The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-05-21
PRINCIPALS ROW.
COPELAND LOSES
NEED ron MORE iEBrnucTioN IN
ENoIdsH ONLY POINT or
AGREEMENT AT MEETING.

The only problem upon which The
meeting Of supervising principals Of
the schools agreed yesterday, in their
meeting in the senate chamber, was
that II possible the school courses OF
study should be changed 20 that more
instruction in English be given.
An explanation, new to some of those
present, was given by Professor Scott.
Of the origin of these colloquialisms
and bad grammer terms, peculiar to
the slang Of Hawaii. '1n the Chinese
language there is no tense in verbs. -
he said. 'Hence IL is easily seen how
the oriental youths in our schools get
the habit, in acquiring English, of
mingling with the English language
their own sentence construction. In.
stead of saying, for example, Il will 90
tomorrow, the child says, I go tomor.
row. -
Principal Copeland of Maui and
james c. Davis both agreed on the mat.
ter Of language with Professor Scott,
though they were against him in the
matter of a course Of study.
Tax on Pupils.
Sweeping changes in the courses of
study in the public schools were dis
cussed and are now under consideration
by committees of the supervising prin.
cipals of the various districts. Accord
ing to one educator, the adoption of
the Copeland plan, which was voted
down as whole by eight to nine, but
which may indirectly reappear in the
Forthcoming reports of committees,
would amount to tax of from $9 to
50 ON pupils throughout the Islands,
for new school books.
Point of Agreement.
On one point both sides seemed to
agree That was the need of more care
full instruction in the English language.
Professor M. NJ. Scott, principal of the
High School, while not a member of
the board of supervising principals.
was invited to address the meeting and
he made scholarly address on Ha-
waiian educational conditions, in which
he emphasized the need of language
education. Professor Scott was op-
posed to any elaborate course of study.
and wanted a brief, general instruction
to teachers, leaving them free to exer-
else discretion among their pupils.
Pidgin English.
Discussing the language question
Professor Scott pleaded for adoption
of some striking series of exercises in
the schools, which would educate the
children out of a lot of the bad
grammar expressions so common to
Hawaii, In this he was warmly sup
ported later by some of those on the
other side, both Copeland and James G.
Davis of the Royal School joining in.
some emphatic expressions as to the
need of better instruction in clan
| guage" or grammar. !" Incidentally,
Professor Scott took occasion to protest
against some of the new terms describ.
ing courses of study. He didn't like
use of the term Language" instead
of "grammar, or "numbers' in
place of arithmetic" He made no
motion on the subject and no comment
was made on his objections to the new
nomenclature.
Committees Named.
The final result of the meeting was
the nomination of committees which
are to report this afternoon to the gen.
eral meeting of the supervising prin-
cipals, giving their suggestions as to
the need of changes in the course of
study.
The committees, which at once began
sessions, are as ollows:-Language
Brodie, Miss Deyo, Mrs Fraser. Mum.
Der Work: Copeland, Davis, Miss Tay-
Tor. Nature Study: Wood, Raymond,
MARCEL. Geography: Baldwin, Homer,
w. w. Taylor. Physiology: King, Cox,
Wells.
Copeland overruled.
The proposed new course of study
was turned down by formal vote,
soon after the meeting began, and its
consideration than ceased. Principal
Baldwin moved that the further read
ing of the Copeland report, which was
placed before the meeting last Satur-
day, be dispensed with. The motion
was carried by the following vote
Aye: Mrs. Nina Fraser, Professor Wood,
Mr.. Brodie, Miss Taylor, Professor Glib
son, Miss Deyo, Mrs. Carter, Mr.. Ray
mond, Mr.. Baldwin. No: Messrs. Cope.
land, King, Cox, Wells, Taylor, Marciel
and Davis.
Parliamentary Confusion.
The proceedings after the turning
down of the Copeland report were in
volved in much parliamentary confu
sion. 1t would not do for the super
vising principals to attempt, judging by
their yesterdays meeting, to teach thu
teachers in the public schools how tt
conduct meetings.
There was much discussion, with NJ
motion before the chair at all, an'
5 finally motion by Professor Davis wa
carried. 1t was for five committees
to take up the matter of courses o
: study and report on them. In accord
/ ance with this motion, Superintendent
Pope appointed the above committees
which are to report at two this after
0 noon.