Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-27

We have cared less for slip in the ex-
actness of recorded knowledge than we
have to know the attitude OF the child to-
ward knowledge and toward those inStru-
meatalities whence knowledge is attained.
mot a moments time for fifteen years
has been given with my direction to pre-
pairing any pupil in any subject for any
sort of test having scholastic standard.
Fourteen years ago the white high schools
enrolled 745 pupils; in 1899 the number of
pupils was 2.579. This is an increase of
24617 per cent. The attendance on the
white schools as whole during the same
time increased 51.66 per cent whereas the
population of the city increased 3S.42 per
cent.
1.-The rapid growth Of the high schools.
and 1t may be shown that the grammar
grades have grown proportfonally large,
has been brought about under our plan
of promotion by the retention Of pupils for
further study. who under rigid examina-
ton in every branch of education pur-
sued would have been deprived of the priv
ilege of further education and forced out
of school. This is giving opportunity to
the child for which, first of all. the school
exists.
The Senate investigation.
Those results for which the Senate COM
mittee instituted search, the power to do
sums to spell all the words properly and to
use punctuation marks correctly, under my
supervision we have made subordinate, not
courtesy, obedience by self-control, with
out punishment of any description; power
to do. willingness to make the effort. con-
tinuity of purpose and strict integrity In
representing work, all that make for that
higher citizenship which every patriot
would have characterize nationality
for these that have sought to make the
chief characteristics of the schools Of the
capital, the Senate committee made no In
quiry.
And vet an examination only in the
three RS did not show bad results. On
the contrary. 1t proved to the country that
the way to teach the three RS thoroughly
is by the new education This is the more
apparent when 1t is considered that the
pupils had an examination sprung upon
them for which they had no preparation
and this after having their minds diverted
for nine months by new associations and
new scholastic aims and ambitions. and
under new and strange conditions"
1T should be known what | here assert
he continued. that that thoroughnesS de-
manded by the Senate committee in spell
ing. sum doing, punctuation and technical
grammar has never yet been secured by
either the old the new education, and
furthermore that it never can be with
masses of people until human capacities no
longer differ and humanity ceases to be
frail.
in the Senate report No. III, Fifty-sixth
Congress, first session. page g. it is said:
There is another matter which seems
to interfere with primary training in the
books. The children compelled to rely
almost entirely on oral instructions by the
teachers. without the use of books. Very
few books. II any. placed in the hands
of the pupils of the lower grades from
which they required to learn lessons
An Erroneous Statement.
This Is an erroneous statement. Be-
lieving that this opinion obtains elsewhere
l show herewith what books are used in the
schools grade by grade. The half sets Of
books shown by the following exhibit mean
that for lack OF money it has been impossi-
BILE in each case to furnish a book for
child, but, as by rule of the board of school
trustees children in the lower grades are
not expected to study at home half sets of
books were furnished, that is, half many
books OF each kind were furnished school
there were children enrolled. AS the
rules of the board of trustees (rule No. 34)
provide and have provided for twenty
years, that each school shall be divided
into two sections the furnishing of half
sets really provides all the books that are
necessary for use in school, for the pupils
of one class study from one kind Of book. II
1t is desired: for instance, arithmetic. while
the teacher is hearing a recitation from
another kind of book. reading. Except
for the matter of health half sets of books
unless they are to be taken home for study
are better than full sets, not only mat
ter of economy, but as a matter of school
mana cement"
There is appended long list of text
books. readers. arithmetics. word and SEN
tence books dictionaries, histories. &c, used
in the different grades.
Prom the above it may be seen that
the children have books in abundance from
which to study assigned lessons.
Use of Books.
"Our work leads into books. 1t Is ex-
pressly for that purpose. The effect of the
school is to lead the child into the right
kind of book by the right way. The schools
are provided with many supplementary vo.-
umes graded to the conditions and wants
of the children. l venture to say that no
system of schools in America of its size
is better provided with supplementary
books than are the schools of Washington,
and that children use their supplement
tary books better than ours do. What my
effort has been. to secure education along
the lines of the common branches, Is fur
ther seen by what said In my annual re-
port of 1856 in discussing the question of
the Normal School"
An extract from the report on the SUBJ
ject stated Is given, and Mr.. Powell takes
up the methods of teaching.
Way Spelling is Taught.
Respecting the method of teaching SPELL
ing in our schools, further than is set forth
in the foregoing, I quote again from the
course of study:
FIRST grade-spelling: All words used
in writing.
1.-The children must early master the
sounds of the consonants and their combi-
nations In connection with word learning
| the children should do some oral spelling.
Let the standard with the teacher and
pupils at all times be perfection. Make
children ashamed and unwilling to mis-
spell with pen or pencil. that is the
whole secret Of good spelling.
Second gradeSpelling: See what Is
said on this subject in first year work.
Never accept any mtsspelled manuscript.
Third grade-Spelling: Do not accept a
Fourth grade-speliing: The words used
in all written matter must be cor
rectly spelled. II tho child DO trained.
and by this time he should be, to
feel and to understand that he must
know how to spell q word before
trying to write 1t, and to take a pride in
correctly>spelle1 manuscript, the subject OF
speaans %',t 20 sreay si sna,., 81 for re.
to impress unusual photography and to