The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-12-22
RADICAL CHANGE
IN CURRICULUM
Prof. MOSiah Hall Suggests
LeSSening of the White
ChiId'S Burden.

At the Wasatch County Teachers Insti-
tute at Heber City Professor Mosiah Hall
of the state university recommended a
radical change in the present curriculum
of the common schools.
Most educators agree that the course
of study is badly crowded; children have
SO many studies to pursue that their
minds are kent in a constant whirl and
they are unable to center their efforts
upon anything. l contend that fewer sub
JeCts must be taught and these must
be taught more thoroughly and effective
~" said Professor Hall.
Some OF Us remember the time when
the three RS" constituted the course of
study. When geography was introduced,
it was received with much hostility by
the older boys, and when grammar was
added a small rebellion arOse-many re-
fused to study this new subject. Since
then, Notwithstanding the protest Of pu-
Pill, and Oftel of teacher, there has been
forced into the curriculum, from the out
side, subject after subject until the whole
is so topheavy that it is likely to fall of
its own weight. 1t was believed that
children should know something Of the
history of the country, hence United
states history was placed IN the cur
riclum. The w. G. T. Z. succeeded in
having congress pass a law compelling
the schools to teach physiology and ny
giene. Advocates Of culture, at length,
succeeded in having art and music reCOg-
niZed as essential subjects. The insistent
demand to make nature study part OF
the curriculum was listened to, and at
present there is an earnest effort being
made to force the schools to teach manual
training, domestic science, domestic art
and agriculture, But this is not all As
a sort of last straw on the camel5s back
some enthusiasts are insisting that one
or more foreign languages should be
taught by the schOOls-and the very last
subject mentioned as being absolutely
necessary to a well balanced and nicely
rounded curriculum, up to 1880 o'clock last
"The three RS have expanded into sew
enteen subjects, and the well balanced
school is expected to instruct the student
in reading, writing, arithmetic, spelling
geography, history, hygiene and
physiology, drawing, music, nature study
manual training domestic science, do
nestle art, agriculture, foreign language
and civics.
1T is not uncommon to see a little
child staggering to school under an arm
full of BOOKS, reminding one of State Su-
perintendent Ackerman's statement at our
State Teachers association last year:
" During the last decade tn textbooks
have been getting thicker and thicker.
and the children thinner and thinner; or
Johnny's answer to the teacSer's ques-
ton:
." why are YOU late, Johnny?
Why, teacher ! had to go back 10
get the rest of my books.
so far as we know, no effective ef-
fort has been made to cOrrelate or bet
ter to amllgamate these subjects"
Professor Hall offers a definite way of
lessening the subjects required in the
common schools. He took a strong. de-
cisive stand Saturday in favor of uniting
nature study and geography under the
head of geography" laying stress
on the science side of the subject in the
lower grades These subjects he con
tends, can better be taught together than
Professor Hall maintained that all the
art necessary could and should be CORE
lated with nature-g geography. This would |
90 away with one ether of the branches |
of the burdsnsome curriculum as sepa- |
rate subject