The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-27
THE GENERAL ASSOCIATION.


Many Teachers Present at the First
session-Committees Named.
The first session Of the general a~ssocia-
ton was held in the Senate chamber last
night ]. p. Funk, superintendent Of the
New Albany schools. pronounced the in
vocation In the absence of the Rev. j. A.
Milburn. Mrs. Frank L. Jones, of In
dianapolis. sung a solo. 'The Nightingale
and the Rose" Superintendent William
II. Glasscock. of Bloomington, the retiring
president, made a short address, in which
he thanked the association for the cour-
tesies extended him and said his exper-
fence as presiding officer had been pleasant.
The inaugural address. "a Plea for San
ity," by President Robert I. Hamilton,
Of Huntington, was the principal number
on the programme and took up the great
er part Of the evening. In part. he said:
"a plea for sanity is always in order.
Physical. intellectual and moral sound
ness are characteristics reasonably re-
quired as the results of school training.
The particular phases Of un~soundness with
which 1 shall deal pertain to our theory
and practice as professional pedagogues.
though in many cases our practice Is much
sounder than our theory. 4 disclaim the
imputation of fogyism. L am neither pessi-
mist, iconoclast nor chronic fault finder.
I'm my structures on certain current eau
cational doctrines and practices, while I
shall express myself with some emphasis,
because / feel an emphatic word needs to
be aid-yet 1 shall do so in the most kindly
spirit.
PUPIL GOVERNMENT.
First let me speak of self-government
or pupil government. For various rea-
sons many high schools and some gram
mar schools nave turned over the gov
- --L~ A. <ta 80 49,.
selves. This, in my judgment, is a mis-
take. The most important function of the
school is to train up law-abiding citizens
to make young men and young wom-
en- responsive to legitimate control and
obedient to properly constituted author
ity. The bounden duty of the grammar
school. the high school and the college, as
we'll as the primary school, is-to teach the
boys and girls how to govern by teaching
them first how to obey; to mt them for
future governing by showing them the ne
cessity for obedience.
"As soon as the culture epoch theory
had the support Of a great name or two
undiscriminating teachers fastened TO rec.
ognize that every child at some stage OF
his growth Is a savage. With bows n
arrows. spear heads, war clubs and feath-
crs they proceeded with great zeal to Gull
tivate his savage instincts, to cultivate his
half-brutal nature and to make him the
best possible specimen OF an aborigine.
Discerning teachers saw the kernel of
truth in the theory, but did not forget
that the purpose of the school Is to civil
lie the savage.
Encouraged by specialists many young
people have rushed into specialization i'll
prepared. All knowledge is so related hat
a considerable amount of genera l.nowl-
edge and culture Is required as a sufficient
foundation for intelligent specialization
This amount Is certainly not less than that
provided by the ordinary high school
course. In nv Judgment no specialization
should be permitted in the high school or
In the first two years of the college course.
1t were better If the bachelors degree
were the required basis for 1t. Many a
bright college boy has developed into n
narrow. conceited, one-sided man because
CT immature specialization.
A HEALTHY MIND.
This connected election is an outgrowth
OF specialization. The healthy mind can
do good work in all the subjects of study.
The mind that cannot cope with the facts
and principles of language. Of history.
mathematics. etc, with reasonable success
is abnormal. When such a mind is found
a rational method could dictate a course
OF treatme that would lessen its defects
and ~trengthen its weaknesses, the result
being a well-rounded, robust mind. The
prevailing course is very different at least
in the institutions Of higher learning. As
suming every mind abnormal, il cultivates
abnormality through election and speciali-
zation, the result, instead of a weli-bal-
anced and w~ell-informed intellect. the ideal
OF school education, being a mind i'll de-
veloped and out OF poise.
For several years the outcry against the
examination has been vociferous. Yet no
other method had been contrived for per-
forming its functions. If a student really
know. what better method can be devised
for finding out this fact than TO PROFOUND
a proper question and TO let him give his