The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-10-21

take TO teach al these books to any |
one child in the allotted time would
make old Socrates catch his breath. |
In the first case it would seem that
the course given was measured by
the physical endurance Of the teach
ers-ten teachers pitted against ten
sets OF children. IN the second case
the physical endurance of the teach
ers was no lini:-four teachers pit
ted against ten sets Of children.
lam far from advocating only the
three Rs in the common schools, but
our schools are undertaking too much
in the quantity Of work and the kind
Of work. School work must be cir
cumscribed by time, space. and the
ability of the pupil. Take the s'h
grade course already mentioned. OIL
be eleven texts prescribed, nine arr
% be pursued at the same time. it
IS nc figure Of speech to say that
{ child's time is the dividend OF
long division, the quotient, or re.
suit, must be small. For instance
q the first two years Of q child's
chool life the schools very properly
'evote much time d energy to oral
~eading. Blu. by the time he reaches
he ffth grade, so many things are
,rowded upon him that he does but
little oral reading while under in
struction-a few minutes each day.
perhaps. Hence when he reaches
he high school his oral reading !.
-carcely ineligible, and be IS often
,nable to get through from the print
ed page. Indeed, many q college
tudent and not few teachers in
ur common schools can not read
IS they should read on entering the
high school.
These crowded courses Of study
ave another fatal weakness. In tn
ene school and in the same classe
a wide range Of ability. taste, an
nportunitv, among the pupils. Th
light and precocious mind. the slu'
ish but retentive mind, and the du'
ind are found side by side. Th
ppil Of robust body and vigcrou
ealth, the one Of feeble body an
nlicate health, and the one witt
nple time for every task and t.
ne with scant time for any tas'
u 90 to the same school. The u
ardonable sin Of the schools is
,unch them together. give them t.
me work. an7 require all to mea
- no to common standard. G.
ade them in different molds, ar
: is useless for the schools to tr
. ignore the differences. 1t is II"
atural and 1t is wrong. To marc
breast twenty-five children in or,
-rade up to a given dead-line
! either possible nor desirable. Chi
'rep with diverse abilities, taste
I'd opportunities should not be :.
nired to progress with even ste
trough such diverse subjects
,a+hematics. language. history. an
'rawing. If bov can do the la'
~uage work of the 6th grade. b''
lis prepared foe only the 4th in mat
| ,matics, put him just where he
| fitted to 90. ooh, he would n
/ fit into my program" says sor
lone. Then make the program fit th
| boy. The possibility Of doing th'
lis one Of the great advantages tina
the small country school has owe
he closely graded school.
There is another thing which need
Ito be dinned into the ears of opric'
both teachers and patrons-th9
lit Is folly for school with min
| grades and two teachers to und'e'
take TO do what a school with nins
GRADES and six teachers accomplishe-
EThe two-teacher school may be tn
better school within its limitations
i but It must keep within these limi
ltations. A one-horse farmer wh
\ would claim to be able to grow
Imany crops and as large GRIPS as
ifour-horse farmer would grow, woul
| be laughed at. Little David coul
not fight in big saul's heavy an
cum bersone arnor, but with slin
and q pebble he dii effective wor'
| WILLIAM H. HAND.
T-nivoreitv of Conth Carc1i7a