Crittenden record-press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1909-191?, 1911-03-23
THE CONTENT AND MOTIVE
OF THE ELEMENTARY
CURRICULUM.
By T.. -. STONE. Daviess Co.

asmuch as il does not furnish such
mental development as can be prac
iiced in rural life. This spirit of un-
rest is still in operation. trying to
develop the schools into institutions
that will more fully met the needs
OF the mass. For long time it was
the secondary schools that received
attention of the educators. but now
attention has shifted to the element
AIRY schools as well This spirit Of
unrest spread from Germany 10 Eng
land. and thence to America, where
such men a. DR. G.. Stanley Hall.
DR. VIM. T. Harris. Col Francis W
Parker. Pres Chas w. Elliot and
numbers of Others were eager to
grasp the new learning" as IT were.
and demand something in our schools
that shall be real and vital rather
than artificial or Indifferent
There is a general agreement A. to
the most important fundamental pri1-
oipleS underlying our educational
structure. 1t is only when we as in
dividuals put the principles into prac-
iice. that a serious. inadequacy is dis
covered The purpose OF the school
has been clearly stated and almost
universally accepted. In actual prac-
iice the work has not competed with
the stated purpose of the school Ii,
seemingly. has not recognized the
fact that its present stated develop
ment does not meet the requirements
in future citizenship.
As our schools do not meet the
demands OF the mass for rural citi-
zenship, they find instead, work bet
ter suited, and practically fail TO en-
ter a higher mental development in
the secondary schools With the
proper adjustment of elementary
courses. great mass of the boys and
girls. who leave before high school
age. would enter high school and
be much better prepared to meet the
strenuous problems with which they
are sure to come in contact To
reach the great mass OF pupils. or
rather to keep them IN school. is the
problem that we are now facing. To
solve this problem, consists in the
placing OF such subjects in the cur
riculum As will give the pupils such
information as can be put into prac-
tice BY this. do not mean to
augment the curriculum, but 10 elm
mate such that is not practicable and
insert practicable ones.
To continue the nearly same sub
jet. wish to repeat that il would
be inexpedient TO add anything to our
over-iull curriculum without some
elimination Better to relax the inn
practical part and introduce some
practical subjects Let's have filter
ing out OF some subjects; or portions
OF subjects. so that we may teach
the essentials far better. Let us in
troducc agriculture and industrial
arts. etc.
Our schools. for the most part,
have been inadequate, from tho fact
that the minor schools have been de
pending or arranging their course OF
study 10 suit or meet the needs of
the larger schools. rather than for
the good of their own environment.
They. perhaps. have been dominated
by their obligations to the larger
ones. inasmuoh as the students could
not enter the secondary schools un-
less they had done a certain kind and
prescribed course OF study. BY these
means the development of the small
or schools was prevented.
\ great part OF the arithmetic that
i now taught in the school would
naturally come to the student with
out the aid of teacher or school II
we would only be patient As a
4 ,k,,,,a ta,,pis -
the boy while in school that will never
be of use to him elsewhere. IL has
also been suggested that adjustment
i needed in language as well a
arithmetic One of the chief func-
lions OF the elementary school is to
give the child a desire for reading,
and an appreciation of good ltera-
ture. To train in the use of simple
and correct language is indeed ne
cessity But above all else the boy
or man who is not a lover of good
books. who does not put himself in
touch with the best literature and
who does not draw inspiration, en-
thusiasm and power, has been robbed
of the best that the school can give.
That these may be wrought out to
fulfill the law OF individual activity,
and To have their effect in making or
marring human happiness. there
must be expression. We cannot know
what a mans thoughts are. or his
ideals or his character. except as
these are made known To us through
his words and acts. His true thoughts,
his real character. may not be eN-
pressed always, but something that
has been thought and felt in him
shows forth in expression.
DIR. Dewey said that the curricu-
lum should be so selected and or
gained as to provide the material
for affording the child a conscious
ness of the world in which he has to
play his part, and the relations he
has to meet" Accepting this. we
must admit that the garden, shop and
farm would be best TO furnish these
results. DR.. Elliot said. 81 believe
there is more value in manual labor
than in nine-tenths OF the arithmetic
in the schools" Again, II believe
there is as much mental training in
manual work as in any book what