The record-union., 1899-07-11

justification for each type of school,
Professor Keyes proceeded to draw q
few warrantable conclusions.
''The existence of so many courses" !"
he remarked, lis due to the conviction
that there is no warrant for the as
sumption that either the same order or
same combination of studies is the best
means to highest self-realization for all
pupils. Judged by the completeness
with which they help those who re-
ceive their training to make the most
of themselves. these courses may be
said to stand on nearly or quite equal
footing As preparation for life's work,
the course of a good Latin school, that
of an English high school, or that of
scientific school seem equally eff
cient and equally deficient. The power
one gets from history and science an
other CLEANS from classics and mathe-
matics, and so on. The failure that one
makes of Latin another makes of
mathematics, and still a third of his
tory. The reasonable deduction is not
simply election of courses, but election
of subjects.
Must not the ideal high school cease
to prescribe any but the essential tool
of progress? If it's business is to give
the pupil four years of opportunity to
make the most of. himself in high
sense of the expression, must it not
content itself with insisting that he
shall do four full years of thorough
work, comprising continuous effort
along some line, and such additional
subjects as he under wise council shall
elect?"
The report of the Committee on State
Normal Schools, presented by Prof 2.
x. Snyder, President of the State Nor
NAL School at Greeley, Colo, dealt with
the function of the normal school in re-
lation to the faculty; those preparing
to teach; the child; the social mind or
society, and the subjects to be studied.
Valuable statistics were embodied in
the report, the data on the several sub
jects dealt with representing the labor
of all the members of the committee.
In concluding, Professor Snyder said:
''The preparation of teachers for the
elementary schools has everywhere
been regarded as the special function
of the State Normal Schools, although
where the means were at hand very
excellent work has been done in the
preparation of teachers for high schools
and academies. Some States have made
provision for general system of nor
NAL schools; others have centered their
efforts upon one large institution. The
latter plan has made it easier to adopt
a satisfactory standard of admission
but from the nature of the case, it has
failed to supply teachers in sufficient
numbers for all the rural schools. The
a nf
have thus far not succeeded in furnish
trained at normal schools. New York
has gone farthest in the direction of
requiring candidates to avail them
selves of professional training"
At the opening session Dr. E. c.
Hewitt of Bloomington, ILL.,, read an in
teresting paper on Psychology for the
Teacher" basing his remarks on re.
cent articles in the atlantic Monthly
and the Educational Review" by Prof
Hugo Munsterberg of Cambridge.
The piece de resistance of the session
was the paper read by DR.. Nicholas
Murray Butler of Columbia University,
New York, on the Educational Prog
ress of the Year DR.. Butler said:-aA
During the period under review
there stand out prominently in the
United States two series of events
which are eminently characteristic of
the tendencies and movements most
manifest among us. These are the
striking additions to the literature of
education which have been made by
Americans, and the study and construc-
tive thought which have been devoted
to the problems of public school or
ganizatiOn and administration in large
cities.
1T will not have escaped notice that
during the past twelve-month, or lit
tie more, there have been books pub
lished by Mr.. Eliot, by the late General
Walker, by Mr. Gilman, by William
James, by DR.. Munsterberg, by DR.
Hinsdale, by Thomas Davidson, by Miss
Blow, by Bishop Spalding, and by DIR.
Harris, which illustrate my meaning.
Even the purely literary critic, accus-
toned to scorn the study of education,i
or perhaps of anything except tha
speedy removal of one impression by
another, will not hesitate to call this
group of books remarkable. They are
SO remarkable that two decades ago
they would have been impossible. Each
book reflects the peculiar genius of it's
writer; taken together they give us a
true picture of the forces and ideals
which are moving our educational
scholarship and graphing with our ed
ucational problems.
Nowhere in these books is there a
note of pessimism or despair; nowhere
is sounded the trumpet of revolutions;
nowhere is waved the red flag of an
archy. Neither human nature nor
democratic institutions are given up for
lost All. on the contrary, are creative.
hopeful; and all see future full of
promise. They have faith, and they
impart 1t. like to think that in this
highly important respect they represent
the best thought and the most wide
spread popular instincts of our time
With such an exposition Of education
as is theirs, all can hardly be lost.
Turning to the second topic, I would
point out that it is not accidental, by
any means that in the great cities OF
this country there is deep interest in
questions of school organization and
administration. This interest, so
marked during the past year. is a re-
suit in part of the newly reused munic-
ipal conscience which is reproaching us
for inefficient, disorderly administration
of city's business, and in part of the
growing Importance, financial as we'll
as other of education as a public in
terest. The taxpayers curiosity as TO
how his money is spent reinforces the
school reformer's demand that it be
spent solely for the wisest training OF
the city's children. So it happens that
New York. Chicago, Philadelphia, Bos-
ton. ST. Louis, Baltimore, Buffalo, San
Francisco, Milwaukee, Detroit and To-
1adO--to mention only the most con.