The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-07-01

| eTdl InlOTIHdlIOH,
Noting the various items in order, it
may be remarked that the total en-
rollment i'm the public schools is less
by four pupils than that for last year,
there being falling off in the lower
and intermediate grades of forty-fve
which is nearly met by an increase of
| forty-one in the attendance at the high
school building. In item nine a rather
| remarkable uniformity of totals will be
noted, it being unusual to find the en-
rollment in the upper grades practically
the same as that of the lower. This
may result from two causes-a falling
off in the total school census of the
lower grades-or from the fact that
pupils who have left the public schools
for time TO enter other local schools
! return for upper grade and high school
work. 1t may mean, also, that the
children are staying longer in school
than in former years or in other towns
The somewhat larger number of fail
ures of promotion shown in fourth
grade Gtem nine) is due in part. II
think, to marked break in the courses
between third and fourth grades. the
fourth grade work being relatively much
more difficult than the third. This diff |
ficulty seems to be characteristic OIL
nearly all schools; it is not confined
to this school, as / know from personal
experience. We are endeavOring to ad- !
just this matter by notifications but are
not ready to make recommendations
yet. The total number of failures in
the grades Q63) is a trihe over one
seventh of the total grade enrolment. |
Q,29l. This is not at all bad show |
ing when one considers all the causes
that may operate to produce such fail
nres. Item eleven gives summary of
the reasons given by teachers as prob
able causes for the lack of promotion.
The thirty who had not had suffi-
cient preparation in previous years in
clude number who were promoted the !,
year before ION trial'' who really were
not ready for such work, but were
given chance to show what they
could do. The number reported as be-
ing of slow, undeveloped or arrested
mental power is about one fourth of the
total number held back or about one
thirtieth of the whole grade enroll
ment. These figures are under rather
than over the results of previous in
vestigatiOns along this line. Where we
handle children sin bulk" as we do in
the schools, our courses must be adapt
ed to the average child; such averaging
works hardship to the slow child in
making him repeat his work, but it
works greater injustice to the bright
child in making him mark time" and
teaching him habits of idleness while
waiting for the slower ones to catch up
With. small enrollments in. each room
and with alert teachers, these two +
classes, the slow and the bright, mayI
be cared for, extra attention on the
part of the teacher, but with large en-
rollments such as are found in many
Of our public schools very little of this {
sort of work can be done and most of
-hese pupils must shift for themselves.
Much depends on the teacher in this as
N all other school matters. IS
None of the other entries in item -,
eleven require any special comment ex =
,ept that the number reported as fail !;
ng because of poor home surroundings +
seems to me to be rather small. | am s
Inclined to think, too, that some fail a
Tres may well be attributed to lack of
roper understanding between teacher I
nd pupil, especially in the intermedi-
tie and upper grades. This is in no +
ense a reflection on most teachers; \
here is a physical limit to teachers h
covers of endurance and in most cases E
hat limit is reached when the neces-
airy class work and preparation for
he next day is done. hi
The most startling and Significant 4
cures of the whole report are those G.
4 item twelve, particularly in those1 81
eferring to the fourth, fifth and sixth D
rades where one fourth, one third and "
ne-half, respectively, of the children n
re reported as being over normal age.
eyOnd this point, the relative amount
f retardation is lessened by the drop
ing out of school of these retarded
upils. Startling as they are, these
CURES simply show another phase of
latter of failures of promotion, the
ED over children accumulating in these :,
rades. 1t may mean that the coursel
study is too strong, it is more prob b
bly, due to over insistence on non
'sentials in the course. l believe the
'lution may lie in some form of pro-
otion by subjects instead of by grades :,
nd by making promotion in any one w
Inject depend on thorough mastery ~
certain fundamental minimum re- -.tl
lirements rather than on superficial
BASS mark of '75 per cent" in -
ider range of specifically studied i'll ~
gested information. We are working "
| this matter along with most of the 'e
her schools of the state, but are not -
ady to recommend as to specific
anges. Elimination of some of the nc
cad lumber of our courses with re- q.
lting greater opportunity for indus vi
ial and practical training, especially ,as
r the children of slower mental ac- "
vity, will do much toward removing
is apparent weakness of the schools. &c