Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-01-02

Milwaukee, Dec. 29.-Whea President
Rose G. Swart of the Wisconsin State
Teachers association made her address
Wednesday there were present at least
500 members of the association. Her
remarks were listened to with atten-
ton. In part she said:
Papers and reports will be present
ed at these meetings, looking to the
Improvement of the rural schools. For
This Improvement there are two gen
eral plans; one, to change to greater
or less degree the existing constitution
of those schools; the other to preserve
them practically as now constituted,
and perfect the existing agencies for
their Improvement. 1T lies with this
association to determine by the exer-
else of enlightened judgment which of
these two general plans is the better,
or whether it is better to employ fea
lures of both, thus adapting them to
the interests of communities different
ly conditioned.
why do so many children, boys
especially drop out in the upper gram
mar grades Of our city schools, or con-
tinue to work with only half heart,
and what can be done to prevent it,
are questions that were long ago point
ed out as universal and pressing in our
country The cause is undoubtedly
complex, and not to be arrived at from
a single point of view, but 1t is doubt
less true that the shortening of the
grammar school course in some direc-
lions and it's enrichment in others, with
a more vital treatment Of subjects
taught, would hold boys in these days
longer by increasing their interest in
the studies pursued.
"A child Of eight years In school
should save time enough from the
study of arithmetic to acquire some
knowledge of algebra and geometry.
His study Of geography should in that
time cause the nations of the earth 60
stand out as entities, each Of which
contributes to the life OF the great
world family some individual eharac
fenstic; it should teach him to be in
terested in, and to sympathize with
live and work out their destiny; it
should make him intelligent about the
great markets of the worlds commod-
tiles and the commerce by which they
are exchanged; in short, it should give
the human side of geography its due
prominence.
His study of history in that time
a
from the days of Abraham to these lat
er days in which his own young coun-
try has taken upon herself the regen-
GRAFTON of the islands of the sea.
Our normal schools have greatly in
I creased in number in the past few
years Established in this state more
than thirty years ago, it is possible for
them to adhere too long or too closely
to the original plan OF organization.
Are their present courses of study such
in number, in time, in extent, as to
meet the needs of the community to
whose teaching force they do or should
contribute?
"A wall comes up from all the land
that the secondary schools do not make
English scholars, that the young men
and women who ask admission to the
colleges can neither speak nor, write
English correctly, to say nothing OF
fiuency or elegance. We all know this
is too generally true. In the matter of
maintaining the purity Of our language
IN this country, we have some serious
conditions to contend against but
probably the most serious Of all is a
too wide Indifference to it. Every
teacher who loves his country should
be scholar in his language and should
periodically and religiously labor to
make such scholars out Of the pupils
entrusted to his care. How to arrange
and carry out course Of study that
will help the teachers from the primary
department to the high school to do
this may well be matter of study on
the part of a special committee of this
association until better plans vindicate
themselves in better results.
This association, like all other en-
terprises, needs money to carry on
business When our affairs are eco
nomically managed we pay expenses,
but there is nothing left with which
to undertake the work of investigation
so necessary before anything construc
tive can safely be decided upon Our
membership is our only source of rev.
enue. With the desire to increase the
amount at our disposal for the study of
educational problems in general and
educational practices in other states,
letters were sent out to the superin-
tendents throughout the country ask
ing the amount Of membership fee in
the different state associations. The
various states have different fees. :"
She recommended an increase in the
membership fee.
After Miss Swarts address Albert
Salisbury, president of the Whitewater
normal school, made an interesting adj
dress on the rural school problem. The
outcome of his talk will likely be the
appointment of committee to draft
bill to be presented to the legislature
abolishing the present rural school