Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-11-20


istrative expense. will be avoided by
this move More important than that.
cooperation and coordination will
prevent divided effort and working at
cross purposes.
Amongst other things that will be
done is to secure greater respect for
health laws and health officials"
State Teachers Elect.
Public schools as an American In
stitution were vigorously defended by
P. P. Claxton, United States commits
sioner of education, in his speech be-
fore the members of the Wisconsin
Teachers association at the Auditori-
UNI, Milwaukee, Mr.. Claxton was in
troduced by Mrs. Mary D. Bradford.
1T has been charged that our puO.
lie schools are failures. and say to
you that they are not Within forty
years the public schools of this coun-
try have educated 9oO00,0o0 persons.
They have made possible tia eldur-
ance OF this republic.
These same public schools have re-
Guced the illiteracy of the nation from
20 per cent to 6.5 per cent. The Tilt
eracy OF the colored folk of the nation
has been brought down from IS pes
cent. to about 80 per cent. This is a
wonderful testimonial of the schools
worth
"All this has been done in the face
of an enormous influx of foreigners
who had no preliminary education
whatever. The illlteracy Of these
same aliens has been reduced until at
present it is only IL per cent.
Il do not hesitate to say that in no
time in the history of the world has
any institution done so much good
as the public schools of America du-
ring the last forty years
Then we occasionally find the re-
vival of the old charge against the
high schools Time after time false
percentages have been published in
this relation The United States bu-
reau of education has found that %
per cent. of the children who attend
the grade schools go on to high schol.
In San Francisco we are confronted
with the narrowing fact that some
child has heard of Pericles and not
of Beveridge, and another case where
Queen Elizabeth was cherished to the
neglect of Jane Adams.
Il say in reply to this. that 1t is
better for a child to know of Caesa :
than the men we read about in the
newspapers today.
These criticisms against the public
schools are absurd. and If any of you
teachers are Historically inclined.
would say TO you, calm yourselves
and go on with your good work There
is no need of fear when you can show
the splendid results that have been
produced in the past
There is no education separate
from the individual There is no such
thing as an education. Education
is part of the individual, Eiemen-
tary education cannot be done up in
a package and handed to a child. The
teacher should know not only child
nature In general. but the Individual
nature of her pupils. their ambitions,
tendencies, and even their parent
age.
Il firmly believe that the time will
come when the time spent in school
will be reduced to two hours a day.
The teachers will spend the T, 1t of
the time becoming familiar wi the
real life of their pupils. They will
get in touch with their hopes. their
ambitions and their fears"
The importance of laying a good
foundation for ones character was
the main thought in a speech by Mrs.
II. K. Schoff. Philadelphia. given be
fore the Moral Education league of
the Wisconsin Teachers association.
Friday afternoon in the arcade of the
Plankintcn house.
Other addresses urging the impor.
lance of moral education were made
by Jesse B. Davis. principal OF Central
High school. Grand Rapids, Mich. and
Charles McKenny, former president
OF Milwaukee Normal school, now
president of Ypsilanti Normal college.
Ypslanti Mich.
Upon motion following the reports
CT the committee on election. officers
as follows we're elected for the en-
suing year:
President-John Callahan. Mena.
cha.
First vlce-president-Sa Samuel Plantz,
Appleton.
second vice-president-H. A. Soho.
field. Superior.
Third vice-president-Mis Helen
Martin, Elkhorn.
Treasurer-G. F. Loomis. Wauke