New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-01
FOR F4DS AND FRILLS.
Principals Club Gires Reasons for
Not Teaching Three RS Alone.

The Principals Club OF which Albert Shields OF
Public School No. 40 the chairman Of the commit
Tee on course of study Of the Interborough CouHe'
is president, has been the first organization to re-
spond to City Superintendent Maxwelfs nvitauoh
Tor criticisms of the curriculum IF the elementary
public schools. The club members are men ana
women who have for the part been appointed
TO their present places in the last five years III
Its report to DIR. Maxwell the clubs committee
says:
we believe that our schools should graduate RHe
are told that our graduates cannot do these @
system and the increasing complexity of social
NE makes the problem of adjustment more dlIn,
cut each year; the system of three RS was foutiu
llsuncent twenty years ago; II would be hopeeSSlJ
In the matter of the four elementary operations
as applied to integers. fractions and decimals. IN
oriinpTI he in thu Tnat of IeebIe yPtng we
who have had opportunities of judging many more
nunuregs OF pupils than any single empoyer' anu
under both conditions. are willing TO affirm that
th mere mas been no retrogressiQn. - ,.,-,r,so,,
But IN the other essentials there ls no comparison
10 be made, for II is less an Improvement than a
a series OF distractions. of analysis and spelling:
compositions are written now not as before 9y
tone and expression are We think not inferior TO the
language OF some of your critical correspondents:
do refer those former 3ggregatlons
of red ink corrections which when finally rewritten
What We have arc he f free Of the pu
pills own thoughts enriched by new Associations
and inspired by a hundred new interests. Manual
training so much misunderstood even by some VINO
teach is not added subject TO take more time IL
supplements the older formal teaching.
Our conclusion. therefore, IS as follows: We be-
HeVe that the three RS essentials. but that II
taught alone they make most impracticable sys-
tenn OF instruction. utterly Inadequate TO the re-
quirements OF the life the child is to enter
The reasons we assign are:
First-1hat they a survival Of period when
the industrial development OF modern life was I'M
known. and they do not recognize these modern
changes.
Second--That when taught exclusively they de-
generate into vicious of drills in which pro-
vision is made for the smallest and least significant
part Of the childs activities.
Third-That, they lack content. they make no
provision for any other than purely intellectual
training Aside from the influence of school and
teacher. there is nothing in a knowledge OF the
three RS which has any real emotional or ethical
influence. This would be impossible under mod
course of study.
Fourth-That all the abuses Of elementary meth
DDS have arisen from exclusive three course.
Ffth-That the leading opponents of educational
science and method agreed on the evils OF
system of instruction which concerns itself with
words rather than things, with form rather than
content.
SiXth-That fads and frills give content to the
course of study, give opportunity for the natural
development OF children'S minds supply in outline
is really the best and most truly useful knowl
edge allow for ethical and emotional training, and