The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-21
Especial Correspondence

Ogden, May 20.-The Weber county
teachers held their regular half-term
meeting yesterday at the county court
house. One of the most enjoyable and
profitable sessions of the year was had
There was a large attendance, especial
~ when the inclement weather is con-
sidered.
Miss Gertrude Smith of the Riverdale
school read a paper on School Decora-
tion," demonstrating aptly the benefits
to be derived from school-room adorn-
ment and well-kept grounds.
Prof. J. NJ. Bishop delivered a care
fully prepared paper on the .Herbar-
tan Theory" which gave to the audi
ence the result of Mr.. Bishops long and
careful study of the great reformers
new educational system.
Prof William NJ. Stewart of the state
university was again a welcome guest
of the institute and presented number
of valuable ideas on the subject of
New Movements in Education"
Among the thoughts presented were the
following:
a great and radical change in school
methods is demanded, and he predicted
it. The intellectual is not only encour-
aged at the sacrifice of the physical, es-
pecially in our larger cities, but tasks
in-proportioned to the age OF the child
trous results. A careful examination
of conditions reveals the fact that the
best educators, locally or otherwise, are
country born and reared. The country
has become the nursery for the city,
and the worlds greatest scientists are
waking to realization of the cause by
devoting as much attention to a study
of the species of bug called man as to
any other. The day when the child's
thoughts shall be wholly occupied by
objects other than itself is going. In
dividua1 development has been found
to be a. prototype of the development of
the race, and the possession OF this
knowledge is the cause of an imperative
demand that the course and time Of
study be at once radically changed. A
child is born with selfish tendencies.
His early life is one of activity. 1t is
a period of impulsiveness and not of
deep reflection, and it is wrong to up
hold a system of teaching which i'm
poses life of antagoniSm to natures
own true way of growth.
Kindergartens take the child at g. the
primary schools at 6, the intermediate
at 9, the grammar school at II and the
high school and universities finish
wearing them out, and instead of get
ting a benefit from these institutions
commensurate with their cost, we hear
no more of the majority of our gradu
ates than that they graduated. A true
education will make a better physical
man, but according to our present
methods the country-b bred child is for
tunate that our schools don't get him
any sooner.
In an article published in the January
number of the Popular Science Month
~, by Prof. Packard, the position was
taken that a, child should not be taught
to read or write before the age of 10,
and that it was quite possible for a
student to honorably graduate from the
eighth grade and not be able to do
either. The time has come when the
natural impulses of the child should
be taken as a guide to his development,
and such conditions be thrown around
him as will bring about complete and
harmonious development of all his pow
ers by the encouragement of every ac
tivity which the child possesses.
Manual training schools are at our
very door and books and states, pencil
and paper, reading and writing. were
to be relegated to a time when the child
began to realize need for them. Then
viii the education of our children be
practical and useful. Then will their
learning help them in the home and on
the farm. Then, when the child is
taught the necessity of learning many
of today's branches, by bringing = un
der conditions which teach their i'm
portance, will il be possible to advance
the child over as much of these in one
year as now usually takes about five
years.
The lecture of the professor brought
out some interesting discussion and
warm applause.
After the appointment of some COM
rnittees for graduation exercises and
the announcement of summer school
work, the institute adjourned for three
weeks, TO meet at II am, in the county
court house.