The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-05
Defend. PUBLIC schoo,.

noria g. ..,i Neht 10 buy my gro
Ter eScusins mo. personally, from any
responsibility In the matter, proceeded
h 10 unour den his mind as follows: Il
pelleVe these public schools are all
wrong. ! don't believe in aIi this
manual training. drawing, sowing and
music: think l will take my child
out OF the public school next year and
put her In private school,"
as is my usual custom, went TO
church on Sunday morning, trustir e
that Tor few minutes. ut least. ali
the cares. responsibilities. and oven
.nouGht or my work might be nut
his ,cx GU, , s,omrcely had my pastor taken
Win Inc public schools IL that they
are trying 10 carry all pupils along on
dead level What the pupils need liz
Individual Instruction."
az as eientlessly az ever Cato uttered
Sarthaso delenda est" the grocer, the
preacher the lawyer. the politician arc
al CRYING that the public schools mus,
DC reformed. Why this clamor? Why
hn,n e G ir'i, Why are our schools
eyer" turn We find Il physician ready
Win die Knosls Of the school sftuntionp
ne answers you could receive TO these
~, nueS.Ions are legion, | wish 10 give
my personal opinions only.
The civilization OF to-day is far dif
!srent from that OF fifty years ago. The
functions TO be performed I'm any yoca :
ION are more varied. more complex.
more numerous: than they were a gen
cF"t!on ago. The situations that arc
10 be met. the duties that are 10 be
performed ny IN" men ana women nt
tomorrow morrow demand a citizenship with
training vastly different from that
given by the school Of our childhood
anys. We cherish the memory OF that
iltt!c one-room, log schoolhouse but
az the pattern for the school Of to-
Htny II Is an impossIbllity. 1t would be
Just feasible to put the old tavern
Keeper at the head OF the management
OF the Jefferson Hotel, the old fashioned
coaGhman In an automobile. or the
Times have changed SCHOOLS have
changed. All changes produce friction.
no new machine runs smoothly.
Tho public school system OF Virginia
new machine. Let us not tear II
So"n because II Is not running smooth
~. Dur rather let US tighten up the
loose EcreTs and oil the bearings We
nave gone long way TN the hill of
hroRress In school work. and IL is mo-;
necessary for us to 20 back IN tho
bottom OF the hill 10 sec how far we
lave gone. Is It not hotter 10 do a
iittid scotching" and save the pull we
have made?
There is one form OF inconsistency
That tries mos; sternly the patience Of
those administering the public schools.
The manufacturing industries. those in
which mcchu nlcnl skill is required sa $
mat the pupils from our public schools
are not practical. do not know how to
,lae their hands. arc inefficient as work
men Hence. they. demand manual
training and drawing. Tho lawyers.
ftatci men and politicians say we do no;
stress government science enough, tina /
we do not turn out citizens with cnouEh
knowledge OF the workings OF our gov
cTnnent to vote inteiligently. The
lovers OF art and music Say that We
arc ncglecting TO cultivate the acsthc-
TIC, tho artistic capacities OF our chill
drcn. Hence. we must teach them mu-
SIC, The medical profession says that
sc do not turn out boys and girls with
II proper knowledge or hygicnic laws
thnt they cannot take care Of their
own health or that OF their children.
that their food Is improperly cooked
and their knowledge OF sanitation de-.
ficient.
We try to NEE, these demands as
honestly. as wisely. az we can, but
no sooner have VIC attempted TO do this
than they all turn on us and begin to
cry "overcrowded curriculum" Let us
be consistent
Do not get the Idea that we arc
trying to suppress criticisms invosti-
cations. etc They are helpful The
thought and ideas OF the layman al
ways have tendency to balance. MAKE
more conservative. professional thought
md action. No harm ever canln from
thoughtful, honest. patriotic discussion
by the people in general OF one OF
their public institutions.
lSNt are mere not some factors en-
tcring into the administration OF our
schools that the average layman does
not take into consideration? II is 2
lamontnblo fact, even though It may
be a faul, OF our own making, that the
people do not visit our schools often
enough. They do not come md study
with Us our problems and offer sug-
Ecstions, Is frequently as they might.
One Of tho greatest difficulties we
have to meet Is the almost cosmopolitan
character OF our patronage. In our
schools are children of every nattonnit-
~, every degree of wealth, every walk
OF life. Jew and gentle, bright, dull
and mentally efficient. the good, bad
md scmetimes the vicious. oil together,
and, through force Of circumstances.
we have to serve them all with the
Fa Nov m Mhl raRIi over these pues
tiona. let us bear In mind these facts.
First. tho great majority of our school
children will never receive any school
training other than that they receive
In the elementary school. Secondly, a
large per cent. OF our pupils must earn
a livelihood in those occupations that
demand a great deal of manual labor:
tina, a majority Of them will have TO
cook their own meals and do their
own sewing, whether II agrees with
fne ambition OF their parents or not.
Thirdly the heart and hand need train
ing rs well as the head.
The difficulties viewed from our stand
point are largely questions of adjust
Tcnt, coordination and correlation.
Group teaching. physical culture mcdi-
cal inspection have been introduced in.
10 our schools during the past two
ycars. They arc not fnds. Their value
has been thoroughly demonstrated In
other systems. They are bringing life
and vigor into our teaching, but while
they are being introduced there must
Of necessity be some friction. Until the
proper adjustment is made. there will
inevitably cnsue some feeling of over
pressure on the part of the pupiIs,
patrons and the teaching force Bui
let us suspend our Judgment until we
can work out plan of correlation to
lum, until We can thoroughly adjust ia