge. Botany, |
zoology, entomology and ornlthology, per-
haps physics and chemistry, formed no part |
of their studies in the high school, the nor
NAL school or the college. Realizing this |
the Omaha teachers last fall organized them |
selves for the purpose of getting some of this |
kind OF instruction. They contributed the |
necessary funds and appointed committee |
to take charge Of the expenditure. Prof |
Charles f. Bessey of the University OF Ne
braska was secured to give a series of les
sons on plants and Prof. Lawrence Bruner |
for series of lessons on insects and birds. |
Fifteen of these lessons were given in all, |
the teachers meeting on Friday afternoons
in the assembly room at the city hall to re-
ceive the instruction.
The matter was entirely voluntary on the