Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-07-12

ard grammar schools, dwelling parti-
cularly on work of the present day city
practice school.
He said: The city practice school is
no pretended substitute for the state
normal school. 1t begins it's work with
the pupil-teached where the normal
school leaves Off. 1t is, with its i'm
mediate ana expert supervision, logic
ally and essentially the next step in
the development Of teaching power and
skill. III 1t the young teacher is intro
duced to all the responsibilities of the
ordinary school and Taught how to
meet them. She is shown what to do,
how to do it. and is kept doing it until
right habits are formed and fixed. or
until it is evident that she lacks the
natural endowment of teaching ability
The papers We're discussed by Srpt
of Schools G. w. Eickford of Man
chester, n. IL.
The department of primary schools
and kindergartehs met at City hall
Reading" and School Gardens" were
discussed. Eulalle o. Grover of Chi
cage dealing with reading and Princi-
pal Sarah T. Palmer of the State Nor
NAL school. johnson. Vermont, with
school gardens. In this department also
Miss Catherine L. Copp of Chicago.
supervisor of Minneapolis. (Mnn)
primary schools and Mary S. Snow of
Pl3tt Institute, New York. delivered
addresses.
Miss Grover, who is the author # a
series of juvenile reading books, talked
..t h., IL
classes in primary grades.
In speaking of the practical sid of
the topic School Gardens" Miss Pal
mer showed how she has fully worked
out the problem from actual expert
ence. She said in part:
The main objects for which we
should work in the reading classes
during the first four years of the school
period are: To teach the child to read
fluentiy and thoughtfully; to stimulate
the imagination and strengthen the
Judgment: to inspire Il love for read
ing and create M appreciation of the
best in literature and in poetry; to
impart new ideas and awaken a desire
to apply them. In other words, our Oh
ject is to lay a foundation III the life
of each little child III our charge upon
which he can build a broad and useful
education.
In speaking of the practical side of
the topic school Gardens" Miss Pal
mer showed how she has fully worked
out the problem from actual expert
ence.
Miss Catherine G. Dopp of Chicago
University read a paper on Social OC-
equations in Primary Grades"
Miss Snow was. accorded a warm
welcome back to Maine for she was
one Of the prominent figures in the
educational field with superintending
the city schools Of Bangor. Her topic
was The Age of Elasticity"
City hall was well filed when President
Charles II. keycs of Hartford. called TO
order the evening meeting. the audience
numbering nearly 1000 people. President
Eliot was accorded d fine reception AS lie
appeared upon the platform and was Vo-
ciferously applaudcd when introduced by
President keVeS as the man who has
contributed most for education i'll Amer
lea"
President Eliot said the Report Of the
Committee of Ten" is one of the classics
in educational lore In 1892 the National
Educational Association appointed Il COM
mittce with President Eliot as chairman
TO investigate the question Of college pre-
paratory requirements to secure UNIFORM
ity. The committee consisted of four
of a woman's college. one professor from
co-educationa college, three headmaS-
tcrs of secondary schools and the COM
missioner of education ut Washington.
This committee established nine confer
enCcS of 10 members each. who met. Dee.
q. 1892 at various points. Later they
ma do hIir IN no ~ n ft,lt. ft
Ten. who met in November, 1888, and
made report which WAS practically
unanimous.
All this President Eliot outlined ara
took for his text a criticism OF the com
mitteos report made by President Han Of
Clark University, who argued that the re
port lost sight of the need for individual
instruction of the public, that the course
of the incapabl as well rs the abnor-
mails He styled the incapable as IL
great army" but declared they are al
ways an insignificant factor ill any school
and that the superintendent who would
model his course to tit them would be
professionally demented."
Very often" continued the speaker.
the scholar who is backward would be
found quick on other subjects and it is
the work of parents and teachers to find
out Just what there is in the individual
But it is not requisite to shorten the
course of all the normal students on &c
count of the backward and the billiards. !"
Finishing his reply to President Halls
charge of "extraordnary fallacy," Pres
ident Eliot said the Committee of Ten
was likely to hold its own in the ranks
of educational documents.
The speaker then took up what Pres
ident Hall styled the second fallacy" IN
the report-"that all subjects are of equal
value il taught equally we'll" President
Eliot said these particular words did not
appear in the report Quoting from tho
report he said the committee actually did
say: "No doubt If the recommendations
of the conference Were adopted it might
make all the main subjects Of equal rank
for the purposes OF admission to colleges
and scientific schools"
Explaining this he pointed out that it
meant simply that whatsoever course the
pupil saw fit to pursue he would have four
years of solid. thorough work. The COM
mittee wished TO secure thorough work in
the secondary schools regardless of
whether the pupil was going to college
1t is undoubtedly true. he said that in
the secondary school,, Of this country the
course that fits for college is not the best
or the most costly. 1t takes lust what
is necessary and leaves the rest to be
added i'll college. This is ono Of the re-
gretablc things which the report has done
much to remedy.
President Halls real contention is this.
That the colleges arc not really fitting
for life bat for secondary posltlons-tor
inertia and anaemia.
But" said President Eliot, this il y