Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-09-09
sEDUcATIoSaL ASSOCIATION.
Some Good Declarations Put Forth
at Recent National Meeting.

tant paragraphs taken from the dec
iaration of principles of the, National
Educational Association, adopted at
Its recent session at Cleveland, Ohio.
2. We recommend the subordina-
ton OF highly diversified and over
ourdened courses Of study in tile
grades to thorough drill in essen
tial subjects, and sacrifice of guam
tity to an Improvement in the quality
of instruction. The complaints of
- slsiness men that pupils from the
schools are inaccurate in results and
careless of details is a criticism that
should be removed. The principles
OF sound and accurate training are as
fixed as natural laws and should be
4 insistently followed. Tll-considere1
experiments and indiscriminate
methodizing should be abandoned
and attention devoted to the preserv-
ing and continuous drill necessary
for accurate and efficient training;
and we hold that no course of study
in any public school Should be so ad-
vanced or so rigid as to prevent in
struction to the student, who may
need it, in the essential and practical
parts Of the common English
branches.
o.. There is concededly a grave
moral depression in our business and
social atmosphere. The revelations
Of the financial and legislative world
for the pas two ears denote too
general acquiescence in questiona-
Able practices and standards. We ear
'nfstly recommend to boards Of edu-
cation, principals and teachers the
continuous training of pupils in NOR
ais, and in business and professional
ethics, to the end that the coming
generation of men of affairs may
have well-developed adherence
of unfair dealing and discrimina-
ton. The establishment Of the honor
system in the schools, the ostracism
of the dishonest or unfair pupil, the
daily exemplification in the routine
life Of the school Of the advantage
of honest and truthful methods are
commended to the especial attention
Of teachers as partial means to
this end.
6. The Bureau of Education at
Washington should be preserved in
its integrity and the dignity of its
position maintained and increased. 1t
should receive at the hands of Con-
preparations as will enable it not
only to employ all expert assistants
necessary, but also to publish in
convenient and usable form the re-
suits Of Investigations, thus making
that department of our government
such a source of information and
advice as will be most helpful to the
people in conducting their campaigns
OF education. We are Of the opinion
that the Importance of the subject
under its control, and the dignity
Of this country, require that this
bureau be maintained as an inde-
pendent department of the govern
ment.
Z. The National Educational AS
sociation notes with approval that
the qualifications demanded of the
teachers in the public schools are
increasing annually, and particularly
that in many localities special pre-
paration is demanded Of teachers.
the idea that any one with a fair
education can teach school Is gradu-
ally giving way to the current notion
that teachers must make special pre-
paration for the vocation of teaching.
The higher standards required of
teachers must lead logically to
higher salaries for teachers, and con-
stant efforts should be made by all
persons interested In education to Sc
cure for teachers adequate compen-
sation for their work.
8. 1t is the duty of the State to
!. provide for the education Of every
Bchild within its borders AID to see
that all children obtair the rudi-
ments Of an education. The COP
stitutional provision thai all tax-
payers must contribute to the sup
port Of the public schools logically
carries with it the implied provision
that no persons should be permitted
to defeat the purposes Of the public
school law by forcing their children,
at an early age, to become bread
winners. To this end the child labor
and tTuancy laws should be SO
harmoniZed that the education of