Evening star., 1900-07-14
An Elaborate Suggestion of a Change
of Policy.
Two LINES OF EDUC ALTON
Provision to Be Made for the Early
Retiring Pupils.
SPECIAL ART SCHOOLS S

The reorganization of the public school
system of the District has caused the sub
mission to the school authorities of sugges-
tions from various sources concerning the
future educational policy. Among those
recently received by the superintendent of
schools was the following communication
from Mr.. B. F. Atherton:
l beg leave to submit for your considera-
| ton. and such action as the board may
deem proper. some views in support of two
propositions herein conveyed, namely:
/. That the schools be divided into two
systems, designated, respectively, the COM
mercial course, comprising schools from the
third to and including the sixth .grade; and
the academic course. consisting of schools
from the third to and including the eighth
grade.
=. The organization of separate schools as
auXiliares to both courses. for comprehen-
arts.
: Taking up the first proposition. 1 am of
the opinion that our public school statistics
sustain the wisdom of such an arrange
ment, even to the degree of demanding it
in order to effectively meet the require
ments of the pupils. who. in the ratio of
their attendance practically conform to the
ciasSlhcauon suggested; considerably more
than 30 per cent being of necessity with
drawn from school before completing the
entire prescribed course, to enter upon an
a
business vocation.
1t is believed that, with few exceptions,
pupil withdrawal from school after COM
pleting the fifth or sixth grade is in pursu-
ance of predeterminaton on the part of
the parent from the beginning, influenced
by condition of life necesstatng the early
enlistment of the childs services to help
maintain the family. 1t is we'll appreciat-
ed fact that wherever the means of the
parent permit, the full course of instruc-
ton is availed of. unless the health or dis
inclination of the child to study compels its
Withdrawal before completing all the
grades.
Two Classes of Pupils.
Thus We have In the schools below the
sixth grade two distinct classes of pupils
those whose circumstances compel the lin
itation of study to a period of five or six
years at the longest, and those upon whom
it is intended to bestow the benefit of full
term Of public instruction And it is to eff
fectively meet the essentially different re-
qulrements OF each of these classes that the
proposition Is made to establish in the low
er grades so-called commercial course In
Whlch the studies, as the term implies,
would be confined to the elementary sub
1ects needful to a child destined at an early
age to enter the field of breadwinners The
higher branches of arithmetic would of
course, be debarred, as we'll as the abstruse
propositions of grammar or the beauties of
rhetoric, and the crowding of the mind
with useless historical data and nature top
les would be likewise avoided While thor
ougn drilling In the fundamentals would
be the rule, ample attention would be given
TO manual training and an intelligent effort
directed toward ascertaining and develop
Ing the pursuit to which the pupil may be
found to be particularly adapted In the
sixth or last year the elements of book
Keeping would be taught, and there would
be impaired thorough familiarity with the
ordinary business methods and forms 1t is
regarded as certain that by arranging the
S1uQ1eS with the SDpCial phfart f, vic rf
aHord1ns a consistent, wel-rounded educa-
ton In the fundamental branches in a six
year term, the proposed commercial course
couid ne made so attractive to induce
the continuance to completion of the sixth
year of the large number Of pupils at pres
ent Withdrawn after passing the fifth grade
Inc academic course would be designed to
meet the requirements of the other class of
pupils mentioned. whose parents desire
snail have the benefit of the broader field
OF study covering the longer period of in
stLuGlon IN Keeping with the higher aims
winch this course would represent its cur
r1culum would be comprehensive In scope
and would admit of attention being piven
70 the development of the individual pupil
In drawing. music and the arts where the
capacity may evince itself to such A degree
as to call for special instruction.
To BeEin With Third Grade.
1t will be noted that the distinction or di-
Vldins line between the academic and COM
merclal courses is recommended to begin
Win the third grade. 1t may be found
upon consideration that without disadvan-
tage the studies could be made identical I'D
to the fourth grade. the differentiation to
commence with that grade, thus leaving
three years In which to complete the com
mercial course. But In the event of separ-
ate courses being established as recon-
Hended, II would be necessary for the
parent to designate which course the n,1niI
is to attend when the grade is reached at
which the differentiation in studies shall he
first introduced ~ ~
The studies pursued in the academic
course would probably approximate those
In contemplation for the schools under tbe
system now being revised
Ihe establishment of two separate
courses, as proposed, would have the Of
feet OF dividing the pupils into two grand
divisions. the one comprising those pupils
Tor whom limited attendance is contep
plated, VINO would be assigned to the com
H.erclal course: the other. composed of chill
dren intending to take the full eight-year
term, who would be entered upon the rolls
OF the academic course. 1t will be OBJ
served. therefore. tina: no additional cost
TOT extra teachers would be involved while
the only extra labor entailed would be that
OF determining the studies most suited to
each course. and so arranging them that
the speclhc objects sought may be best at
tained. '
BY adopting such plan the school
board would have the advantage of dealing
with positive factors as regards the vvIsbeS
tent OF the educational facilities to be ef
forded their children; and therefore IL
would be the better enabled to overcome
or bring under a more satisfactory control
some of the difficulties encountered under
a system of endeavoring to adapt a uni
form course Of instruction. covering a
period OF eight years. to the requirements
of two classes of pupils whose needs are
widely different. and major portion of
whom can avail themselves of only five
years Of that time. While there NAV he
much from an argumentative standpoint
to commend a uniform system for all
| pupils. 1t would appear that one or the
other or the classes mentioned would suf-
Ter disadvantage. either by reason of a
too ambitious program for those whose
schooling is necessarily limited to the
shorter term, or a too restrictive field for
those whom 1t is desired shall have the
benefit of the higher education. BY the
classification herein proposed the special
needs of each of these classes surely could
be met with greater degree of success
and satisfaction alike to the educators and
those whose interests they have in charge.
Special Courses.
The second proposition. namely: The or