Evening journal., 1909-09-07
Tuesday, September 7. 1909
OUR SCHOOLS.

HE opening of a new term OF school in any
community is always fraught with more
OF less interest but when changes are made in
teachers or principals or III the location of the
various grades or by the erection of new build
ings there is aroused special interest at this
time.
The Board of Education has been unusually
busy for more than year in erecting new build
ings and IN making additions to the old ones.
and has taxed to the full measure its resources
in order to provide adequate accommodations
for all the children OF the city-a task of no
mean proportions-and as a result of these oper-
ations number of changes must of necessity be
made in the location of some of the primary
grades, and with the change comes the conse-
quent dissatisfaction of some parents and chill
dren. Ihis\ is 10 be expected, because there
must naturally be some change of teachers, some
change of coN,anions and of social relations,
but since all public schools Of the city are Of
high standard 'otseNeel lence, their methods and
spirit are The same and The opportunities for
ccal service are the same, instead Of being
loss the result should be a gain.
In this changing order, the attitude Of the
home should be one of support and helpfuness
instead of criticism and obstruction. The one
thing the public schools need everywhere is the
support and cooperation of the home in order
TO help them work their largest measure of use
funess. This cooperation is needed for the
sake of the child, for the sake of the community,
and for the sake of our free institutions. which
arc founded on and must continue on the basis
OF individual intelligence and integrity and
cumulative cooperation and responsibility. If,
therefore, parents and children will be patient
until the new order is understood and estab-
lished we feel sure that what the Board OF
Education has done will be approved as sound
wisdom and for the best of all concerned
During the last few years our schools have
made noteworthy PROCESS in a number OF pas
tculars among them these may be briefly men
toned The continued simplhcaton of the
courses of study by the omission of unnecessary
and impractical details and the substitution OF
materials for study that come within the plane
OF the practical in the Child's overwhelming
experiences; the methods OF teaching the several
subjects arc made simpler and throw the child
more and more upon his own resources, thus
developing the power OF initiative and the ability
10 do things for himself. Out of this recognition
of the child's ability to do there has come a
rcsourcefulness a homcke spirit and life which
have stimulated democratic responsibility for the
individual and fer the school, a condition that
is fundamental IN free government. Our
schools are in this way working out the prob
lem OF social service in the life interests and
activities of the pupils. The various aspects
and phases of reading, arithmetic, language,
literature art, and the manual arts, etc, are
made the means of socializng the pupils and Of
preparing them for intelligent cooperation in
community life. The utilization of stories and
literature adapted to the various stages of the
childs development is also great step toward
putting it into possession of its inheritance
the worlds best thought and treasure. Much
attention has also been given to the sanitary
condition Of the schools and their appointments
and to the health and recreation of the children
These items with others that might be emu
merated. indicate that our schools are keeping
abreast Of the most approved educational prac-
tees that they are singularly free from 'fads,
fancies and frills' and that their one abiding
and controlling purpose is TO serve the chill
dren They. are worthy of and should have the
support of every citizen.