The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-05-16

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in better education for chill
dren and in the question of how to
| include all classes of children in help
| ful training. There is a growing per-
| ception that bodily. mental and moral
development all make their rightful
demand, one to be given due heed to
in every system of instruction. The
special schools for incorrigible and for
backward children; the vacation
schools and Fairgrounds that in an
increasing number of cities are keep
ing children out of mischief. off of hot.
crowded and dangerous highways: the
constantly growing protest against
memory cramming and written eXamf-
nations instead of the fair. honest.
daily average work test, with advance
ment in grade following real mental
development and grasp of knowledse
the rising rebellion among parents
against enforced hours of study for
the child at home, by reason of the
too heavy demands made III curricu-
lums that need revision and elimina-
ticn to be made reasona ble-all these,
and many more improvements III exist
ent methods are results of that grow
ing perception of which we speak.
1t has become perfectly evident To
all who study the progress Of this
broadening interest in the schools as
the nurseries and training places of
the coming man and woman. that IL
great many fads of what is styled the
new education will be eliminated from
the schools, and that what is digni-
fled by the imposing title of Child
Study" will have to be carried on In
much more practical and reasonable
way than it has begun to attain to
yet. Its proclamations of fam.~er
facts las old as the hills" as being
valuable new scientific results discoV-
cred by weighing and measuring chill
dren and other such mechanical meth
DDS, are becoming wearisome TO null
titudes of parents and instructors who
We're overawed at first by the conf
dent claims of the promoters of the
new education" that they are the peo-
pie and wisdom will die with them.
Washington, which Il year or two
ago lead the way in returning largely
to older, better and more fruitful
methods OF teaching, is likely ere long
to have many cities and smaller places
following her example in thorough re-
vision of school methods-n the recoG-
milton that the new is not by any
means always the best. AS in the case
of ''old wine and old friends" older
educational ways have often demon
strated themselves to be the better
the better in developing the industrial
mind and in the cnrichiag ut The
states wealth of good citizenship.
a successful supervisor ot schools
not long ago spoke truth to IA conven-
tion of Undergraduates when hr told
them that Froebel had no. spoel'n the
last word in primary education. Nei"
ther did Comenius speak by any means
the final word in education ut any
stage. We are not behind any of those
who are continually praisinS these
great educators, in our apprehension of
their work, But that what We have
just said remains true will be most
enphatically certified by'those who
have really acquainted themselves at
first hand with some of his PROPOSE
tions. The new education lauds them
all indiscriminately follows some OF
them, and does not always by any
means make its selections from among
them wisely. Parents and patriots
must come TO practical recognition OF
duty in school reforms and for the
development of the individual child III
Whatever class or condition of life. Can
any one who considers for moment
the multitudes of totally unnstructed
children of the republic, and the other
multitudes of those who have been at
school" for more or less time, but> are
wholly without any practical Sain Cor
future life from that experience, fail
To recognize that in educational lines
the time has not yet arrived Tor us to
settle down and simply proceed II
plume ourselves on present condi-
tions?
Jacksonville, lying in ruins, is con-
fronted by two difficulties. For the
one it makes the strongest possible
appeal To the entire country for help.
Al, Il