The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-01
Dean Briggs of Harvard College
Emphasizes Importance of Game
in English College Life.
LAYS STRESS ON THE ENGLISH.
Would Have His Son First Thor
oughly Understand His Native
Tongue-Superintendent Sol
dams Address at Chicago.

Chicago, ILL.,. Feb. 2S.-The football play
er gets a little culture from his studies: he
gets his education from his football" said
Dean L. b. r. Briggs of Harvard College
in discussing to-day, before the superin-
tendents of the National Educational As
ISOLATION. Some Aspects of Public School
Training"
B this" he continued. 81 mean that
work is educational. The whole drift of
the present time is to turn work into play
and turn play into work. The modern edu-
Gator thinks that the child's work must be
amusing and the athletic trainer knows
tina the athletes play must be work. From
which arises the kindergarten on the one
hand and the football game on the other"
Mr.. Briggs said further:
THE first lesson of education, In its truest
sense, Is to get Town to hard work and to
40 1t Well. This lesson is education, though
II be learned in a mill. Application. concen-
tration. ability to do-these are the results
OF education. For this reason the busi-
ness man often prefers the college athlete
10 the man of college honors. because tie
atniete mas done something. and the bust
ress man knows that the doing of things is
a necessity in actual life.
Much Stress Laid on English.
mold that the common school should do
as much for the boy in the way of educa-
tion as does the game of football. The bus
mess OF the m school is not to follow
the mind. but to lead 1t. 1t should not al
low the childish mind to go whittier 1t list
e'n: II should point a definite path. Drill,
oriii and absolute accuracy should be the
iunction OF the grammar school,. 1t should
lay the foundations on which NAV be erect
Gu the substance as well as the frills of life.
10 TINS end. 1 believe that the teaching
u! the English language Is the chief func-
non or the grammar school. Let there he
mucn reading, writing and speaking of the
Engiish language. This, with a small
amount OF mathematics and a little Yeogra-
phy, will form. 1 believe, a suitable founda-
tion for later work. 1t may be a narrow
foundation, but it is better than one so
incumbered with the diversions of ed,cse
tlon that the child can crawl over II but
Eot stand upon it.
10 the objection that the drill is dead
ehing, l answer that the child enjoys repe-
titlon and can stand much more of IT than
can the adult. 1 prefer to have a boy Of
mine use the English language decently.
even though he does not nave an opnor.
tunity to study German in the gramma OF
our language. 1 would lave the child store
ms Mid with the maxims Of the language.
l 90 not believe that the modern sighting
on me STUDY OF grammar is producing
writers OF the same perfection as We had
In the early days of our country.
Doctor Harris Takes Issue.
sewing for the girls and manual train
lng Tor the boys. are admirable, but they
must not take the place of the hard intel,
lectual work. which educates as nothing
else can. Frills In education may well be
compared to the frills in dress. A fritz won't
'a Reo tne Rla9e OF a warm petticoat."
missioner of Education, took issue with
Professor Briggs. He said:
Il am thoroughly tired of all the talk
ABOUT mental discipline. l left Yale College
In my junior year because I was Disguised
with that sort of thing. 1t was Latin and
Greek-the embryos Of all learning. II was
SO much embryo that nothing was ever
Matched. l thought It wrong then and
thing It wrong now. The best education for
the child, as for the college man. ia that
which links the school work with the child's
life: That is the education that teaches.
I do not believe that the kindergarten
amuses at the expense of developing hab-
its Of orderly work. The kinderRarten
of which he is a part"
Superintendent SOldan.s Views.
superintendent F. Louis Sedan of ST.
Louis, Mo-, said:
There has never been a rational course
OF study formed that did not receive the
approval or the grade teachers before it
was put into operation. A definite course
tells the teachers what is expected and re-
leves them of worry. It Is not practical to
leave to the individual teacher the work of
making the course. because the child, in
passing from one teacher to another, would
suffer in consequence Of the lack Of har-
mony.'
The convention. which has been in session
three days. closed tonight with an address
on The Situation as Regards the Course
of Study" by Professor John DEWEY of
the University of Chicago.