The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-26
MORE CONFESSIONS.
Unfederated Club Woman Talks of
Defects in Our School System.

To the Editor of the State Journal:
When asked my husband last night
if he didn't think the schools here need
ed investigation he said, Il don't think.
get the committee of 80 to do my
thinking for me-
And when 1 asked why the committee
Of 30 who was dragging up the past
records of the commission candidates
didn't begin on some the candidates for
the school board, why the ring that
has the handling of a quarter million
dollars of public money every year and
never make report of how they spend
it, why they should not be investigated
Jabes, that's my husbands name, Jabes
merely grabbed a hairpin out of my
rat and clamped it over his nose
And then he whined, l.Don't mention it,
please
But I, woman-like, insisted with the
question, why do the daily papers
advertise Topeka as being short of gas
every cold day, and that the filthy city
water is full of typhoid germs and
never say a word about these hurting
real estate; and then claim that all the
foul germs in our school system and
shortage of real education will injure
property?''
But Jabes only reached for another
hairpin to put over his nose, and hold
ing both pins on securely he half
whistled through his teeth:
Loretta, some folks go on the prin-
ciple that it is easier to down a bad
odor by pouring on perfume than by
taking cleansing BATH
Now, Mr.. Newspaper, when ones own
husband, and ones club fail to help,
the seeker for information must trouble
somebody else.
In our high school 80 per cent of the
pupils do not go to college after leaving
school. Is it the business of our school
to be only college preparatory. for this
little 10 per cent, leaving the 80 per
cent unprepared for the work before
them?
recently a Greek class was kept up
in the high school taking one teachers
time and energy through the whole term
with only three students in the class;
one of them the Superintendent's son.
Now, does not a school need investi-
eating when hundreds of young people
are crowded into classes and can not
have the attention they pay for, so
that a class of three or four or seven
persons at most shall have this Greek
luxury? l confess to a notion that
this is rank injustice
The undermining of Latin and like
foolishness seems sinful when high
school graduates can not manage Eng
lish.
And again, ought not the high
school make intelligent citizens, with
| a knowledge of their own country and
| its government? The Topeka high
school demands every single scholar
to take one year of ancient Greek and
| Roman history. In the last year they
| may, if they choose and can arrange
| it so, take American history and a
smattering of civil government. But
| of the wealth of English history and
Of the story of our own nation they
may know nothing except by chance
| they fit the study in. A high school,
course is more than a failure; it is g
criminal system If 1t does not furnish
| this vital line of civic and historical
| education to the youth of our city.
| The best high schools of the west
have course in commercial educa-
| ton, including a review of the com
| that in Topeka the pupils get little
| chance to view the common branches
let alone review them.
A man who visited a board meet
ing some years ago said that one
member declared the salaries OF
teachers could not be increased be-
cause the board didn't dare to borrow
from one fund to pay off another
funds salary. And in five minutes
another member said that the money
for the expensive buildings had beer
borrowed from other funds, and ir
addition that the board pays oul
banks SO, 100000 interest annually or
borrowed money. Oh, I can't under
stand it. Why can't it be investigated
without hurting the sale of our lots:
| One more confession: The common
branches are barely viewed in the
grades, but algebra is crowded in be-
fore the young ones reach the high
school, Writing should have spec
ial teacher, but loads of money are
squandered on expensive drawing ma
terial to be converted into dauby
f1imsy Christmas cards. Kansas his
tory with all its inspiration and pa
triotism is only a side line, but mud
| modelling demands the purchase OF
nearly a hundred expensive models
| Mr.. Newspaper, why in the world
shouldn't we Investigate? I did lit
tie scrutinizing myself recently an6
I found that grade meetings to con-
slider the common needs and uniform
instruction in any one grade had beer
abandoned since Supt. Davidson lef
our schools. There is no uniformity
in instruction. There cannot be
when the teachers of the same grade
never meet to plan the work togeth
er. A child transferred from one
building to another may be almos
lost by the change.
Isn't it the business of the superin'
tendent to really supervise the school:
and set up some valuable definite
standards? 1t would pay the city te
have man at the head of affairs
who would spend more energy IN
experimenting schools than in try
ing to get a certain set of men re
tanned on the school board who would
insure his hold upon his position
One practice seems to an unfeder
ated person only a sort of monke.
show Once term all the othel
teachers of a grade meet in one room
and watch the teacher in charge O.
this particular grade all the afternoon
land then criticize for three hours af
terward The teacher has nearly
months notice to drill for the show
All other work is more or less neg
Ilected in this time save this parrot per
Torrance, and the children are drill
ed for company showing off. TIT
| nervous strain on the teacher il
charge is dreadful, and for all thu
work there is positively no profit t.
teachers, pupils nor visitors.