The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-04-19


representing the price of sugar or the
percentage of sucrose. If in any in
stance the figures were approximately
true to the facts this would be due
rather to fortuitous coincidence Of I'M
related numbers than to any value in
the method employed.
1t might be that an individual hero
or there may have resented any imph-
| cation that he was expected to do any
thing in particular or to do it in any
particular time, but that any school
men have been refusing to obey orders
might well be doubted; that they could
not have made such refusal in connee-
ton with any orders to make promo
tions is obvious from the fact that no
such orders have been issued An in
quiry instituted to discover the prevail
| ing practice of schools in the matter
of promotions is far cry from in
structions to make unwarranted promo
tions. 1t has doubtless been assumed
that schools do, as matter of ordinary
administration, make promotions annu-
ally. That which has been done in the
matter is looking to putting the ques-
ton of promotions on a proper statis-
teal basis that will make forever un-
necessary further use of crude estimate
or of mere guessing. And your CORES
pondent ought to be among the first to
welcome the result of actual count.
shall never advocate hiding our
heads in the sand, and 1 am as ready
to face the facts as another, but am
of opinion there may be disadvantage
!, in overstatingt our delinquencies as
there is in ignoring them.
Our schools are in communities that
have as yet no special schools for de-
fectivcs. The common school must re-
ceive the deaf and dumb, the lame, the
halt and the blind, and the feeble
minded. Absolute standards could not
under the circumstances be maintained
But the great body of public school
teachers believe in the doctrine of
days work for days wage, in doing
a years. work in n years time. They
expect as matter of course to make,
good in the matter of bringing whole
classes up to the point where they may
be successfully promoted, and they will
Inquire as earnestly into reasons of fail
ures to maintain reasonable and
normal rate of promotions as will those
who supervise the work of schools, and
they would not be satisfied in we'll
organized schools to make much less
than 80 per cent average of annual pro-
! motions.
These teachers ought not to be sub
jected to discouragements. The doe
trine ought not to go out among teach
ers or the public that those schools pro-
Tossing such normal rate of progress are
to be subjected without investigation
or discrimination to a suspicion of fore
ing promotions for the sake of paper
showing. Those who have had much
experience in the supervision of schools
appear to concur in the opinion that
the schools that make 80 or 90 per cent
of annual promotions show very gener-
ally less of shoddy work than do the
schools that have made the lower peF-
centages of promotions.
Spiritual values can not always or
even generally be fully measured in
terms of dollars or of percentages. But
it is nevertheless true that we ore only
just beginning to realize the extent to
which business methods may profitably
be applied in the matter of school ad-
ministration. The time is at hand
when to administer a school on a basis
OF 80 or so or Go per cent of promo
tlons VIII be considered an improbable
administration. To bring up an entire
family of children observing normal
standards of conduct is no more wear
ing W the HOtneT OF Lne FAMILY than
it would be for her to train 35 per cent
of her children and let the rest of them
go to the devil. 1t is not so very diff
ferent in the case of the conscientious
teacher. Much talk about the laying
of burdens on teachers does not, / be.
lieve, greatly appeal to the best teach
ers. In fact, as Friedrich Paulsen has
pointed out, it is not work that causes
overfatigue so much as lack of inter-
est. And lack of interest in teaching
is pretty sure outgrowth of monotony.
the threshing Of old straw, the lack OF
a stimulating and sustaining sense of
progress.
According to the latest available in
formation on the subject, the graded
public schools of the Territory, the
schools of three or four rooms or larger,
are making under supervision a rate of
progress that is measured by 80 or 80
per cent of promotions or better.
Whether the teaching is as good as it
should be is right subject for inquiry,
and whether promotions in particular
ease were warranted or not is a proper
subject for inquiry. But it can not be
said that the rate of promotions, gen
orally speaking, is abnormally high or
abnormally low. It appears to be as
IT should be. It calls not for iiscour-
az ement but for congratulations. If il
is encouragement one is looking for.
the search might more profitably be
turned in other directions.
April l6 1912 ISAAC NJ row