New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-24
EDUCATIONAL AFFAIRS.
NEWS OF THE COLLEGES AND UNIvER-
sITIEs-NoTES OF INTEREST.
THE FUNCTION OF THE UNIVERSITY IN THE
TRAINING OF SECONDARY TEACHERS.

THE School Review issued by the University of
Chicago and now in its eighth volume, has come
10 be pretty generally recognized as the organ OF
secondary education in the United States. For the
advancement of the interests of the schools pre-
paratory the college and university ii renders an
especially important service by the publication In
fits current number OF article on The Function
Of the University the Training of Secondary
Teachers" It's author. Professor NJ V. o'Shea. OF
the University of Wisconsin, starts from the dec
iaration OF the Committee OF Fifteen Elementary
Education in 1895 that 'the degree of scholarship
required for secondary teachers is by common con-
fixed a collegiate education and then
forces the necessity for the addition of knowledge
of the science and art of education in order that
college graduates may become efficient teachers in
secondary schools He says:
The chief defect in the preparati9n Of college
schools or beyond is seen TO be the almost utter
perience under wise criticism. which results too
often in there being less genuine teaching in the
The situation is really serious one, and
until remedled by greatly improving the teaching
power of college candidates we must continue to
have in hgh school positions persons who have not
school, which, speaking generally is not at all pre-
pared and does not desire TO undertake this ad-
vanced work.
Even though college students who We're planning
TO teach had desired secure special preparation
Il not until recently that they could have
found adequate opportunities in universities. To be
sure, the Commissioner of Education reports that
nearly two hundred universities offer courses for
the training Of teachers. but in most cases they
consisted Of few highly abstract and learned dis
courses on pedagogical themes delivered by the
professor Of philosophy OF late, however, num-
Der of universities have reported regularly organ
lied departments OF pedagogy, frequently with post
graduate courses, in which attention is paid not
only 10 the history, theory and philosophy Of edu-
cation, but also &c methods of instruction and to
school organization. OF course. there also the
independent schools Of pedagogy and the normal
colleges but Professor O'Shea argues that order
that the prospective teacher may during the
formative period Of his education be turned into
professional groove, and thus become d narrow
pedagogue rather than man among men, broad in
culture and catholic in opinion his training should
be secured in the more cosmopolitan university.
After describing OF the subjects of study in
course Of training for teachers and enforcing the
necessity of this special knowledge of life and the
course of human development the part of those
who have charge of pupils during the period of
adolescence. the author remarks:
1t is surely a crude. sorry way and one entirely
out of harmony with present day methods in other
walks OF life. 10 turn loose upon youth at a time
ciplneo tutors who IL is hoped Will ultimately
acquire skill by lawless experimentation upon limo
cent subjects 1t is true of course that even after
guide for Youth if nature has not been generous
IN her irst gifts him, but in any event. whether
thus favored not. he will be efficient in
preparation, as re has developed and improved
upon native endowments.
Professor O'shea expects that the scientific study
of education made possible by the establishment
in universities of schools of education will only
accomplish large results in the improvement Of
the quality of instruction in all grades of educa-
ton. but will a beneficial influence upon the
university should devote portion of its energy
the investigation in a scientific manner of odu-
cational questions, and should Danish guess
ing from the pedagogical Workshop Only few
of the points made by the author can be touched
upon here The entire article is well worth read
ing, only by those engaged in secondary school
work. but by parents. who have the decision to
whether they shall place their children in schools
where they may have proper instru lion by trained
teachers or shall allow them to be experimental
upon by persons whose inadequate equipment for
teaching involves waste of energy and wrong habits
study in their pupils