Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-18

themselves utterly unprepared even
in the essentials ordinarily Indicated
by the words, "the three RS" If
such charge stands against the high
school graduate, what Is true of the
thousands who get no farther than
the grammar schools?
This good old English language, so
rich in its possibilities, is shamefully
neglected. Those who inspect the
work when the high school graduate
enters college note the distressing con
ditions as quickly as the keen man of
business does. The boys and girls
are unable to write English correctly:
They know little of grammar. They
are deficient in penmanship. They
cannot spell. 1t is not true of Chicago
schools alone. The same conditions
are observed all over the country. And
when man Of affairs who has tray.
eled the path to success calls attention
to them in searching words the ne ed
of investigation Of the courses of
study in the schools is all the more
apparent. There are many reasons
for thinking that they do not provide
some of the essential, practical train.
| 80 eAsLS eAS pupilo SOlSly uSCu.
| The Inter Ocean Is more specific in
Its criticism Of the schools. In the
last thirty years, 1t says, there have
been two or three valuable additions
to the public school curriculum, 1t be,
lieves, are about all the average
schoolboy can stand. The Inter
/ Ocean says:
American history is more thorough.
ly taught and is beginning to be bet.
ter taught. When writer's of school
histories becomes able to tell the
truth about two or three epochs
notably that of the Mexican war, from
a broad national viewpoint instead OF
narrow New England one. the public
school work, in this branch will be
fairly welcome.
| 1t has come to be recognized also
that modern city conditions demand
something in the nature Of manual
training for the average city boy. HI
has largely lost the educational dis
cipline of home labor, and he needs
something in it's place, that he may
not grow UP with two left hands all
! thumbs.
English literature is being more
thoroughly taught, and, on the whole
is worthy of the additional attention
given it-that is, as foundation stone
in general education.
| But beyond these three subjects
there are almost countless recent addi
lions to the burden of the schoolboy
There is physiology" enough TIC
help him, but sufficient to distract
him. Then there is physics" in smat
tering doses. And then, too, there is
music" which should be play at
home and not study and, further
more, drawing" useless for the great
majority save in connection with man,
ual training.
these do not exhaust the list of in
cumbrances by any means, but they
are the most familiar of the new mis-
cellaneous baggage packed on the
,schoolboy's back.
| And as a result of the loading uE
with these and other superfluona
things boys go up to college who. can
not spell correctly and into bushes
!, who cannot write decently Or perform
accurately everyday work in common
figures Because of the nonsense even
the indispensable three Rs have
been neglected.
The boy who has learned few
things well, and in learning them has
been taught how to use his head and
| hands, is much better equipped for life
than the boy who has shattered over
many fields of knowledge.
The old criticism that the "com
mon schools are not common enough
seems to be gaining new recruits.