Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-03-20
AN EQUAL CHANCE FOR ALL
Prescribed Course Of Study Suit
ed Only to Normal Minds.
superintendent Dyer of Boston Public
schools Opens Annual Conference
Of Vermont Teachers Mt
the University.

The eighth annual conference Of the
schools of Vermont with the state uni
versity opened Thursday night with an
address by DR.. Franklin b. Dyer, SUI
p~orintendent OF the Boston public
schools. Scattered among the audience,
which filled the "apse,'' was a gener-
GUS sprinkling of Vermont teachers,
to whom President Benton Of the uni
versity extended an official welcome.
DR.. Dyer was obliged to keep his aud
fence waiting a few minutes, on ac-
count of delay in the arrival of his
train. and remarked in greeting his
audience that some of the trains in
this section show "a fine disregard for
time"
AN Equal chance for All" was his
subject, in the discussion of which he
emphasized the distinction between
equal opportunity and identical oppor-
tunity, bringing out the point that
education gives all an equal chance
only when the difference of capacity in
various individuals is provided for. IN
the past. said he. it was believed to
be sufficient that all children pursue
the same fixed course OF study, but
the broader view of the present time
is that such a. prescribed regimen is
suited oHl. 70 the strictly normal
child.
Fellow he normal child is the back
ward child. who must be taught with due
allowance for his deficiency. Inferior 70
the backward child is the moron the
child whose mental development is far
behind his physical development. and who
can be taught to he sclf-supportinE, hut
Will never be wholly d Responsible being.
Below the moron are the imhecilcs ana
tho idiots.
Then there is the supe.-normal child,
of which Tia" group is small. and in the
education OF this type a great mistake IS
often made. The brilliant child, some
'i- : abb -. cover three years work In
ore year. IS rendered lazy, Indifferent.
superior and impudent, because Of the
ease with which he does the work suited
to the average, These children are the
geniuses, tho leaders of tho coming gen
Grafton. and they should bo educated by
themselves. whore in competition with
others Of Ike capacity they vii find
stimulation and quickcn"d energy.
Children below tho age Of Il or II COM
form more or less to n type. hut arc not
identical. After the coming OF the age
o. adolescence tho differences in the in
dividual become more marked as the rate
Of mental development increases. Tests
show that there are children Of tho eighth
grade with defects Of the child Of the
third grade, while some children iu the
fifth grade are superior 10 tn" average
pupils of tie eighth. Some children are
strong, for example, IN multiplication
but weak nm division, or strong in SUBJ
traction, but weak in addition. one
young man who in childhood could not
learn to spoil graduated from q college
Of engineering, and when asked how he
managed to succeed without being ublo
to spoil he replied that he had four ST.
nugraphcrs 20 spell for him. Some chill
drcn are not uookish. but uo,crthclres
are successful in life. having instead tho
motor temperament leading to practical
a. hi'vemont IN affairs. Foreign children
should not he educated in classes with
American children several grades lower
in attainment Too often the country
school aducatcs its pupils away from tn"
country toward the city. When a hoy
goes to work let him continue Maritime
schooling.
A coulSc in algebra, said DR.. Over. was
supposed II have some fine cultural. ESQ
toric value, but 50 far as practical value
was concerned in his case he had neVe:
worked o problem in algebra in his If,
: outside OF school. Latin, he thought, is
of value to those able to attain a knowl.
edge OF II without too great a sacrifice.
and this aside from the needs Of profca.
sional men in this direction.
The German Emperor found on ascend
ing the throne that his young subject
were all being trained for the professions,
: ~ per cent OF Z en- for callings th"F would
[ rcver follow, with a like percentage OF
} occupations in want of traincd recruits.
As a result of his reforms Germany is to-
\ day capturing the trade OF the world.
l The spiritual nature of the child" sud
I Dr.. Dyer. lis, after all. the most worth
4 while, We must combat the tendency
g downward toward the mechanical side of
Q education. We need to know when 10 ger
off q hobby. The best work a teacher
4 does is when intellect is warm with emo
ton, The finest work of a man Is the
a product Of a clear brain over A burning
q heart. The great danger is the present
day tendency Of society TO s~tratify into
classes. The great factor against this
Is education, and this must be democratic
education"