The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-17
Homer P. Lewis Addresses Meeting Of
Worcester County Educators on the
Present System Of Teaching
SUGGESTIONS BY BUSINESS MEN

nelQ yesterday dIleTuOOll dl Tic 1tdIe
Mutual restaurant. There were about
80 present at dinner which was served
at 1920 O'Clock.
The afterdinner program was some
what broken into by the fact that
Principals Joseph Jackson of the Eng
fish High School and E. R. Goodwin
of the Classical High School were abb
sent attending the football game be-
tween the High School and Worcester
Academy teams. F. o. Small OF Win
chendon was also absent. Principal
Homer P. Lewis of the South High
School. Superintendent G. F. Carroll
and Headmaster Frank H. Robson OF
the Bancroft School were the only
speakers present to respond to their
names.
Mr.. Lewis read an admirable paper
arguing against the overthrow OF the
old scheme of education until its place
can be taken by something better,
which he did not think would be eff
fected by the introduction of the I'M
limited elective system. H, c. Waldron
was POSTMASTER.
Mr.. Lewis was the first speaker He
referred to the suggestions which had
been given to the club by business
men in answer to the question What
Shall Worcester County Teachers
reach our Children" He said in part:
at seems to me that it was most
excellent idea to get the opinions OF
business men as to what ought 10 De
taught in our public schools. "A nrst
impression on looking them over is
las so many men so many opinions.
VET there ia a considerable degree of
unanimity Politeness, good manners
morality. thorough knowledge of the
elementary branches, capacity for hard
work. power of concentration, ready
obedience without too much curiosity
az To the motives of the one having
authority-all business men would, no
doubt, consider these proper aims IN
education. Some especially mention
manual training, drawing, languages
and history. One sees some value in
economies Another has caught the
spirit of the new movement In educa-
ton and would have our schools get
large inspiration from the teachings Oh
Jesus These business men are prac-
tically unanimous in urging greater
thoroughness in elementary work. Or.
G. Stanley Hall has strongly re-en-
forced this point in saying that the
grammar school age Is the time ror
drill and ever more drill
the IIldlI W. w. 20
with these business men. This must
he kept in mind, however. There Is a
tendency, especially among men VINO
are not educators, to exalt unduly
such studies as are supposed to pre-
pare a pupil to earn q living ana TO
deprecate the presence in the courses
Of such studies as do not seem to bear
pretty directly upon the problem Oh
earning ones bread and butter, now
ever much there may be OF Value IN
fitting the pupil for a place IN the
social organism, in making him a good
citizen.
II certainly hope that those who are
engaged in education are not satlsnea
With present results or with present
courses of study. There is not much
hope of progress in any work unless
those engaged in it have more OF less
divine discomfort with present results
Our schools are, no doubt, great con
servative institutions clinglng 10 the
past with some symptoms OF luolatry'
For NV own part / think we make TOO
much of a fetch of arithmetic and per-
haps geography. We have abandoned
the worship of grammar with what
seems to many of us too much preclpl-
tation.
at should be realized at the outset
that society is a changi<,S body, ana
that education whose funo ION is TO MT
for social life must change its content
as society changes. Even II we coulo
helieye that those who directed educa-
tion in the past realized in their
schemes the highest needs of the pu-
nils II would not necessarily follow
fhat their scheme of education would
he suitable for our own day IN the
main men lived two or three centuries
ago among surroundings that culti-
waited n form of fndiViduahsm' bach
family was more nearly sufhcient unto
itself. The educator looked upon men
as largely independent individuals
,,.hosa, Education must bring into their
lives az much of interest and culture
ana stimulation as possible. Society,
tbro,,ob its history and language ana
Thousand and one ways, was 10 acl
-, +I,e Individual in every possible
uiav little heed was given to the re-
action of the pupil upon society IN
Ia+ar years. Today this last, the future
reaction of the pupil upon society Is
the chief concern Of the euucdto5'
eve have reached no safe ana set
+loa oninion as to the relative dlscl-
nlinarv value of the studies ofrered py
-. Schools Neither have we any
tbirs b,t the yaguest ideas in regard
~ relative value of the contepl OF
tbess studies in the life OF the puph.
1--WE talk at cross purposes when we
.,aal Of the aim which the state mas
in view in offering education 10 It's CT
izens But the new movement,
understand it. insists that the chllu -
to he trained by the state as the st az
thinks best, ror
social organisms. 49,, .L,,d mas,
choosa sucb studies as shall make the
child a one-sided citizen Incapable OF
understanding his relations ana ms
duties 10 society. 1t is the business "
+ha etate TO see to II that he snaii De
sensible of as many OF these rela nuns -,
- r,ossihIe For my own part am IN
c1ined ia assign a very large snare OF
tba vaIue of a course in our scnoois 70
the discipline gained by regular stuu ~
11nde- competent leadership. haDlls u
Industry and mental power are S
erally much more valuaple 70 800 'oL -
ana 10 the citizen than mere stores OF
knowledge. ,.1
f1aId needs exploration more than TINS
of the educational velues OF stuoies'
The old educators who maze Inc 81
called traditional curriculum tflsu 70
syiT,a tho subjects that were thought 10
aid in mental culture q place IN thelr
scheme Of education. Manual tralhlhs
was left to the home, where II was n.y. ~
by anv means under the oiu SOiiu, =,
lions neglected. They gave a sinai SINAI
place to science because uhl1 IssI
times science had few relatols - ~ J.
If was deficient because IL aimed al
lower individualism with too little re-
gard to the growth Of the higher IN
dividualism of man in his relations 70
Others. But with all its faults II seems
To me Infinitely preferable to this lack