The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-03-30
COTTON ON SCHOOL MATTERS.


Fassett A. Cotton, state superinten-
dent of public instruction, touches up
on some questions OF vital Importance
in the educational world, involving the
welfare of the general public. Two
of these themes are industrial educa-
ton and consolidation of schools On
the former subject he says:
There never was a time when fhe
demand WAS SO strong for the educ1a-
ton and training of the entire incivE
dual as ie,is. today. There is no less
demand fox culture and scholarship,
In the broadcast meaning of the terms,
but there is more demand for educa-
ton that will meetsthe practical needs
of life 1t is a demand for training
, that will help the boy and girl use
themselves skilfully i'm their life work.
1t is not demand for the direct teach
ing of trades so much as it is call
for the utilization of common exper-
fences.
"Of the thirty-two million bread win
ners in this country, some thirty mil
lion must work with the hands. 1t is
apparent, therefore, that the problem
of education is industrial as well as
academic. 1t must exalt the dignity OF
labor: it must teach habits of indust-
ry: it must give ability to apply One's
self to the problem in hand: it must
meet the demand for accurate, sk1Aul
work Education has been TOO acade-
mic-that is, it has held too closely 70
the textbook, and has shut the door to
nature and to life. There has been
too much instruction. and not enough
construction; too much take and not
enough give on the part of the pupil;
too much imitation and not enough
creation; too much head and NOT
enough hand and heart training.
Now that educators are beginning
to see the problem and are trying to
solve it, it is not proposed to do any
less head work-that is, not any less
thinking-but it is proposed to do
more hand work to supplement the
head. 1t is not proposed to make the
amount of head work less, but to
make the work more intense, so that it
may be done in much less time. This
can be done by making the work more
concrete; by making it more interest |
ing: by appealing to more centers.
"The great phases of education by
which this larger work is to be accom- |
plished are kindergartens, manual and |
industrial training in towns and cities |
and agriculture in the country"
On the question of school consoli |
dation, in which work Wayne county |
is a pioneer, Supt Cotton says:
The chief claim of the free public |
school system is that it offers equal |
opportunity to all. There is. however, |
a startling discrepancy between claim
and reality Equal opportunity means !
equal length of term. it now ranges |
from six to ten months. 1t means |
equal material equipment: it varies |
now from the most ancient most poor |
" constructed, most uncomfortable |
single room schoolhouse in the remot- |
est district. to The handsomest. best |
constructed most completely furnish |
ed. most comfortable modern building, |
in the most accessible location. 1t |
means equal supervision; supervision
now varies from the single visitation
of the country superintendent, TO the |
closest daily sympathetic aid of the |
expert supervisor 1t means equal |
teaching ability; this now ranges from
absolute incompetency TO the highest |
and most skfilful professional profile |
iency. 1t means equal facilities for /
the grades: in the district school there |
is one teacher in one room with from /
five TO eight grades. teaching twenty |
to thirty-five classes: while in the |
town and city schools and in many |
consolidated schools each grade is |
provided with a teacher. 1t means /
equal high school privileges: in some /
townships there are no high schools |
at all. and in many townships there I
are none worthy of the name: in many
there are short term high schools with |
inadequate teaching force: in many /
centers there are well equipped long |
term high schools that do work in ev- /
cry respect equal TO the best high |
schools in towns and cities. Equal OPP
portunity means equal advantages in |
every respect