The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-17

| ana TO the parent VINO IN most cases
merely registers the choice of the
child, a method which finds favor with
many educators"
Mr.. Lewis maintained that, since we
are only feeling our way upon ques-
tons of educational values, it is safer
| to adhere to the traditional curriculum
except in so far as it is clearly mani
| fest that it should be changed to meet
local conditions or altered general con-
ditions. We do not yet need a French
Revolution in our methods of educa-
ton that shall sweep away all that is
old to replace with that which has
nothing to recommend it besides its
newness."
Mr.. Lewis referred to DR.. Harris ar
rangement of school and college studies
into these five coordinate groups; math-
ematics, biology, literature language,
sociology, including history and politi
cal science. He said, DIR. Harris
would have one or more representatives
of each of these groups appear in every
year of every course offered by the
high school or college. There Is
pretty good medical authority also for
the statement that specialization be-
fore the average age of graduation
from college is injurious to the best de-
Velopment of the mind. This theory of
education is justified if we accept the
proposition that the state is directing
education to the end and that each
citizen may become as valuable as pos
sible to society, and If we accept the
result of Investigations which go to
show that training the mind in one di-
rection may leave it almost uncultured
in the direction of its other proper ac-
Invites.
zone of the chief reasons urged in
favor of the widest extension of the
elective system is the difference in the
aptitudes and tastes of the pupils 1t
seems to me that most of the talk
about great differences in tastes and
special aptitudes in children comes
from those who deal with education at
long range. 1 have often heard it af-
firmed by those who have had long eX-
perience in high school work that the
immense majority of pupils do not
show specially marked aptitudes in
school, that with very few exceptions
pupils of the high school age do about
the same kind of work in all their
studies. My own experience, too, is
that exceptions are rare. The boy or
girl who does excellent work in one
study is very sure to do excellent
work in all studies. The one who does
poor work in one study, generally does
poor work in all.
when manual training was first in
reduced many hoped that it might APP
peal to pupils who were not strong in
the other studies of the school. Many
still talk as if this were true Prof.
Woodward, the father of manual train
Ing in this country, after years of ex-
perience says that almost without eX-
ception those who were weak in the
Their school subjects were poor in man.
ual training and those who were strong
In other subjects were good in manual
training.
For my part am conscious of a GER
tain sinking of the heart when parent
brings a pupil to me and begins to talk
of his special aptitude for some sub
ject Trial usually shows that he has
no other special aptitude than to avoid
everything that resembles work. In the
long run 1t is fortunate for society that
most children have no marked aptitude
for a special line of study, that they
like to study subjects that are well
taught"
Superintendent of Schools Clarence
f. Carroll was the next speaker. He
said he had prepared a paper, but
would keep it in his pocket and speak
instead of some Of the phases of the
previous paper He continued:
"Mr. Lewis spoke of the place of
the state in education. 1t is an inter-
esting suggestion here. What does the
state of Massachusetts do? We have
a list of subjects which the statutes
saw we shall teach. They represent
for the most part public sentiment,
The local authorities now have the
power to introduce most anything else
into the curriculum Thus the school
committee may make the list as long
as possible.
1--WE would not diminish the list Of
subjects l suppose teachers believe
in the subjects that are taught, ana
they have learned to group them ma
turally."
Referring to the suggestions which
had been given to the club by bust
ness men, Mr. Carroll said that their
answers bring so many suggestions
that they contain the same things
ton does. The business men are prog
ressive, up to date. They seem to
think that the public schools are not
quite up to date.
Continuing, Mr. Carroll said: DIR
Hall has lately assailed our system of
teaching geography, and / think he
has a case If 1 understand right, he
thinks we require too much in the
subject.
"There is a chance for an agreement
in these requirements. We are trying,
1 believe, TO produce in children a good
personality, that which is of so much
value to a business man. The social
side of life is having its place in the
schoolroom as never before"
Mr.. Carroll elaborated the idea that
business men do not want boys who
can do only one thing.
There is one thing" he continued,
(which the business men want, and
think that they are right-that is that
every boy be taught to do something
and to do it pretty well with his hands
The occupations of skilled labor are
open to anybody. The manufacturers
are continually sending abroad to
Sweden and other nations for skilled
help, when the positions-well paid and
respectable ones-could just as well be
filled with our own boys If they knew
how to do anything.
Il believe that the school can be
better and that it will be made better
bv dropping the non-essentials, by Civ
ing to the children knowledge Of
work and some appreciation of the
dignity of labor"
Frank H. Robson, headmaster of the
Bancroft School, spoke along the line
Of the suggestions of the business men.
Among other things he said:
fI believe in work for children. I
don't believe in cuddling them. The
old-fashioned education had some
thing in it which met this problem :
would not sacrifice depth in education
for breadth
He said. however, he believed that
none of the subjects in the present
curriculum could be withdrawn with
advantage. we need, ne said,
sscbools which are larger than the
subjects; we need teachers who can
teach more than the text books.
pav r F. Murphy. s. j. of Holy