The Appeal., 1910-03-05

to repeat and memorize the words of the text
books.
A girls class in history asked to choose
a subject for dramatization. The girls chose
'"The Boston Tea Party" Then they selected
who should be King George, the speaker of the
house of commons, the captain of the teaship,
the leader of the American patriots, and so on.
Presently the little ones-their ages aver
aged II or IL years-acted out the historical
incident which precipitated the American rev.
olution. They used their own language, and
not the language of the books.
The object of all this was, of course, to sup
plement the memorizing of books by persuad-
ing children to realize history through the ex-
ercise of reason and Imagination in the at
tempt to reproduce persons and events.
There is just now great conflict on the sub
ject of American public schools. Here and
there are educators who believe that there is
too much experiment in the system. How
ever, the dominant thought is generally &C.
cepted.
This striving toward Industrial training re.
lates to cities and towns It is we'll under
stood that a country boy or girl receives man
ual training and acquires practical knowl.
edge of things in his or her ordinary life In
a farm district.
It is the children growing up in centers Of
population, where everything is specialized
and almost everything reduced to machinery,
who need vocational development in school.
The confessed general object of the average
American school teacher to-day is to so de.
velop the natural industrial and artistic capac
tiles of children, in addition to a good com
mand of the three Rs, that when they reach
the ordinary age for leaving the elementary
schools, say from IA to 16 years, they will have
distinctly shown their various mental and
manual aptitudes. With technical and indus
trial schools in place of the academic high
schools, hard-pressed parents will make an
effort to keep their children in training longer
for the sake of higher wages and greater op
portunities for promotion insured by vocation.
al education. >Of course the academic high
school will continue to exist for that compare
lively small number whose means and ambi
tions destine them to classical or profes
sional course.
The growth of cities and towns, the concen
tration and specialization of industries and the
foundations of immigration have thrown other
new burdens on the public schools The old
American home training, with its ideals OF
conduct, helpfulness, patriotism and morals
can no longer be depended upon as before in
centers of population. The old American home
life, and it's standards, are rapidly disappear.
ing, and at time when the church, too. is los.
ing authority and influence.
In this confusing era of loosening social
bonds, of drifting ideals and of fierce, sordid
competition-still more confounded by the nev.
er-ceasing flow of mixed bloods from alien civil
nzations-the American school house stands as
the one universal instrument left to society.
It has largely taken the place Of the homs
as a guardian of the health of children. That
is one of its most significant developments II
has also accepted sociological duties through
its hndergartens in keeping mere infants out
Of the streets It teaches sewing, cooking. and
other household things that were once taught
at home. It maintains recreation grounds,
0here children are trained to play.