Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-01-30
SCHOOL COURSE
TO Be REDUCED,
City Supt. Christensen Wants to
Cut it Down to Eight
Years
DESIRES TO STRENGTHEN IT,
Committees Have Been Appointed to
Work on the Proposition and Elm.
mate Certain Studies

city superintendent OF Schools
Christensen aud several committees Of
principals and teachers OF the city
schools are now engaged In the serious
consideration of a plan to reduce the
present school course from eight and
half to eight years and at the same
time strengthen the course instead Of
making It weaker. The plan will mean
lot Of hard work and thought on the
part Of those having it In charge and
will require several months perhaps to
devise a suitable means Of accomplish
ing the desired results.
Committees have been appointed by
superintendent Christensen TO work on
the proposition, and 1t Is the intention
to undertake to eliminate certain feat
ures In the various studies which can
be dispersed with without interfering
In any way with the thorough educa-
tlon Of the pupil on such subjects, Since
the financial condition OF the schools
has necessItatcd cutting down the term
from 10 TO nine months, the entire
course has accordingly increased to
eight and half years, In order 10
meet the demands Of an increased
school population and at the same time
keep within the limit OF means pro-
vlded by the board, II Is absolutely
necessary to shorten the entire course
TO eight years and thus relieve the
crowded condition Of the schools that
much faster.
TO do this without impairing the
proficiency Of the course, is matter
which win have to be studied out. 1t
has been done in other cities, and 1t Is
believed by Superintendent Christen-
sen that 1t can be done here and at the
same time the course can be strength
ened The committees when they
have completed their work, VIII report
to the board OF education which, OF
course. viii have to approve OF any
such change before II Is made 1t Is
expected that the work viii be COM
plcted and plan devised by the close
of the present school year In eX-
planning the object Of the work, super
intendent Christensen said
1T is an easy matter to cut the
course down TO eight years, but what
| aim at Is to make the reduction and
at the same time strengthen the course
by eliminating features of certain stu
dies The eliminating Of irrelevant mat
ter from the fundamental subjects Is
where the care and study must be ex-
ercised To secure the best results
within the quickest time, ! have given
the matter Of elimination to commit
~ .nYinpin41g and t1uQh-
ers who either teach that particular
branch or are very proficient in It,
"To make myself perhaps a little
clearer let me cite you an example.
Take arithmetic, for instance. In the
regular course certain amount OF time
and attention Is paid to stocks and
bonds. Now | contend, for an argu-
ment, that a knowledge Of stocks ana
bonds, as derived from an arithmetic,
is perhaps not essential TO q puplls
mathematical education. Perhaps the
week devoted to that subdivision of
the book can be reduced TO one day, or
two, and the other days, or part of
them, given over TO a further perfec-
ton in the requirement of the rudi-
ments Of arithmetic
"A banking institution, for instance,
cares more for a man or woman who Is
exceptionally profciant in addition and
subtraction and computing interest than
for knowledge OF stocks and
bonds | simply cite that rs a point
showing more clearly what ] mean
when | say eliminate irrelevant sub
jects and give more time to more inn
portant subjects which will make the
pupils general education along mathe-
matical lines more efficient
"By taking off few days here In this
study, and a few more In some other,
all the time keeping in mind the
desire TO strengthen the course, we can,
we hope. see our way clear 10 getting
the old eight year course OF ten months
into an eight year course OF nine
months. In many Of the larger cities
eight years and less are prescribed,
Take Kansas CITY for instance. II has
only n seven year course, stu It's sys-
TEN Of education stands at the head OF
the list, Salt Lake City deyotes year
and n half more to attain the same
educational degree Of perfection. II
they can do 1t in Kansas City IN seven
years, we surely ought TO be able TO
accomplish the same I'm eight years"
The committees which will assist the
superintendent in the work are as fol-
lows.
Geography d. Keller T.. s. Hal.
lack, W. S. Wallace, X, S Sanborn and
u. r.. Coombs
Spelling Van Colt, w w,
Barton D. A, Nelson, Il, S, Hallack, G.
4. Eaton.
Readng-W. A. Wet2en J, II.
Coombs. Miss May Dysart, Elizabeth
Mcmillan, Mrs Matte Mckay
ArithmetiC--O L. Martin, Lucy Van
colt, Elizabeth Fritz, Samuel DoXey, j.
II. Coombs w. H. Brown.
Languages and Grommar-Wllllam
Bradford Miss l., NJ QualtrOugh, w,
ID. Proser. Miss Mary Dysart,
History--H. B. Folsom J, o, Cross.
Eta Power W. A, Wetzell, Ira d,
Travis.