The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-28
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK
Again the School Question.

To the Editor of The Journal
Snce the publication of Mr.. Tawney's in
looking for something from state. county and
city superintendents on the subject, but with
few exceptions nothing has been said. Pro-
lessor #Harter's contribution is good as far as
II goes and one or two other gentlemen have
said few good things, but after all that has
been said, there are still two great and I'M
answerable facts concerning which very lit
resolution passed by the regents of the State
University calling for an examination of all
students applying for admission In the COM
writing, spelling, geography, arithmetic and
grammar. The regents have found it neces-
sary to do this from the fact that a very large
q lack of training and efficiency in the
schools.
number Of young men who receive appoint
ments to West Point and the naval academy
that fail Of admission because OF their gross
ignorance IN the common scnool branches OF
educat1on have investigated to some eX-
tent this matter and find in reports from the
departments at Washington that of all the
applicants for the military schools last year
seventy outsof every hundred Of the graduates
| CT our schools totally unable to pass salts
factory examination in reading, writing,
This is no pipe dream, as shown by tho
authorities at Washington who have these
| matters IN charge.
You ask for remedy. It is simple and
logical. have asked many teachers, high
and low, why they do not teach these
branches bra in the Old. systematic way. and
| courses of instruction from their superiors
They also. say that in teaching the higher
Dranches the scholars will easily and natural
| y acquire the common branches and that is
the plan that our schools seem to have been
ruls Oh Tor the past twenty-l years; The
present methods have been weighed in the
change.
First Of all, would commence at the top
and remove all the state. county city and
Town superintendents and substitute set Of
situation; practica. men, not theorists Then,
ss matter OF course, We should get bet
.er Giass OF teachers, or at least class that
would ADOPT metho DIS that would produce re-
suits In these days results are what is
| wanted
What results we get now are in spite of
primary schools go back to the old plan Of
teaching the "A, B, C's'' in their order, then
the 'a-b abs Then in the graded schools
teacn the common school branches in a sys-
| IeHauc way, IS they are not now taught
Ihen let the high schools adopt the plan Of
Inc regents and not admit any student till
ne can first pass rigid examination in the
stuales under consideration.
me hisher branches will follow much more
readily IN this way than the lower ones will
| In the present plan. - -
w LII &C young men VINO were ap-
1 pointed to go to Annapolis by one of our
congressman were all rejected, the congress
man man wrote to the adjutant general of the war
] department, and received e reply that these
young men all failed to pass in reading.
wrltlns, spelling, geography, grammar and
a arndn One Of these young men is a
is engaged as teacher in graded school :
what more do the advocates of the present
mo none Of teaching in our schools want
mat the fathers and mothers of our children
seeking
present faulty methods of teaching is most
ertain. They are seeking everywhere for a
1 radical change in the present program.
Eva,a, "A. T. Morse