Mexico weekly ledger., 1900-01-25

f@f@k VI OF OounWy
Schools" before the Central Audrain
Teachers Association IN session at
Rush Hin on Saturday, January 20.
BY resolution OF the institute Prof.
Bruce's paper was ordered published.
GRADUATION OF COUNTRY SCHOOLS.
Nj. President; In offering sugges.
tions upon the subject Of grading
country schools, l do not pretend to
give q form suitable for all states, but
rather point out q flexible method by
which all schools may DO graded. The
method Of acquiring knowledge In
infancy and the method Of acquiring
knowledge In mature manhood ought
to be one and the same, 90 the meth
DDS Of grading colleges and country
scoooIs should be alike. The country
school is indeed the peoples college.
In colleges the course Of study lie pre-
scribsd By ofacials and the classiica-
ton Of pupils Is made and carried out
by instructors.
II we wlsh to make all the country
schools OF Missouri as one working
school, then our uniform course OF
study should be REINFORCED by a uni
form system Of graduation in all the
schools OF the state. This plan to-day
Is finding favor in the eyes Of our
leading educators.
The National Educational AssoeiaT
tion passed q resolution calling the
attention Of state superintendents Of
public institutions throughout the
United States to the propriety OF
adopting q graduating system for
country schools, since which time ini-
uiatory steps have been taken In sew
eral states for the grading Of country
schools.
The fret outline OF q graded course
for country schools, published after
the passage Of the above resolution,
was prepared for the schools OF Ten
nessee. This outline provided not only
for grading OF country schools, but
for the graduation OF pupils who sat-
isfactorily complete the common
school course Of study.
Our schools are demanding a plan, .
system, q model, aguide-post. These
things we may have and must have.
We must have a system sufficiently
practica, to be moulded to the scope
and genius of every teacher who e
sufficiently interested and earnestly
alive to its great utility and to the
new and progressive life II will infuse
into our public school system. 1t
should furnish q schedule Of efficient
margin for practical working which
may be adapted to diversified circum-
stances and attachments Of the pupils
In ali the schools, while there is
definitenees and system enough to
supply q standard by which each
teacher may be guided while giving
scope to his special ingenuity, tact
and good common sense. The gem
eral qualifications Of the teacher him.
self, his ability, skill and judgment,
mainly must be relied IN to execute
successfully the design. There lie no
definite plan among Us. We are con-
fronted with . problem, the magni-
tude Of which we must consider along
with the educators who say this gra-
dalton can be brought about and sue
cessfully executed. We know oul
pupils possess very unequal ability
and oftentimes those whose attain
ments are nearly equal make very
unequal progress. Ours pupils need
instruction suited to- their varying
stages Of growth. Our pupils need
the very beet instruction In ell the
essential elementary subjects.
Fellow teachers, friends Of educa-
tors, / am in favor of better country
schools. l am inclined to favor the
three-graded school solution. No
doubt you are familiar with 1t, but Il
bring 1t to bear on our minds again ]
win say that IL makes all school ses'
sions the came length and divides the
year into two terms, 80 promotion
may be made twice q year. The divis-
ion lie made upon psychical changes
which follow from the elementary
course.
The primary grade includes pupil
from 6 to 8 years Of age. This is thu
period OF objective training, and 81
skill in reading, writing, numbers ant
language Is acquired by doing largely
by imitation. This period lie followed
by a middle period, covering 3 or
years. work. During this period thu
pupil passes from concrete teaching
to concentrations, from process q
rules, from the known to the I'M
known, from the simple to the com
pick.
During this period teach reading
first book In arithmetic, spelling ant
, geography. The next period consti
tutes the grammar period. Student
then begin to have thought and powe
for stady. Take complete arithmetic
and good scaool geography, and dur
ing the last two school years Englis|
grammar, United States history, phys
les and elements Of science.
These are only suggestions, but !
/ seems to be q natural grading 10
q country school. The distinction 1
the work OF these grades lie sufficient
ly marked to permit q definite state
ment Of the knowledge and p~erfectio
70 be aoquired in each andlat the sam
time pupils in each grade G be re
classified from term to term, thu
reducing the number Of GLASSES en-
: putting each pupil where he can max
: the greatest progress.
The number OF classes In the tw
advanced grades need not exceed tw
each in any branch and no more thu
three separate classes will be needle
In any branch In the primary grade
making not more than six or seve
different classes in any branch, wit
! an average OF not more than fo1
: classes In the principal branches
Should O division similar to this B
adopted then the requirements ia
promotion to q higher grade may B
aaanitaiv dakarmiuad.