Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-18
SCHOOL ROOM FRILLS.
Need of Essential and Fundamental
Studies for Children.
From the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune
The question of school room accommo-
dation is still troublesome one. Multi
tudes of children are in part-time classes
and many can enjoy that modified benefit
only through the use of temporary and
makeshift quarters. Obviously the way to
remedy the trouble is to estimate as ac-
curately as possible what the school popu-
lation of the various districts of the city
will be, say, two years hence. and then to
begin-and within the two years to fin
ish-schoolhouses of sufficient capacity
to contain it. To start building now on
the basis of present needs is radically
faulty. because when the buildings now
started are finished it will not be today's
needs they must meet. but the increased
needs of that time two years hence.
Meantime, while we have to be content
with crowded quarters and part-time
classes, it will be particularly good
plan to devote such time as the children
have in school to the fundamental and
essential studies. Even IL "A child can
spend the whole day at school il is doubt
full If all OF the fads which some call the
new education" should be imposed upon
him. When he can be in school only half
the day such requirement seems indeed
an imposition in the worst sense of the
term. The notion that a dabbling in
higher culture" can be a satisfactory
substitute for a thorough grounding i'm
the traditional three RS is mischiev-
Gus. Civics. ethics, literary analysis and
what not are estimable studies. But il is
a strange perversion Of pedagogy TO pre-
fer them in common school fwhere
both; under present restrictions of time.
cannot be hadD to reading and writing
and to the multiplication table.
From some points of view some of the
new methods pursued in teaching certain
studies are eStimable enough. The uni
versity student in philology. for exam
pie. may find profit and delight in speak
Ing of julius Caesar as "Eoolius Kaiser"
and In reading that commanders most
famous campaign dispatch "Waynee.
weedee. weekee." But the average boy or
girl In grammar school, whose study of
Latin is chiefly to serve as an aid to the
more perfect understanding and use of
the vernacular. would surely be more
benefited In the use of pronunciation
that would leave some Indication of rela-
tonship between the two languages 1t
scarcely seems reasonable to expect a
child to recognize. for example, the deri-
walton OF convene from con and
"wayneo. or of vital from "weetah"
These things might do If the object OF
common school education We're to enable
Its recipients to luxuriate in the cultiva-
ton OF fine theories and to split hairs
over the definition of ultimate truth
That, however, is not it's object but
rather. In the majority of cases, to en-
able them to earn their liyings and make
creditable way in the world and in the
minority OF cases 10 enable them to go
successfully to higher grades of academic
and profession study. 1t cannot be too
confidently declared or too strongly en-
phasized that the needs of both the ma
jority and the minority will be best serv-
ed by thorough'1nstructio first in the
simple and fundamental branches of
reading. writing. arithmetic and the like.
rms Is alwayt true and always pertinent
IL is doubly pertinent and urgent at q
time when school room is inadequate and
the hours OF teaching arc cut short.