The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-21

characterized by more suppression and
by more impractical teaching than is the
school of today.
Increase Was Gradual
Gradually the number of public schools
increased, by degrees the terms were
heightened, and year by year more wom-
en- became teachers; and the proportion
of people who taught, but were not teach
ers. decreased. Each of these is signif-
cant. The increased number of public
schools means educational opportunities
for a greater number of children. The
heightened term means more extensive
and more intensive teaching. Better pre-
pared teachers and an increased pro-
portion of women teachers means more
effectual teaching. The addition of prac-
teal business men to the public school
system is an advantage In that they are
more efficient in planning and in man
aging the financial side Women have
more sympathy for children and they are
more asuccessful In carrying out details.
The absence of either the business man
or the woman grade teacher would be
a serious loss to the public school
As the school has been more developed,
the curriculum has been broadened. One
of the very first addition to the course
of study was geography. Two textbooks
were used, question book and an at
las Later, physiology was added. State
history has not long been studied in school
and agriculture is still new. Each year
finds increased effort being exerted to
make the studies of more practical value
to the students and to give them more
definite connection with evryday life
These major studies are the most diff
cult to teach, for they require that fac
ulty which is now so seldom trained
mental concentration; and they are the
most discouraging, for they do not quickly
show results. Unless they are taught
we'll they do not hold the childs at
tention and voluntary attention is a most
necessary requisite of success in any
study or indeed in any undertaking. These
are the studies in which most patience
on the part of parents, pupils and teach
ers is needed.
Each Has Definite Object
Each one of them has a definite OBJ
ject history and geography. that the
child may know something of the world
in which he lives; arithmetic, that he
may be prepared for business life;'
physiology, that he may preserve his
health; grammar that he may speak
and write correctly. These are prosaic
reasons and the ultimate advantage
seems to the child to be far away. He
cannot see while he is learning the
parts of speech and tables of weights
and measures and the exports and i'm
ports of the United States, that these
things will ever be of any use to him
or that they will ever concern him.
Months and months of this is not en-
livening nor encouraging. 1t is too
abstract. A child wants tangible evil
dence of his attainment and concrete
things with which to, occupy himself.
The school of 25 years. ago failed inso-
far as it gave only the abstract and
trained only the mind to the neglect
of the hand.
Recognizing the need of broader de-
velopment than that of the mind alone,
manual arts were added to the curricu-
lum. These studies, which, for want
of a better term, we call minor studies
are not the most important. 1t is
scarcely true, however, to say that the
major studies rank first in Importance,
for the training of hand and mind are
equally necessary. Neither should be
given great precedence over the other
Where now is place for the book
worm who is ignorant of practical life
yet who is more entitled to sympathy
than the man who is capable as a la
borer or a tradesman but knows moth
ing of athletics?
If it were not that both manual and
mental training are necessary to the
well educated person, they would not
continue in the public school course.
The one or the other that was unneces-
sary would be replaced by something
more in demand. The fact that they