The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-12-26
PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF U. S.
TEACH TOO MUCH TO
MAKE GOOD CITIZENS
MAYOR GAYNOR.
Boys Are Getting Too Much In
Their Heads To Want To
Work With Their Hands,"
GIRLS SHUN HoUSEwoRK.
Maintains Graduates Who Have
Scope of Many Things But
No Accurate knowledge.
MAYOR GAYNOR.

NEW YORK. Dec. 26.-"we are
teaching too much In the public
schools to make good citizens, citi-
zens who will think sufficiently to
vote and at the same time willing to
work with their hands"
This 10 Mayor w. G.. Gaynor's crit
icism of the public school systems
throughout the United States and par
ticularly OF the New York public
schools.
Boys are getting too much in their
heads to want to work with their
hands" the mayor holds, "and girls
know too many other things to want
to do house work"
Mayor Gaynor is an advocate OF
teaching reading, writing and
arithmetic in the public schools along
with few other essentials and let
ting languages, for instance, wait for
those who have more time for learn
ing than those who end their school.
ing with the g---~-.
In giving his opinions of what the
public schools in this country should
do, Mayor Gaynor said:
The public school should train our
boys and girls to work; work with
their hands as we'll as their heads.
Schools especially In the larger cities
all over this country, are turning out
boys and girls who think they are
a little too good to do ordinary work.
This is bad for the country.
I'VE are bringing boys and girls out
of the common schools who, unless
they can get jobs where they can sit
on high stools or at typewriter,
won't work. They have been taught
too much and think because they have
been educated they should use their
heads along and let others work with
their hands.
"This condition is bad for the coun-
try, and have q notion 1t Is all caus-
ed because those in charge OF the
schools are trying to do too much.
Children in the common schools are
taught so much they can learn little
well.
When I was q boy In the district
school in the. country and later in the
village, I observed II was very easy
to discourage pupils by too much
work, although then We were taught
only the essentials. Now, then, II seems
to me too many subjects are taught
in school and the children become dis
gusted because they think they are
overloaded. None can learn all that
is taught while the great majority
learn very little.
II think the largest percentage of
children In our schools are just sub
merged-they Just have their noses
above water, struggling to breathe.
They have more than they can do. We
try to teach them too many things.
and the result Is they leave the COM
mon school with a superficial knowl-
edge of many things and an accurate
knowledge of none. This was my own
experience In the common schools.
There are a lot of frills and re-
finements now taught in. our schools
that ought to be dropped. French and
German, for instance, are refinements.
II there Is any one who has ever
learned French or German In these
schools, even to read asd understand
IL, wish they would come into my
office and talk with me. Either boy
or girl who has accomplished this GER
tainly would be curiosity.
''The teaching of language does not
help our children to become better
citizens. II does not Impress on them
the necessity OF work. And there Is a
shortage of workers all over the coun-
try Children born here and who at
tend our schools won't work with their
hands unless they have to and then
they don't like II.
"And | am convinced that system
OF education that produces such a re-
suit Is a failure and the systems In
our larger citits are very generally
producing just that result. We are
teaching unnecessary things. Prob
ably this is so because those interest
ed in education are jealous in their
work, constantly adding to that which
they think our children should learn.
It's a hobby with them; they keep en-
larging and enlarging the studies for
the common schools. For this reason
| think those engaged in any one line
OF work should consult with those In
other lines TO get a broader view OF
their own work before going too far.
Teachers and those In charge OF our
schools are apt TO get narrow, Just
as those in any other work, unless
they are guided somewhat by outside
influences. don't want to criticise
too much but we should teach our
ohiidran with greater care"