The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-02
DEFINES PURPOSE
Of SCHOOL WORK
Miss Mallonee Tells What
She Regards As Real Object
of Education
SHOULD EQUIP CHILD
TO MAKE A LIVING
Teacher In Primary Grade
Proves Interesting Witness
At Second Session of
Probe Committee
ITO fl, child to earn a living"


~ defined by Miss Eiva /. Mallonee.
teacher in the public schools Of Rich
mond. She gave the definition at the
Inquiry into the school system. which
was resumed yesterday afternoon in
the City Council chamber.
Miss Mallonee was the only wit
ness that went on the stand during
tile session. which continued untU
after p. N. the meeting adjournins
till r. NJ. tomorrow. Chairman
1lutzler. OF the school board. offered
10 vacate the schools for day II that
would facilitate the probe. but Chair
man Pollock. Of the Council commit
rec. thought such q step would be un-
necessary.
Soon after taking the stand, Miss
Malionee read paper, which set
forth her views on the questions at
Issue. and she felt sure that IL en-
bodied the views of most OF the other
elementary teachers. although she
prepared the paper on her own re-
spnnsibility.
Miss Mallonee. both In direct tes-
timony and on cross-examination. per-
sisted In contending that non -ease ntial
were seriously impairing the efficiency
Of ground work. She believed the
problem could be solved by cutting
out some OF the so-cai'ed frills and
furbeiows and giving this time to
the three RS and other essentials.
~ times, she provoked laughter when
she told OF some of the things In
the fancy line which her pupils do
II was while she was being quizzed
by DR.. Chandler that Miss Mallonee
declared that the purpose OF edu-
cation was to equip child to earn a
living.
sAs at the first meeting. the cham
Der YVES well filed with women teach
ers. members OF the school board.
principals Of the system and others
depiy interested.
nick. was the only member OF the
probe committee not on hand.
She Reads Paper.
Miss Mailonee. who Is a member OF
the committee from the Elementary
Teachers Association, first read the
paper outlining the situation.
Tho curricu,.In In the primary
grades is TOO heavy. she said, "bott,
In length and content. for the aver
age child. We are forcing nature in
requiring OF the child things beyond
IT'S power TO comprehend, and which
In few years 1t could and would do
lnteiligenfiy. The result Is that the
pupil seeks the first opportunity to
so to work. or else continues at
school because his parents require II.
Too much time Ia spent on nom
essentials at the expense of the funda-
mentals with the result that there Is
a waste OF the child's time and
energy.
ss .An education ought 10 At child tn
meet the demands OF life. and with
complaints OF business men that they
spell, or figure accurately. there is
something wrong with the public
school system.
THE teachers in the grammar
Grades are constantly complaining
that they cannot accomplish results
In their work because the pupils have
not the necessary preparation and
foundation to build on. They COM
plain that the pupils cannot perform
arithmetic either accurately or rap
idly. Neither can the pupils write .
neat legibIe hand or spell properly.
Spends. Time use1eesiy.
when the primary teacher might
have been drilling the pupils In these
\ fundamentals. sho was spending from
is to Is per cent. OF the actual work
ing time OF each day on tho nom
essentials. that are not necessary. in
fact useless to the child who will
leave school In few years to face
tho world.
fhs writing syztesss has bcsn
changed several times IN the last
Aight or ten years. thus compelling
pupils to change their handwriting ~
many times. In place Of q former
Supervised writing period each day,
~ have now omitted all supervised
wrtting IN the flrst Grade. and we are
swing only one period per week in
the second grade. and fifteen minute
x~~f. -. = tt~~ A.. ia -