Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-02-19
PACEIN SCHOOL
Haste and Too Many Studies Re-
suit in Superficial Education.
IN THE NAME OF THE PROPHET, FUDGE
Political Intrigue and Fad Worship
Regarded as Menace to School Sys.
tem-Question of Teachers Marri-
age Being Asitated in New York.

| ''SSe'aSa DO WSIidCS 10 SCnOOl SyS.
ten1-Question of Teachers Marri-
age Being Agitated in New York.
Though there does not appear to be
the haste and strenuousness in the ed
ucation of the children of the public
schools OF Ottumwa that is evident in
many places, yet occasionally there is
raised in the minds of some of the pa
irons of the Ottumwa schools the
question as to whether the tendency
to hurry the children through the pub
lie schools which sometimes exists is
altogether profitable. The desire to
secure early results in education, fol-
lowed by the gathering of superficial
knowledge, is aptly illustrated by the
New York Tribune as follows:
A bright little girl of scarcely IA
years, belonging to a family of intelli-
gence and culture, writes with evident
pride to a relative concerning her
standing in scholarship in the public
school, which she has been attending
for number of years. She reports
that she is pursuing fourteen studies,
at least eleven of them being solid"
ones. and her average standing in all
of them, reckoned on a scale on which
"10O'' indicates perfection, is no less
than SO 5-14. In four studies she is
marked 100. and in only one as low as
| SO. In grammar she has attained per-
| lection, being marked 100, while in
civics she stands at SO, in physics at
81, in physiology at SO, in algebra at
SO and in literature at SO.
In the same letter she tells of some
recent incidents. There has been two
boats ashore. Papa took
sister and l with him so we could see
the boats"
| Grammar, 100." So reads her school
report, prepared by teacher who
doubtless takes great pride in so clev-
er scholar. 1t is pity, Of course,
| that she stands only SO in civics, a
study so essential to the childish mind
and it might be wished that she had
got above 81 in physics. especially
seeing that she had only eleven solid"
studies and not more than fourteen in
| all. She is not yet studying Differen-
| tial Calcus. or Blowpipe Analysis or
Sanskrit, or the French Drama of the
| eighteenth century. Doubtless these
probably stand 400 plus" in grammar
and be able to write that ''me and her
done it." Then she will be ready for
college. Grammar 1907 With only
fourteen studies and only eleven of
them Solids" including physics civics
algebra, physiology, literature and two
kinds of history.
In the name Of the prophet, fudge!
Undemocratic Public School.
| Political intrigue and fad worship is
regarded by the Minneapolis Tribune
as a growing menace to the public
school system. "The Golden Age of
American public schools says the
Tribune, is not past but seriously men
aced. 1t is no longer true that all
parents send their children to public
schools as a matter of course. 1t is
no longer true that private schools are
confessedly and universally inferior.It
is a growing practice for parents who
can afford. the cost to send to private
schools from preference. 1t is prob
able that these schools get the best
material as well as the worst-bright
children whom the public school ma
chine would hold back, as well as the
dull children whom it's relentless dis
cipline would injure physically. 1t is
undeniable that in many cases they
| get the children of most observing and
intelligent parents.
1T is probably true that they get
the cream of the teachers, too. Time
was when highly trained teachers
went into the public schools as a
matter of course. Now many of them
go there as last resort. The supply
is so great that probably many pub
lie school teachers are of high quail
ity; but it is said that the best of
them always jump at the chance to
escape its wearing routine and petty
for smaller pay.
If this is to go on, where will it
end? Is time coming when all par
ents who can afford it will send their
children to private schools; and all
cultivated persons who cannot will
make severe sacrifices to give their
children the advantage of the best
teaching and associations? Is a time
| coming when private schools and
academies will grow strong enough to
drain the public schools of the best
teaching material, and leave the chill
dren obliged to remain in them to
the care of attendants of the same
type as those found in other public in
situations? If this time shall come,
how will it be possible any longer to
repel with scorn the insinuation that
i the American public schools are char
1 liable institutions, like those to whose
type the menaced change would seem
to approximate them?
| Marriage of Teachers.
The New York board of education
has taken up with vigor the question
of women teachers becoming wives.
1t recently passed resolution that
any woman in the employ of the board
who married after that date would be
considered as having handed in her
resignation.
A young lady in Brooklyn paid no
attention to this action, but went for
ward and took unto herself man.
Her name was dropped from the rolls