The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-30

ers present might not be able to como
again.
Mrs. William S. woodson. OF 1907
Grove Avenue. was the first TO DO
heard. Sho thought thcre was too
much attention paid to drawing. paint
Ing, dancing. sewing. manual train
Ing and similar classes. ind not enough
to reading, writing or arithmetic orr
to spelling. IIavlng been teacher
herself, she synpathizcd with the elc-
! they could not do moro in the time
ihliotted To thcm Her two children.
| she asserted. could not keep up with
tho course unless she aided them
| materially at home, doing i'm effect n
largo part OF the teaching needed fori
them to maintain their grades.
HAD Not visited Schools.
| Cross oxamncd by MIR. Hutzlcr, she
| stated that hers WIS a general com
plant: that she had not visited tho
| schools. and did not know OF her own
knowledg,. hos much daily time was
allotted TO tho various classes. The
pupils We're rushed from ono subject
to another. however, and had small
understanding of what they had gone
, over
DIR. Chandler stated that tho courses
in the various grades, with The schcd-
uicS or classes We're all IL matter of
record, and could bc put Into owl
dence by Assistant Superintendent A.
III. Iiill, who had all the papers but
the committee preferred to proceed
on Its own lines and secure this inror-
nation from the teachers, rather than
from the School Board. While Mr.
Woodson was still In tho witness chair.
therefore, Chairman Pollock called onl
Miss Elva l. NIullonce, OF @iQt Grove
Avenue. teacher at Jefferson School.
ana member of tho committee from
I hn L. Low, .,.,tp,
FOR the siNth-ycar grade, in which
Mrs WoOdson's Oldest child is pupil
Miss Mallcncc read from an Official
schedule TO show that but fifteen min
utes, three, times n week, was given
10 writing; twenty minutes daily for
: grammar. fifteen minutes daily for
reading and Twenty-Five minutes for,
spelling three times week spelling
being omitted on the ether two days
to make room for drawing and manual
| training. 1t was explained that each
teacher in this grade has two groups
of pupils, one of which Is reciting,
while the other group is engaged att
the desks In written exercises.
Dnily Schedule in Sixth Year.
The schedule put i'll evidence show
cd as follows;
1855 y. NJ. daily. arithmetic, oral
and seat work.
o:55-lo:25. geography and history
| alternating.
| lo:.5-lo:4o, physical exercises and
games.
lo:4o-11:lo. preparation OF geogra
ply and history.
l1:1O-ll:25, music.
il:25-ll:4c, writing three days, civicsI
two days
ll:i5-12:i5, recess
! 12:20l2:4o. grammar
| l2:l0-12:55, reading.
! l2:55-l:lo, reading-othcr group
| l:lo-l:3o language.
! l:20-l:4G physical exercises.
| 1i0-2:05 spelling, three days.
2:05-2:3o manual arts. Drawing on"
day substituted for spelling on
| manual training day, for which seven
ty minutes is allowed. spelling and
physics arc omitted.
| e:i0 dismissed for the day.
! Tcnchers Have option.
! Later III the evening Assistant Su-
; perintendcnt Hill .vas allowed TO ox-
7 plain that this otticEal schedule had
/ been amended by Il supplementary cir
cular, giving additional time TO writ
ing and making spelling classes Tour
! times a week. lie also called attcn-
lion to the fact that there are three
| periods provided for reinforcement on !
amy subject in which pupils are de-
Accent. and that the circular OF In
J
advisory. giving the teachers large
/ option in adjusting tho hours.
Mrs. y. y. Saunders. of 2122 Grove
| Avenue, protested against the teach |
/ Ing OF dancing and cooking in the
| schools, saying that such subjects
! could be taught AT home If parents
| desired their children 70 learn them.
/ while the changed conditions and new
/ test books make II difficult for parents
( 10 teach their children the elementary
| branches at home. the schools were
& ovcrcrcwded, too many pupils being
/ allotted 10 each teacher. She asserted
that her daughter was now Il nervous
/ wreck from the oYcrcrowdlng of the
course. a!G the rushing from one topic
! 10 another.
Mrs. /. W. Minor, O. Jol Yves, clay
: street. once a teacher herself thought
! lie course in arithmetic and reading
| TOO hard tor her ninc-y year old daugi
( Cd with many s:natterlnss Of many
j studies
7 Manual Training versus Writing.
Mrs, alice KING, Of 1918 West Cary
( street, pEutt sled against manual train.
( 'ns. exhibiting articles OF sewing ana
hahd!work bought home by hcc ten
I year-Oid boy, saying snc wou!d be
I ashamed to SHOW his ccpybook- tna,
moro attention was paid 10 making
envelopes and wall-pockcts than TO
I writing. Yet her boy was the young
f.. est pupil ia Is grade some of tho
hogs being IS old as fourteen Years
4 she could teach sewing at homa bu,
%en'ed Irithinetic' in witch ane had
/; been obliged 70 help her children.
taught more thoroughly ~ acnool.
( y. ). i}rlsss. VI . East Cery Street.
/ stated that the ove.crowIed condition
! Was no doubt dU. - laci. oc funds
4 but that waile such' conditions con