The Washington herald., 1911-11-18
MODERN TEACHING
NOW ANTIQUATED"
Prof. C. W. A. Veditz Score
Our School System.
URGES MORE SPECIALIZATION
Speaking on "SociaI Mission of the
Teacher" Before Normal School
Pupils, Tariff Board Expert
Makes Sweeping Statements ON
Inadequacy of Present Methods.

Prof. c. William A. VedItz, member Of
the tariff board and also of the George
Washington University faculty, called the
modern educational system some hard
names in an address before an audience
Of Normal School pupils at the Franklin
building yesterday afternoon. Takehiko
lKurushima, OF the Japanese educational
department, who is engaged in q study
of the American school system, also made
speech that was literally interspersed
with the "hands across the sea" senti-
ment.
Under the caption of The social mis-
sion Of the teacher Prof. VedItz said
our educational system was "a system Of
fossilized ideas and relics Of what used
to be regarded as essentials" The first
relic" was called the "coH storage"
process Of teaching, and Prof. Veditz
outlined II in this wise:
The cold storage process" said Prof.
Veditz, 'is the old system still in vogue
which clings to the sacredness Of tmpart-
ing information, and piling up the pupils
mind with a plethora Of facts, causing
mental indigestion. Educators are rap
idly learning to hold the view that a
child's mind Is an engine and machine,
to produce energy.
Dynamic Method Needed.
I'VE now have the dynamic, rather
than the static system of education The
old system made pedants, that class OF
people who crowd out their brains to
make room for knowledge. The present
test Of educational success consists of
doing rather than knowing. knowledge IS
valueless unless accompanied by the fac
ulty of applying it.
Many subjects are cultural and many
OF the best, all subjects would OF reces-
sity be cultural subjects. In one sense,
our educational system is too individual
istic. 1t frequently regards the indi-
viduaI pupil as the educational goal. The
real essence of educational effort is So
ciaI usefulness. In a certain sense, the
individual has no existence apart from
society. 1t is only as members OF the
human group that We live, move, and
have our being.
In another sense, the system is not
sufficiently individualistic, in that it fails
to specialize. The elective system in our
colleges is one step in the right direc-
ton. Specialization is never fatal to
personality.
In the last analysis, a better social
order depends on the creation of higher
type of personality and developing bet
ter manhood and a better womanhood IS
not the work OF legislators or Judges, Out
the work OF teachers"
Mr.. Kurushima, the japanese educa-
tional expert, made a short talk to the
girl pupils
AmIty with Japan.
To talk of war between America and
Japan is absurd" he said. ''Amity was
introduced and perpetually preserved
through the work OF Commodore Perry
and Theodore Roosevelt. Mr.. Roosevelt
showed himself the true friend of the
Japanese people when he arranged the
treaty OF Portsmouth. at the close Of the
war
In America, you do everything the
reverse of the way we do in japan. Even
in sweeping; you sweep from you, while
the Jap sweeps toward himself. The
style Of writing is arranged I'm Sc
uuence the reverse of our own. 1t Is
even hard for a Jap to talk English.
particularly in the presence Of ladies"
This last statement drew giggles from
his audience.