The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-10
TEACHING Of ENGLISH
IS UNDER DISCUSSION
Colleges and Universities Are
Criticised for Alleged
Wrong Methods.

Declaring that the high schools had
signed q declaration of independence,
NJ. II. Stuart, principal of the Manual
Training high school of Indianapolis
Ind, and president of the secondary de-
partment OF tie N E. A, severely eriri-
cised most Of the colleges and univer-
sites at the afternoon session IN AS
scmbly hall yesterday. He made notable
exceptions in regard to the University
of Chicago and Stanford university,
and added that Columbia university
was ont rigid. although its requirements
were not so broad as Chicago and some
others.
Discussing the wrongs which he said
the secondary schools had suffered at
the hands of colleges, he said;
They taxed our time by requir-
ing US to learn many languages
which we did not use. They de-
prived US of initiative by prescrib-
ing exactly what we should under
take; they denied us the use Of our
own originality by declining to rec
our children OF the power of choice
by limiting the list of subjects they
should take; they Disseminated
against many industrial occupations
necessary to the welfare Of our peo.
pie; and finally, they disowned US
As their educational kith and kin 10y
imposing upon our children great
and unnecessary burdens when I'M
migrating into their kingdom. We
have therefore, somewhat tardiiy,
begun to rule our own territory.
Mr.. Stuart added that the work of
the different colleges was so varied
that he could think of but one subject
essential to every one Of them and that
was the study of the mother tongue. He
expressed the opinion that three years
Of English would bs reasonable and
that If there were any other require
ments they should be the peculiar es-
sentials of certain courses of study. He
further criticised the requirements that
cause boy to turn aside from the sub
jects he wishes to follow in order to
meet specific requirements in which he
takes but secondary interest.
Cooperation in teaching English COM
position was upheld by Prof. James
Fleming Hosic, of the Chicago Teachers
college. He said in part:
The establishing of corrective
language habits is so difficult that
unless all teachers unite in doing it
the efforts of English teachers are
nearly useless. The difficulties to
be overcome In securing co-opera-
tion are: First, to secure uniform
standards; second, common aims.
specialization has led to sep
aration Of interests and selfish IN
sistence on particular subjects in
stead of state in which each
teacher thinks of the whole life Of
the pupil; third, working condition.
The greatest difficulty is the over
loading of teachers, which makes
good work impossible. To make our
investment in popular education
pay, we must double it.
Many schools have worked out
successful plans of cooperation.
They hold conferences, issue bulle-
tins, agree on standards, and all in.
sist that the pupil speak and write
as well as he can. Teachers of Eng
lsh help boys to write science pa
pers aad science teachers show boys
how TO get their material together,
Pupils learn that English counts
everywhere. They are kept on pro-
baton and if they fall from grace
they are sent back to their English
teachers to be reclaimed. The re-
suits of such methods are remark
able. Pupils from poor homes gain
the power to speak and write ac-
curately and forcibly,
High school courses were discussed
and outlined by Milton c. Potter. super
intendent of schools at st. Paul, Minn.