Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-03-13
An 1xcHlLsHr PAPER.
r,.. Nob,e Praises Dok IT Coed ssg'
r1stions on School Work.

the city teacneTs was 'A@'
above topic by Miss Grace E. noble
Of the high school, last Friday al'er'
noon. Miss Noble praised Mr.. Box
editor OF Ladies' Home journal, and
commended bis frank criticism OF
modern school life in many ways
She said:
..Too hard lessons, too long lessons,
too many branches, too long hours
constitute what Mr.. Box pleases 70
call an 'iniernal examining system
which 10 working perniciou' injury
upon our children. The teachers DE-
ing but part Of the educational
mechanism are helpless in the matter
Therefore" says Mr. Box "sne
question is up to the parents -
They must lead in the attack I. and
home study must be stoPpsd' Inc
first blow be would have take the
form Of a note to the teacher from
every parent who has = child IN
school, 10 the effect that under no
circu instances whatever, will the
father and mother permit any nome
study BY the child
"In view OF such . course Of action
Il becomes the teachers privilege 70
question whether or not Mr. boks
method OF reform be q wise or el'
fectusl one. Teachers. educators
boards Of educa ton, are not alone re-
sponsible for existing conditions We
live in feverish times, life is intense
and we are making history BY leaps
and bounds. Time never was wheh
demands we're SO great or standards
Of excellence SO high and the cry 10
constantly going upf0r trained Minds
trained hands, trained labor. 10
meet this demand, therefore, an edu'
cation liberal in the truest sense, Is
absolutely necessary. The time is
past when "the three Rs" was all
sufficient. We are not teaching too
many subjects, but are we teaching
those subjects avightP Much OF our
instruction takes the form OF an IN
verified cone. We start at a given
point but gradually broaden and e1-
psnd until our energies are dlssl'
pated and our thoughts lost in . cir
Gle. We have not yet learned how to
correlate branches Of study, directing
the thought Of the child through
various avenues to a single truth
Under existing conditions with music
painting, drawing, writing, grammar
geography, arithmetic, reading spell
ing, calesthenics, wood-carviag' clay
modelling, rhetoricals aud SO on, ad
infnitum-all claiming individual at
tention in the daily program, the
teacher heaves sigh indicating re-
bellion Of spirit as we'll as weakness OF
flesh, while the child dips first into
this and then into that and amazeS
the public with his spelling and read
ing; or, as is frequently the case, he
deliberately shuts bis senses against
all impressions and becomes inatten'
tive, careless, scatter-brained, Other
things being equal, when we have
learned to correlate branches Of study,
there need be no complaint on the
ground Of too many lessons.
"As for hard lessons--indeed they
are too hard considering the age OF
the pupil who is supposed to master
them; and Mr.. Box has suggested the
remedy for this evil, in single sem
tence. "No child should be sent to
school before the age Of seven" Yet
by the operation Of our state laws our
primary grades are thronged with
five year old tots--and many Of them
even younger-while the older ones
are pushed on into upper grades and
high school before they are developed
to a point where they can appreciate
or comprehend the course OF study
laid out for them. May not this con-
dition account for much "burning
the candle ct both endsP" Keep your
children at home, parents, or in the
free atmosphere Of the kindergarten
until you can send them to us will
energies in a condition to direct ant
minds ready to unfold naturally no
to be crammed artifcially. Such
reform will 60 far toward eliminating
home study, and the child will b
able to master the situation withou
unnecessary labor.
,Enrtharmorp narents, before VOL