The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1900-11-01
STUDY COURSE
In Richmond District Schools.

iNIVit VI thS f'NNS'N'"S"
weeks teachers institute, we pub
lish Prin. j. ID. IIughlett's paper in
full Mr.. lIughlett said:
Mn. CHAIRMAN AND FELLOW TEACHERS:
In this my first attendance upon Che
Teachers Institute. | find that / an APP
pointed to the discussion Of subject
which would have met with far more near
| Is adequate treatment had il been assigned
for the consideration of another tongue or
pen. Yet, though ! realize my inability
to treat properly the study course IN the
district, shall not let that realization
deter me from the expression of what ]
hope YOU will lie generous enough to call
ideas. wish that the committee in APP
portionng the work of the program among
the teachers, had seen fit to Relieve me o.
this duty and had assigned it to the author
Of the system am supposed to deal with
Surely, no one of less experience than he
or of less native ability than he possesses,
could, as we'll as he, show the wisdom OF
the graded course.
Others will show how beneficial this
course is in the Town School. Ny object
is 10 try TO show that, besides benelting
the child. besides serving TO bring about
the uniform mental training 50 essential
to the exercise Of ones full mental encr-
ges, besides serving to do away with that
piecemeal education, which it is scarcely
necessary for me to call unwise-bes'des
doing these things, and, as has been shown
YOU. much more than these to develope
the full powers OF the child, this Graded
Course. az n second effect and result OF
the first. will greatly improve the standard
of the schools wherever it is used, and
thereby it will proportionately facilitate
the work of education throughout the
district.
Let us Try to see how this could be.
We shall assume that the graded school Is
superior to the ungradcd school. Let Us
suppose that the Graded Course of Study
has been put into practice IN some one
school. The pupils in that school become
accustomed to that system. They are not
allowed to devote most of their time r.
that subject of study that thew are most
fond of. They are made 10 study a pre-
scribed course of subjects, and are rc-
quted TO advance 20 a certain stage in the |
study of all their other subjects before |
they are allowed to 80 on with something !
else that they like best.
Suppose pupil las to discontinue at
tendance upon this school and enter some
other school of the District. 1t this new |
school be one Of the old type, observing |
no system of grading, what good has re-
suited from the pains taken by the teacher
)r teachers in the first school to conform |
The pupils study to the Graded Course:
The child's SYSTEMATICALLY arranged study
S disturbed, time is lost patience is taxed,
general dissatisfaction Is occasioned.
On the other hand, suppose the pupil
eaying the first school goes into school
GRADED according to the same system a. is
he first. No tine is lost, no distraction
)ccasioned other than naturally results
rom change of environment. The pupil
goes into the grade he was formerly in.
md there finds classes corresponding 10
hose he has been in and been used to.
If the second teacher exercise the same
are shown 10y the former teacher, there
: no reason why there should be the
east handicap to the progress of the child
hus changing his school.
Suppose this Graded Course Of Study
we're adopted not in IA few schools only,
lut, as it has been in all the schools O..
lie district What help to teacher. and
what an advantage to pupils would there
be. You know how frequently families
mango their place of residence so q to-
place their children in new schools: If this
inform course Of study were maintained
low many annoying little problems about
classifying pupils would be avoided and
low much more uniform would lie the
raining of the Young mind. So then We
,eleve that graded course of study, and
specially that which We now have. The
Iiilitv nf tho authnr nf which chouid lac +
unicient guarantee Of its wisdom, is not
'nly helpful but also essential TO the
highest success OF the schools Of Tie dis
riot. But let us imagine some OF the
esults Of the existence and enforcement
# this Graded Course Of Study throughout
he district. After it has been in use for
everal years and the schools of the dis A..
rict have thereby been raised to a higher
tandard, the high class of work in Rich
nond district will attract the attention of
eighboring districts. The officers Of
hose districts will begin to investigate in
rider to find out why it is that our schools
re so far superior TO their own schools.
hey will find the cause in the existence
nd practice of a fixed course Of study,
nd That graded accOxiing to the natural
emands Of the mind They will find that
ere pupils are reqt'fed to learn just so
luch in one subject as will suffice for the
est understanding of their other subjects