The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-03-12
TEACHERS DISCUSS
STUDY OF ENGLISH.
Regular Monthly Meeting Pub
lie School Instructors
DR.. PHILLIPS GIVES TALK
Tells of Recent Meeting of National
Department OF Superintendent
at Milwaukee, Which He
Attended.
DR.. PHILLIPS GIVES TALK

The regular meeting of the teachers of
the Birmingham public schools was held
yesterday morning in the High school
building. The general topic under dis
cussion was the subject of English and
how to teach it in the elementary
schools A number of excellent and sug-
gestive papers were read, followed by a
gneral discussion of some practical
phases of the work in connection with
English grammar.
Superintendent Phillips gave the teach
ers a brief summar:- of the proceedings of
the meeting of the National Department
of superintendent which he recently at
tended in Milwaukee.
He spoke especially of the address of
Jane Adams of Chicago, who has become
famous in connection with the social set
tlement work. She dealt with the rela-
lions of child labor to the school and the
state. The burden of her plea was for
more effective work on the part of the
schools of the country in the ameliora-
ton of the condition of the child in the
mill, the mine and the factory. Com
merce and industry are influencing the
schools far more than our schools are
influencing commerce and industry.
Cotton mill and mine owners say to
the state: Take these children, they are
worthless to us; train their fingers and
their brains make them deft, active and
slSillful workers, but at the age of four
teen you must turn them over to u.s."
At this tender age the strength that
would go into muscle, nerve and bone,
the strength that of right belongs to
future generations of American citizens
is ground out of the children in the fac
tory by unreasonable conditions and I'M
comfortable surroundings When the fac
tory has gotten all it can out of the child
it leaves him physical wreck, and again
says to the state: Take him and sup
port him, he is of no further use to me-
The poor houses of certain sections of the
country are filled, not with the old and
the decrepit, but with the young and
the middle age whose strength is prema-
turely exhausted The state and the
school thus become the servants of the
MILL the mine and the factory.
The educational tendencies as reflected
summarized as follows:
l. A general movement to sever the
school systems of our large cities from the
influence of graft and corruption, as has
been done in New York, ST. Louis. Cleve-
land and other cities
2. A general demand that teachers shall
be paid salaries commensurate with their
work The manual worker the ordinary
artisan, now is better paid than the av-
erage teacher of the country. This fact
was emphasized in the recent report of
the Mosely commission of England, after
examining the schools of the United
States
8. More emphasis must be placed on
manual training as a means of develop
ing the motor activities of children and
correlating them with the civil, indus-
trial and social conditions of American
citizenship
4. Greater emphasis is placed through
out the country upon the proper training
of teachers. The probation plan is now
used in most cities and no teacher is
placed upon the regular list Until she has
served the regular probation period,
which varies from one to two years.
s. Growth of sentiment in favor of COM
pulsory education.
There were present a number of Wis
itors, including County Superintendent
bers of the County Board OF Education.
The monthly salaries of the teachers
were paid at the close Of the meeting
amounting to $6,0S649