Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-11-02
How to Get aid Of Eads.

Is getting Its face turned in the right
direction. 1t has decided to make ply
steal culture optional in the public
schools. That will take physical cul-
ture out of the category Of fads and
make 1t useful study. When it is no
longer forced upon those who do not
want it, and will not take pains to
profit by 1t. 1t can be taught with good
results to those who do. Then the time
of teachers and pupils will no longer be
wasted on Improbable teaching and
barren learning. and the common
branches OF universal knowledge will
not suffer by enforced neglect.
This is the way to get rid of the fads.
Teach them only to those who are In
terested in them and fitted by natural
taste and capacity to learn, and they
will cease to be fads. Hardly any Of the
dozen specialties overworked tea chers
exhaust their strength trying to cram
all at once into the whole mass OF
dazed and sullen pupils but would be
highly useful to few chosen for taste
and natural capacity. One specially is
good for one group, another for another,
and so on. The result Is that they are
taught badly even to the fit, and the
teaching force Is paralyzed for the
work of teaching the common branches
that all must know. Make all the SO.
called fads optional. Then those whc
want any Of them can be carefully
taught in small classes, and there will
be time to teach all how to read, write,
spell and do simple sums.
The experience Of the New York
lie n OF VII ff 10
When it was compulsory course study
it was badly taught, by overworked
teachers, to dull and uninterestei pu-
pills, and obstructed the teaching OF
common English. A wise superintend-
ent made 1t optional. Now 1t Is well
taught to those who care to learn with
out Gripping the New York schools for
teaching the common elements OF
English knowledge to all.
1t cannot be denied that there Is
something in the common defense OF
the board Of education that all the
fads are introduced in obedience to a
certainpublic demand. They are SER
wants of the people, they say, and must
look to them for reelection. How,
therefore, can they deny the people
what they ask for? This is not the
highest point of view Of a pubic SER
want; but it is that which is most com.
mon. Now 1t seems to have occurred
to the board, in the case of physical
culture, that 1t can satisfy those who
demand it without overworking both
teachers and learners by giving 1t 10
those who do not.
Why not take this wise course with
all the speeialties? Out Of 10000 pupils
in the city schools, perhaps 5000 want
and would profit by one so-called fad.
5000 more by another and so on thra
all the groups. Why try to teach all
of them the whole 10000 regardless of
their wishes and natural fitness? The
endeayor to do this has brought the
public schools of the country into
something like a deadlock. They do
nothing we'll because they try to do
too much.
We think that our board of education
has discovered the remedy. 1t needs
only courage to apply it all along the
line. Undoubtedly there will be admin
lstrative difficulties to overcome; but
the end Is worth all the effort 1t costs.
Surely 1t is wor.. while to take some
trouble to increase the teaching efft-
Cheney of the schools for all purposes;
and to satisfy all the groups of people
who want special instruction without
disgusting the great mass of the public
by failure to teach thoroughly the COM
mon universal elements.