The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-19
CLAYTON OPPOSES
WHITFIELD PLAN
Debate Between Educators Over
Rcvolutionizing Methods
of Teaching.
DENMARk's MODEL SCHOOLS
Conference on Wolnan's Educa-
ton Ends With Discussions Of
Rural Problems.
DENMARk's MODEL SCHOOLS

opposition to the Revolutionary
Whitfield plan OF education. which
would upset the methods Of teaching
pursued through all the ages, was
voiced yesterday afternoon before the
conference for the Education Of Women
In the Country by DR.. p r. Claxton.
United States Commissioners of Edu-
cation. He evidently attended the con-
ference Tor the purpose Of expressing
MS opinion. which gave a new tone to
me meeting and a balance to the jutig-
ment of its members.
Admitting that much of the matter
taught in the public schools is utterly
useless In It's application to real life.
Or. ClaSton said that definite cultural
training should by no means be aban-
doned There is plenty OF time, he
said, to teach 1t all. He gave as the
model the high schools of Denmark
Stands by His Guns
Dr. H. l.. Whitfield. president Of the
state Normal School for Women in
mississippi, at Columbus whose report
coming from the heads of State female
colleges was under consideration. dId
not abandon the fight. lie made the
concluding address OF tho conference.
In which he reiterated his statement
that education for actual living is the
essential basis for true culture
DO not propose. DIR. Claxton." he
said. addressing his remarks mainly
to that distinguished official. ito drive
grammar and arithmetic from, our
schools but ! do propose that they
SHAH be taught with a view TO use In
after life.
For ten years was State superin-
tendent OF Public Instruction in Mis-
sisEippi. When ] saw that most peo-
pie were sickly ana found that $1,000
100000 OF values We're wasted i'm the
country each year because people were
not we'll: when l found that men and
NO .f
duties of citizenship. nor of the essen
tials OF home-making. OF living. when
they left the public schools i felt that
something was wrong with our sys-
TEN OF education. would have health
taught in the schools 1 would have
homo building and hone-Inakin.,
taught instead of having education
consisting of handing down from gen
Grafton TO generation packages Of
Grammar and arithmetic. sealed. so
that nobody knows what's inside
II have seen 700 girls attacking n
library. throwing themselves against
BOOKS and trying to comprehend them
True culture lis a knowledge OF how 10
live, and the best to be got out of
reading is to have real life experiences
leaning up against the book hate
and denounoe the term industrial et!u-
cation as though it were something
for an inferior people, while real cdu-
cation liz reserved for thoBe "a little
more intcinRent, Il little higher UP In
the scale 1t ought TO be and is all
pure education, and we need to know
the meaning Of that word"
Dr. Claaton's Reply.
Plenty Of things taught in the
public schools of to-day. and have
always been taught, said DR.. CIaxton.
In arraigning tho Whitfield plan, that
are OF no value. For Instance only n
few years ago. and perhaps to-day.
arithmetlcs teach compound partner
ships, whereas there has been no such
thing among business men or any
where else for $50 years So with many
other things. which the student has
forced into his brain. TO no purpose.
But important are the questions
OF home-making and or tightening the
burdens of farm life. and OF being
healthy, these things can now be
taught without abandoning the essen
tails of cultural training. which tell
how TO think and how to enjoy the
things OF life. which looks to things
above feeding and Tightening labor.
In Denmark the schools reach the high
est known standard OF training for real
citizenship, in the opinion of DIR. Clax-
ton. The most important feature there
is instruction in Danish literature, and
the next is in Danish history. The
children learn what their country is
and what 1t has done and the place il
occupies in the world. with almost
no natural resources. II Is one of tho