The Mena weekly star., 1909-11-04
SECOND ARTICLE METHOD OF SUPERVISION.
he superior primary school.

SIuOOl proper IS obligatory throughout, and embraces three successive courses or grades of two years or more each. Tn schools where the attendance is regular, the first or elementary grade, as rule, children from six to eight years ot age; the sec ond, children from eight to ten, and the third, those from ten to twelve years of age. It is not the intention of the government 10 prescribe in an absolute way the precise time to be devoted to studying the sub1ects assigned 10 each grade. Ii contents itself with requiring that the ese three great stages of school life should be clearly marked in each school, and 1t IS also convinced that the ma sJority of children will he able to pass them without so much efi,rt between the ages of six and twelve, and very easily b tween six and thirteen or six and four teen years of age"
 Upon the same principles in the education of the childreu above these ages based. The course is as definite and the work as thorough as recommended in the primary program and in each course the children must receive thrse-fold training, consisting of physical, intellectual and moral education.
 la France the ordinary obliga- tory curriculum of intellectual iu- structiou comprises reading, writ ing, arithmetic, the elements of the natural sciences, geography, history of the Republic. drawing aad music, and is strictly carried out in all the rural schools.
 It will be noted that the pri- mary instruction in the rural schools oi Belgium and of France is un Ter the direct supervision of the government. This is true of Germany, and especially so of Prussia and many other foreign countries. In Prussia the system of inspection is intelligent, fre- quent, constant. responsible, reaching every school aud every teacher in the country districts, as we'll as those of secondary in- struction. The supreme author ity ia all matters of education is vested in minister of education, local supervision in the provin- cisl authorities, and these in turn have subordluates down to the committee of management for each school; thus complete plan of inspection exists, from the elementary schools Tn successive steps through the who'e course in the normal schools. Having complete system of inspection and supervision, these countries require definite work at the hands ol their teachers and their pupils. Where supervision is most per- feet, there IS required most def- nite work. Where supervision is iu its infancy, or where there is none, there IS the greatest want of definite results and of intelli- gent instruction.
 In the United States we have no national system of education. The several states of the Union are left to devise their own sys- tenn of educating their children. These systems differ mainly in de- tails, thus giving to the several states an Individuality not noted in foreign countries. The public schools are established and con trolled entirely by the people through their chosen officers.
 Since in all cases of intelligent supervision there must be some thing to supervise, those .uniries having the most compleie sem of supervision. have the most per feet arrangement of detailed work, and thus have definite ob- iects to be obtained, aud to be tested by the supervising officer. This detailed work, to be com- pleted iu given time, is but a course of study, plauued and de- vised by those who have the authority 10 do so. What, then. is the basis of all intelligent school work?
 A well matured and definite course of study, made to fit the subjects to De studied and the en- gironment of the patron, the pu- pil and the teacher. There can be no uniform work of practical character accomplished without a uniform course of study or some definite guide to direct the sew eral teachers in WHAT to do and HOW much.
 Every teacher must do some thing. aud he will do that some ". ...a. |. <<isc.f nr ,a.a.