Evening star., 1911-08-20
EDUCATION.
1.-THE COMMON SCHOOL.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

Fully three fourths Of the boys and
education In the common or elementary
schools; consequently, the common
schools constitute the most important
department of the national education
al system That this is fully recognized
By the nation itself is evidenced by
the enormous expenditures for the
support of these schools. Nearly 800
600 buildings are now being utilized to
accommodate the $4,000 900 pupils en-
rolled in the public schools. and the
valuation Of these buildings approxi-
mates s1.000.O00 900 The expenditure
for the support OF all these schools
very nearly reached half a billion last
year, which was equivalent to an ex
penditure of s27 for each pupil.
The common school system of Ameri
ca provides Tor eight years of reg
ular graded work. beginning with the
primary and ending with the final
grammar grades. In most of the lar
ger schools. the primary grade is pre-
ceded by one or two years Of kinder
garten work. The requirements of the
eighth grade are practically the same
In all American schools, including
those on the Panama Canal Zone and
the insular possessions. The course of
study has outgrown the original three
RS, and includes systematic graded
work In writing, reading. English,
arithmetic, geography, United States
history, vocal music drawing, natural
science physical culture and. in many
or the schools, certain amount Of
manual training work. although this
last subject is restricted in the small
er towns by the lack of provision for
its equipment The growing demand
for manual training work, however,
indicates that within the next few
years 1T Will become as much a part Of
the course in the public schools as
reading or writing.
The development of q uniform standard
In school work, for which educators have
Uniform Standard ing. has been SO
Nearly Complete. nearly NEARLY completed ON e. ed
decade. that there is very little difference
In years grade work in any part of the
country. With certain allowance for
local requirements, as has been said. the
common-school course is so uniform that
child moving from one state to another
is able to take up his school work In the
same grade.
With the attainment of this unfication
OF standards in the grades, now comes
the feeling that greater fleXibility in
the curriculum of the higher grades
must DE secured. 1t is generally agreed
that the first six years of school should
be devoted absolutely to the study of the
fundamental branches. but there is a
growing difference of opinion as to what
the last two years should embrace.
Since SO large a percentage of the pu-
pills never rise higher than the common
schools it is advocated by some that
these should be arranged to give the
greatest possible amount of general cul-
ture to those who are not able to give a
longer fine to school. Many children are
compelled to go to work early, and will
make great sacrifices to complete the
grammar school. Z For these q liberal
curriculum, with several elective studies,
Is advocated for the. seventh and eighth
grades In opposition to this it is urged
that when too many subjects are under
taken. the result is superficial con-
glomeration of facts of no particular
value to the child, and those who hold
to this theory insist that the last two
years had better be spent in soidifying
the fundamental studies taken in the
previous years. In large number of
schools, however, the introduction of al
zebra, more advanced natural science,
Latin, and one or more modern languages
is being tried with good results. both to
the child who finishes its education in the
grammar grade, and the one who goes on
to high school
The United States has a unique prob
lem in its common school system not
found to such a
system presents large degree in any
noL1~ other nation In the
A40S world. This is the
multiplicity of languages with which 1t
must cope. The ever-increasing tide of
immigration brings each year thousands
of English speaking children into
the public schools. In order to make