The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-20
1T is A SHAME.
Children Are Crammed With
Too Much Arithmetic.
Prof. Cook of Chicago Attacks
Common School.
NOT THE RIGHT THEORY
Undue Attention to Brokerage,
Banks and Stocks.
Recommends Study of Nature
Instead.
NOT THE RIGHT THEORY

Orville T. Bright. principal of one of
the ward schools of Chicago, and one
of the old guard who has grown gray
in the service of education, proved con-
cIusiveIy Saturday night in an address
at the high school auditorium that he
is not a stickler for the present curri-
culum in the common school system.
The compound fraction which we have
always approached with a feeling of
awe and reverence was forcibly hurled !
from its pedestal by the venerable |
iconoclast. The memory stunt of con- |
ming over the capes Of the world on
which we prided ourselves when in our
youth was overwhelmed with a deluge !
of scorn.
Mr.. Bright gave an address Saturday |
night to an audience of 600 Rhool !
teachers of the city and the county to- |
gether with q. number of those inter- |
ested in educational topics upon School |
and Home Ideals" In the afternoon he !
spoke informally to a large number OF
the county school teachers at the same
place. Mr.. Bright was formerly super |
intendent of the Cook county, H., |
schools.
The main theme of the whole address
was appeal to get back to nature
and the introduction of nature study
into the school system. Through that
medium he trusted to arrive a the pro-
per ideal of both school and home, the
former reacting favorably upon the lat |
ter.
In sketching out an Introduction lead /
ing up to his main theme Mr.. Bright
said: The common school system of
America originated in old New Eng |
land. The public school, like the name |
free school better-Was founded in old |
New England and today half of the /
school system of the United States is |
on the free school basis, I don't con- |
slider them free unless free text books |
are supplied
The speaker then stated the advanc- |
ed steps that had been taken in France |
in the introduction of gardens in con- |
nection with the public schools of that |
land and the other countries of Eur |
ope- They are" the speaker contin- /
ued, 300 600 school gardens in Europe. |
Look at the land that you have in this |
state-tO what beauty and use could |
you not put it. Why every school house, |
country well city. should have a |
garden surrounding it to teach beauty /
future some Carnegie would cease long
enough from endowing public libraries
to give some of his wealth TO this
cause or that some Rockefeller taking /
q surcease from a fight on Kansas |
would turn some of his huge wealth I
towards the Establishment of gardens /
about our schools"
In attacking the present curriculum
of the common schools Mr.. Bright said: |
Did you ever stop to think of the time |
we put in studying mathematics. We /
teach boys and girls about banking, |
brokerage, stocks and bonds, and the /
houses. We teach obsolete compound |
numbers and compound proportions |
which never existed outside the school I
house. Days and weeks are given to |
the greatest common divisor, and to |
four story complex fraction montrosi- |
ties; but never a word about the soil, |
the growth of crops which make life /
possible. or of trees, Shrubs and flowers
which may make home beautiful The I
absurdity of this condition of things /
needs no demonstration Let no teacher |
imagine that speak here only to the !
teachers of country schools. What is /
true of the farm life is just as true of |
the village and the small cities, and to I
a great degree even OF the large cities. ."
Mr.. Bright was not afraid to say |
what he thought, even if it took plain |
language to do it. Speaking of the beau /
ties of nature and especially of bird life, |
he said:
would I have stuffed birds in the
school house? Not on your lifei Nor |
or women's hats. Queer, isn't it, that |
men don't have to be adorned with |
murdered birds. Why do women? But /
disgracefuI fashion. Disgraceful? 1t is |
atrociously cruel and damnable- Array |
the child against this sort of thing, and |
make it strong, and don't hesitate to /
call it murder"
Mr.. Bright condemned in strongest !
terms the present methods of teaching
reading, history, geography and other |
branches. He said the school reader /
should be supplemented with other |
books which the children may really en-
joy. He demanded that histories be |
written to furnish entertaining stories |
of historical events, instead of dry (
chronology. He roasted the study of /
arithmetic to a rich brown, and it will |
do people who hate arithmetic good to I
read what he said about it.
The work is hard and Juggling" says |
Mr.. Bright and a great part of it is |
neither practical nor disciplinary. No |
small part of it is rubbish and antique
rubbish at that. Babies who have never |
poss more than a nickel at a time
are taught to talk glibly about thou /
sands and millions I insist that the /
arithmetic which can run the business
affairs of Topeka, for instance, or the |
state Of Kansas. is strong enough for |
the elementary school children of To- |
peka. or the state of Kansas. Tt is |
vicious to place before children number |
relations which can't be drawn from |
any probable or even possible conditions |
in the world. or in the heavens above |
or the other place. It is vicious to give /
these complicated affairs or arithmeticaI |
puzzles to children for home study, and /
it may result in immortality. The SYM |
pathetic father takes hold to help-or |
does so on the despairing Importantly of
his child. He is Inundated by his in |