The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-02-09
Says That Schools of Minnesota are
Progressing and Becoming More
Efficient in Educating Young
SUBJECTS NOW TAUGHT 0. K,
Says George B. Alton, State High
School Inspector, and Also Speaks
Of Problems Of Rural Schools

Music by forty boys of the sixth
grade of the city school opened the
formal program of the North Central
! Minnesota Teachers Association pro-
gram this morning. The chorus,
which has been trained by Miss Ethel
Murray sang two songs, which were
enthusiastically applauded by the au-
dience. ~-
Following this music, the president
OF the association, Superintendent
Geo. 3. Keenan, of Deer River, made
the customary address of the presi
dent, in which he outlined the pro-
gram of the convention and showed
some of the lines of progress which
have been made during the past year.
State superintendent Talks.
State Superintendent G. G.. Shulz
then discussed "By What standards
Should the Efficiency of School be
Measured?" He brought out the fol-
lowing points: The schools of this
state are progressing. AS shown by
the industrial exhibit which are now
becoming the pride of all schools.
these institutions are beconfng more
practical and more efficient in fitting
men and women for life The school
building and the equipment of the
school are important factors to be
considered in discussing the efficiency
of schools, and school boards and
teachers should not hesitate to make
the chools as perfect as their means
will permit. However, it is not only
the equipment of the school, but the
intellectual side of it, that are neces-
sRry to make good men and women.
1t is up to the teacher, although she is
poorly paid than any other public Of
fcer, to supply this greater, bigger
want.
Alton On Program.
George B. Alton, State High School
Inspector, talked on 'sWhat Should be
Eliminated in the Smaller Schools
for the Proper Introduction of Indus
trial Subjects?" He did not speak
of the high schools, but dealt with
the problems which confront the ru-
raj and the grade teacher. He said
that he did not believe that we should
eliminate from our schools any of the
subjects that are being taught now,
but that parts of several subjects
should be cut out of the -curriculi.
Nome time should be spent in read
ing, he insisted, for then firm ba-
sis for the work of the upper grades
will be laid. He advocated that the
first SO pages of the arithmetic be
cut out, and that the student should
be introduced from the very start on
questions of money and other practi-
cal things.
An Amusing Incident.
President w. A. Shoemaker of st.
Cloud Normal School, in his lecture
on 1.-THE Recitation that Counts. re-
marked that while Mr.. Alton would
eliminate the first fifty pages of arith-
metic. he would cut out the last fifty,
and then Mr.. Alton in the audience
said, And there are probably some
here who would cut out the middle
fifty too. : There is not much to be
in the subjects, but in the.
manner of teaching them, . the
speaker continued, s:There are three
parts which should be brought out
in every recitation: the test, the de-
velopment and the drill The first
of these should be applied only to
parts of the subject which have been
thoroughly gone over the day before;
no teacher should require pupil to
recite on work he has not prepared.
1t is the prime function of the reci-
tation to lead out the pupils thought
and to get them to rely upon the facts
that they know to reach certain con
clusions. 1t is the duty of the each
er, also. to drill into the pupils
mind all of the facts that will be nee
essary for that pupil to have a good B
foundation for what problems he will
encounter in the future.
Tells Of Evils to Health.
DR.: 81. w. Hill, of the State Board
Continued on lasr pagel