The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-03-27

seventh and eighth grades, which under
present conditions has SO little record for
Individual aptitudes and inclinations. is
| too restrictive in its scope and fails to
appeal to them.
Recognized by Germany.
Germany in her splendidly organized
system has long since taken cognizance
of individual procliyities and needs and
mas provided elective work with certain
well-guaTded restrictions as early as the
| tnird year. We caanot hope to begin so
low IN the grades, even If il were desir-
! able, but the opportunity for some de-
gree Of choice should be given at the
/ beginning OF the seventh year. Every
| year II is necessary IN the interests of
justice and fairness to promote to the
| Hlgh school some pupils with a ''nlini-
mum mark in some subjects and con
diton' in others. The minimum subjects
are supposed to be those for which the
enid has a minimum capacity and in
which he cannot even with faithful and
persistent effort reach the degree of at
talnment required for promotion. They
are always. however. the ones for which
ne has dislike and the ones in which
little interest is aroused, The require
ment that makes ii compulsory for him to
pursue these studies frequently results in
a permanent aversion to them, whereas
temporary discOntinuance of them dur
ing a period of development of one or two
years would likely bring the child to the
place where he not only finds pleasure
in pursuing them, but where he can do
so at a much smaller expenditure of
energy and with decidedly better returns
than would formerly have been possible.
| would not, of. course, include in this
class reading and language and other
branches the necessity of which as funda-
mentals ali recognize. 1t is, however, in
no way rare to find bright and promis-
ing young girl forced to the point of fail
ure and subjected to constant humiliation
IN her arithmetic, when her reading and
language work give unmistakable evil
dence of an unusual intellect. The con-
q nj IL,
by her low standard of work in arithme-
tic not only rob her of the charm and
delight of her school days to which she
is justly entitled. but her efficiency in the
are pronounced are perceptibly les
sened. And then, too, il is not improb-
able that the constant worry consequent
upon the dong OF that work for which
such child has s. natural aversion an
aversion which the best teacher cannot
overcome, may have an adverse effect
upon the health of the pupil especially
the girl who is just entering the adde's
cent period of life. Experience shows
that many of such pupils during their
seventh and eighth years-and here L
have in mind the girls-can distinguish
themselves, and at the same time realize
the maximum of pleasure in the effort /
in the study of languages, particularly
modern languages.
May Be Acquired Later.
Unfortunately, the teaching of Ian
guase5 has heretofore been considered
the exclusive function of High schools, !
when, in fact, the very nature of mind
development make an earlier period in
life the more economical and effective |
time for their acquisition and mastery.
The arithmetic work outlined in seventh |
and eighth grades. if it must come some
time, can in some cases be done more
effectively and in shorter time
ence has been acquired and when a more
mature development has taken place !
Some parts of history, of civil govern |
ment, and of grammar now included in /
the eighth grade might well be moved |
TO the ninth grade and some of the SCI |
ence and the English offered in the first |
year of High school could be at least as /
effectively taught in seventh and eighth /
grades. 1t is, then, a safe and cOnserva- |
tive position to hold that the interests OF /
the individual child require the overlap
ping of the course now outlined for the
first year in High school and the work
prescribed for the upper part of the gram
mar department and that the resultant /
must be an Improvement in grammar
grade work. and an added efficiency in
High school wOrq because of more eff
fective instruction IN the ninth grade
FRESHMAN High school year,, and cOnse-
Quently better equipment for the second |
year Of High school and the work that
follows. A condition that would enhance /
the pleasures Of school life and also likely /
prOlong it is not to be overlooked.
In reorganiZing the remaining part of |
the High school course it might be advis- |
able to extend it 10 three and one-half or |
make it even as it now is. four years, |
but even that necessity would not invali- |
date the argument for the reorganization /
of the work Of seventh, eighth and ninth /
grades on the lines indicated.
The discussion thus for has dealt with |
efficiency due to conditions within the |
range of the pupils sphere of activity. /
The method of instruction which would /
become possible under such conditions /
would contribute its quota to increased |
of work. While teachers in all /
grades show to some extent a preference /
for the teaching of certain subjects over |
others, this preference frequently becomes |
quite pronounced in upper grades and /
accompanying this preference is always |
evidence of greater ability in the favored /
plan of departmental teaching which OBJ /
tains in many of our upper grammar |
grades amid which Is responsible for ina |
proved results. Where the scheme has /
been well organized and carefully super |
Vised by the principal il has given to all |
pupils included in its scope the benefit /
of expert teaching. and the presence of a |
teacher who is always /
keenly interested in the subject or sub |
jects she teaches. has been the means |
frequently of making her own interests |
contagious and of changing an apathy |
and Indifference towards a study on the /
part of some children into kindly atti- |
tude. In short, the departmental plan |
has brought some teachers much nearer |
the maximum of their possibilities. The |
scheme under discussion would bring
these possibilities much nearer their full |
realization.
Many Stop at Eighth.