St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1913-04-12
SUPERINTENDENT GWINN.

SUPERINTENDENT GWINN.
Says Schools Arc Faulty in Forms
ton Of Character.
Delivers Lecture TO Parents Of ca
operative Club, Commenting
On HOnc Study.
I New Orleans, April 3 -.sOld-tim
schools were better trainers OF moral
than present-day ones. and for tn
matter of that old-time homes wer,
better trainers of morals than pres
ent-day Ones" declared Superintend
ent- Gwfnn, in very practical tall
Lon Home Study" delivered yester
day before the members Of the Par
ents' Cooperative Club. II TIL.
schools Of the present day are a
fault, Mr.. Gwinn showed. 1t Is less
in the matter of instruction than II
the formation of character. but socia
conditions are SO changed that it II
not possible to go back to the Ole
simple methods when the three Rs
were considered the embodiment o.
school knowledge.
In Regard to home study Mr.
Gwinn said, when asked as to wheth-
er he believed in it, he would have
to give a qualified answer. looking at
the subject from various aspects
The question of whether there should
be home study or not depends upon
the child, the school, the hours Of
the school and the home. Up to the
sixth grade he hardly favored home
work, which is necessary in grades
further up and In the high school and
college work, which Is necessary in
grades further up and In the high
school and college years. Much de.
penda on the school whether It Is an
ordinary grade school or an indus
trial one. The health of the child
should be a matter Of consideration
certain homes are so situated that
home work is not advantageous t.
the child.
Another question Is how the chile
spends his time OFT OF school, ant
home study is not less Of an
evil than some other things that may
engage his attention.
The cooperative clubs formed II
bring the home and school togethe,
may do much in helping to brins
school problems to the home for dis
and home problems to thu
,chool.
Just as Is the case with adults.
more young people go wrong through
heir haurs of leisure than in their
lours Of work. The purpose of edu:
.ation, a. Mr.. Gwinn saw it, Is te
each the individual how to spned !
lis leisure, as well as how to work |
That education is faulty does moi
each the pupil how TO spend hi |
eisure we'll. 1t IVES whether home
tudy was not less Of an evil than
dleness.
Some very interesting investiga
ions were made by the superintend |
mt as preparation for his lecture /
n Home Study" He visited seven
cen schoolrooms Of four different
chools. and interviewed 404 pupils
u the 4O4 pupils. forty-seven did not
tudy at all at home, 10 studied ]!
124 one-half hour, sixty-one
bout As minutes. forty-twu studied
bout an hour and only SIX In i hun
red studied more than an hour.
OF the sixth, seventh and eighth
rade pupils, OF 2O4 pupils, only Is
{ them had any help at all.at home
nd most Of this help was received byl
upils of the fifth grade. OF these
,irty-fOur were helped by the moth
rsers and twelve by the fathers;
even we're helped by brothers or
STEERS. Mothers, as is seen, helped
early three times as often as did
le father.
Mr.. Gwinn said that he had asked
50 whether they thought that their
Ifents believed they should study i
home, Of these 1S6 said yes. Now, /
9 iconoclast who feels that children
8 oyerburdened with home work I
III not find ID this examination !
UGH to confirm him in his views. /
+ Gwinn said that he had assured I
6 children that he wanted the In
rmatfon for lecture, and that II Is
i not matter to hin. whether they 4
adied or not. Tor all the purposes =
tended, but he did want to get At Il
! real facts. He would have liked
said. to extend the examination !
about i, 900. Z,
The success Of home study, he
owed, depends upon the sympathy q
tween home and school. Biscuit d
king learned in school might be d
rried on ut home and would con. {,
tute home study. That is the real b
ncipal OF ito learn the rule q! K
TOOL and TO carry It out at home q