Evening star., 1903-07-02
SCHOOL REFORM IN DISTRICT.
The Work Started in 1900 Not Yet
Finished

The annual exercises incident to the
| closing Of the public schools and oher edu-
cational institutions have afforded the
usual opportunity for the display of flow
| ers white dresses and dress suits, and the
show probably surpassed in every respect
| that of any previous year. 1t is a glad
occasion to the pupils and students Of both
sexes. as we'll as to their parents and
| friends. who are wont to pack the halls in
which they are held, and bouquets of beau
| tfful flowers are much In evidence.
| But these bright and joyous occasions
| afford no evidence of what progress pupils
and students have made during the year,
| in acquiring that great and all important
| thing of life, an education. Indeed 1t is
much to be feared that these annual shows
are rather indicative that there Is too
much show about our schools and not
enough Of substance.
A former Superintendent of our public
schools seemed to believe that he had dis
/ covered royal road to the brain, and that
he could upset all the experience of ages
that taught US that work and persistent
application were absolute essentials to the
requirement of education and by
| course which he called Mature Studies
he could make study easy, pleasant and
entertaining to the children and avoid the
knotty and worrying problems of the three
RS" with which their fathers and grand
| fathers had to wrestle In order to fit them
selves for the sterner duties of life. There
was a good deal of display about this sys-
tenn, fuss and feathers, SO to speak. But
after a time it dawned upon parents that
| their children really knew nothing even
after graduating from the high schools,
and complaints were made that attracted
the attention of the United States Senate,
and an investigation followed.
First year pupils in the high schools
were subjected by the Senate District COM
mittee to written examination in the
fundamental branches, and report pub
lshed which fully sustained the charges
that had been freely made. and proved
conclusiyely the worthlessness Of the
Powell system. Powell and the board of
trustees of the public schools We're !egis-
lated out of Office, and a board of educa-
ton, consisting of seven members salarled'
substituted
The Commissioners of the District unfor-
| tunately selected a. board OF education,
| three of whom were avoWeo PoWelIltes ana
this board in turn elected superlntendent
of public schools who was a convert to and
a strong supporter of the Powell system.
Consequently no radical changes have been
with the fad of Powellism. children are not
| grounded in fundamental education for
which the system was established by the
| fathers; it is still largely a matter OF fuss
and feathers. white dresses and hoWers,
| and very little of such education as Will nj
| the pupils to earn livelihood.
1t is really surprising in view OF the
| thorough discussion of the matter In the
| ate committee the report of that commit
| tee based upon an examination OF large
number of witnesses, pro and con, ana upon
the results of the examination or nrst year
pupils of the high schools. before referred
| to which proved positively and conclu-
| sively the truth of all that had been charg-
| ed against. the Powell system. and the
unanimous action Of Congress, In passing
bill which legislated out the board of trus-
| tees and substituted a board OF educauoh
| and practically and no doubt Intentionally
| legslated out the then superlhtenoent,
| Powell that the board of education, should
| allow the schools simply to drift along In
| the Powell rut. and should not have taken
| radical and drastic steps for complete re-
formation upon lines so clearly inolcateu Wy
| the investigation and the legislation Whlch
| followed. , 49,.
| public schools of this city, like those OF
| many of the large cities OF the country,
| have been practically ruined by the mad
! craze for so-called higher education. intro.
| duced to them by faddists and cranks OF
| whom Powell was a falr example anu d
| high priest .
! So great is the deficiency of the present.
| day educational institutions of all grades In
| imparttng fundamental education tnal d
| lucrative business has sprung up in stu1nng
| esta ablishments which reap rich harvest
| in supplying the shortcomings OF tne
| schools. and examining pupils 10 ehaoie
| them to pass a civil service examination 10
secure employment under the government
| without being actually qualified by thor
| ough schooling to become efficient employees.
Modern educators appear to be or the
| know-it-all kind, and have disregarded the
| grammar Of Lindley Murray. the arithmetic
| and mathematics of Davis, and other text
| books hallowed by such names as those
| mentioned and others who devoted their
| lives laboriously to preparing books ad-.
| mirably adapted to teaching and to SIM
| plifying all branches to the comprehension
| of the children and have substituted their
| own trash, which changes radically the
| methods and rules of the fathers. and are
| confusion and chaos alike to children and
| teachers and parents as we'll, who want to
but cannot assist their offspring in the
| preparation of their lessons.
| Happily, however the Effectiveness of
| present methods of elementary education
| people in every part of the country. Rep
| school graduate in Minnesota who could
| West Point, and similar conditions exist all
ant evidence. The demand for reform must
| with present educational methods is rolling
over the country in ever-increasing volume
| and power. The cranks and faddists will
| be swept from their moorings, and funda-
mental. common school education will ere
| long resume its beneficent sway. and be
fully re-enthroned by the irresistible power
| of the government-the people.
| T. EDW. CLARK.
Branch Office 18th st. and VT ave