Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-06-26
Educational Standards.

An exchange expresses the opinion
that never before in the history OF TINS
country "were the science, and art of
pedagogy SO much insisted upon or S"
1t is questionable, however. if educa-
tional results have fully kept pace
with the growth of the so called Mod
ern Methods" in educational work.
one of the facts which impresses itself
with special force upon college and
university faculties at this season Of
entrance examinations, is the lack of
uniformity in school standards which
prevails among the High schools and
academies that prepare young men and
women to enter upon what is commonly
called the higher education. 1t is evil
dent that with all our boasted lad
vancement," the schools of this coun-
try are still far removed from what
may be called common ground-ac-
cepted standards generally lived up to.
1t must be admitted that in this respect
at least the United States is still far
behind some of the European nations
notable Germany where a uniformity
of standards and methods exists
which has long been the wonder and
admiration of educators throughout the
world.
One great newspaper recently COM
planned that by far too great stress was
laid upon the necessity of teaching
teachers how to teach, and too little
upon teaching pupils how to learn.
1t would seem, however, that this lat
ter duty is peculiarly the province OF
good teacher who has any enthusi-
assn for his work, and is up to its re-
quirements. 1t seems to us that the
greatest danger the school world has
to fear today is the top-hcavy educa-
tor: the man who comes to his duties
with a maximum of theory and min
imum of horse sense. In fact we are
quite strongly of the opinion that what
the schools of this country are most
sadly in need of at the present time,
is less theory and more horse sense.
The Journal has often alluded to the
desire Of some persons to load the pub
lie schools with fads thus distracting
the attention and thinning out the
energies, which should be concentrated
upon few practical and fundamen-
tai things if the best possible results
are to be obtained Such faddists are
cal educator a ready coadjutor. and
thus serious injury is done to the
schools by putting new loads upon pu-
pills already sufficiently burdened.
Technical instruction for teachers is
exceedingly desirable when it is con-
Quoted along sane lines. and school
boards are coming more and more to
recognize it's value by giving prefer
eEce to the graduates of Normal
schools in the selection of their teach
ers. The fact remains, however, that
nowhere in the whole range of human
effort, does character, individuality,
and that subtle quality which we are
accustomed to call-for want of a bet
ter term-personal magnetism, count
for more than in the work of teach
er. No amount of technical education
will avail to make good teachers out
of some people, because they are ner-
vously and temperamentally untitled
for it. The faculty of teaching Is to a
considerable extent a gift of nature
although it is susceptible of much de-
velopment in those who have it. In
our own city gratifying work. has
been accomplished in the past few
years in bringing all of our schools W
to common standard of instruction
with the result that our pupils from
the primary grades are now entering
our High school upon an equal footing
and well qualified to enter upon its