St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-05-23
Schools and Parents.
EDITOR CALIFORNIAN:

EDITOR CALIFORNIAN:
Will you kindly give me a little space
in the CALIFORNIAN, this week, to speak
of one matter which demands the serious
and immediate attention of all those in
terested in the education of the young
| wish that every parent, in this state
and in all the states, would read care
fully an article on School Reform" by
Hugo Munsterberg, in the Atlantic
Monthly for May. This gentleman is a
professor in Harvard University, a Ger
man by birth and education, but posses
sing a liberality and breadth Of view
which is remarkable. He is a keen OBJ
server, fair and accurate Judge of con.
ditions, and he speaks and Whites his
conclusions clearly and honestly.
The article in question is a companion
of educational methods, etc, in Ger
many and in this country, and the
writer places before us facts, remarkable
and convincing, to account tor the great
difference between the two countries,
educatiopally, in point of work accom-
phshed, the ease of its accomplishment,
and the factors which enter into that ac-
complishment. The article must beread,
as a whole, to be appreciated. wish to
make just one quotation from t.
"a second factor, which is hardly less
important, stands clear before my mind,
too-rhe help which the school found in
our homes. | do not mean that we were
helped in our work, but the teachers were
silently helped by the spirit which pre-
vailed in our homes with regard to the
school work. The school had the right
of way; our parents reinforced our belief
in the work and our respect tor the
teachers. A reprimand in the school
was a shadow on our home life; word
of praise in the school was a ray of sun
shine for the household. The excellent
schoolbooks, the wise plans for the up
building OF the ten years course, the hy-
genie care, the external stimulations,-
all of course helped toward the results;
and yet am convinced that their effect
was entirely secondary compared with
these two teatures.-the scholarly en-
thuslasm OF our teachers, and the respect
for the school on the part of our pa
rents"
Now, am not going to preach a ser
mon, but am going to make an earnest
and heartfelt plea for a tangible exhibit
ton of interest, on the part of parents,
in the work of their children in our
schools. desire to limit my application
of this principle to one phase of the mat
ter, and that is the visiting OF the school
room on the part of the parent. 1t is
impossible to state in words the degree
of impetus and life and inspiration that
this would lmpart, not only to pupils
but also to teachers. Since | have been
In st. Johnsbury, | have urged this most
strongly. Parents and friends will al
ways be sure of a hearty welcome. They
know this or they ought to knowit. To
say nothing of the added command of
self and the ure.tootedness" which a
pupil gains from the presence of faces I'M
familiar in the classroom, there is the
higher and more valuable gain, desired
from the consciousness, on the part OF
the teacher and taught, that we are all
working together, with common pur-
pose and a common interest Without
such condition Of things, the chain is
incomplete and the work of teacher and
scholar loses immeasurably. Can we
not have a change in this direction?
d. Y. CoMsToCK,