The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1912-08-16
Agriculture Should 30 Taught in
Public Schools.

the power or definitely outlining the
course of study whioa must be follow
ed in every district school. Hereto.
fore the course of study was option
al with each district board, the sup
|erintendent's power being only ad-
visory. Mr.. Wright takes advantage
of the opportunity given him by tho
law and will require course of agri-
culture to be introduced in every dis
trict school.
On account of the lack OF prepara-
ton in this subject on the part of
teachers, Superintendent Wright only
requires one-half year of intensive
study with textbook, this is to be
given by the eighth grade. Questions
upon this subject will be included in
the eighth grade examination. In adj
dition to this course in nature study
beginning with the third grade and
advancing through school and home
gardening, crop planting and allied
subjects Is recommended as most de-
sirable supplementary work.
Step Towards Reform
The prescribed course in agricul-
ture is simply the first step toward
reforming the rural schools in the
state and making them reflect the life
which surrounds them rather than
weakly initiating the city school.
superintendent Wright Is earnestly
advocating the ruralizing of the
country schools, that is given the
boys and girls of the farming dis
tricts an insight into the problems
which are closely in relation to their
lives, arousing an interest in scien-
tiflc agriculture, making their train
ing not only of culture but of prac-
teal values as we'll. AS fast as it is
practical, the work in agriculture
will be extended to other grades of
the school.
Other Studies
The new course of study does not
stop with the introduction of agricul-
ture, important as that step is, but it
emphasizes throughout its scope the
desirabiiity of making the work of the
rural school more practical. In arith-
metic, for example, the problems are
to be quite different from the conven-
tional type. They are to deal with
potatoes, grain, butter, eggs, farm
fields, productiveness OF cows and
hens. They are not to deal with hy
pothetical cases which are not in
range of the experience OF boy or
girl on the farm and probably never
will be, but they will be such prob
lens in farm accounting that their
fathers and mothers are called upon
repeatedly to consider. The geogra-
ply in the new course OF study will
begin at home and the child will
first be taught something about his
own township, county and state.
Caro- of Person.
The child is to learn how to tax,
care Of his teeth, skin, eyes, ears
and other parts OF his body; how to
revive person who is nearly drown
ed; what to do in case 4 person is
burDed or suffers a broken bone or
severed artery. The menace of flies
and mosquitoes and other similar
questions Of hygiene and sanitation
will supercede the technical physi-
ology which has been taught in tie
country school.
Oral Methods
Equally important Is the new
course of study will, be The emphasis
which. Is placed upon using oral
methods in the teaching of arithme-
tic and language. superintendent
Wright is insistent in his demand
that teachers recognize the import
confine their instruction to writer
problebs and themes.
Remarkable results have been at
tanned even in rural schools where
mental arithmetic has been introduc-
ed to take the place of the written
work up to at least the sixth grade.
The children are able to add, sub
tract. multiply and divide surpris-
ingly large numbers accurately and
quickly. without the aid of pencil
and paper. The work in the first few
grades is entirely with abstract num-
bers, then these are applied to con-
crete materials. Next problems are
uTdlndtlZeu, tndt is, the cnlluTeh
work out their examples by actually
measuring and weighing. This leads
to the work in the sixth, seventh and
eighth grades, where the written
problems are sued but these written
problems deal with conditions Of
which the students are familiar and
interest is therefore keen.
Sense training is given added en-
phasis in the new course of study.
The aim Of this is to train the eye
and to see things quickly yet accur-
ately, to observe fully, developing
the perceptive powers. This train
ing is not only used in mental arith-
metic but in language work.
Reading.
Reading in the new course Of
study is emphasized as probably the
most important subject in the schools
Teachers are instructed to train the
children to read for the thought
rather than for expression, so silent
rather than reading aloud Is recon-
mended. The plan is for the children
to read silently from the printed