Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1913-04-11

or does not necessarily imply that the
j, express the sentiments OF the editor
~ HE SEES MUCH FAULT IN I.
~ Eola School. Critic Decries Moderl
4 School Methods
n Editor Observer: In the headin,
rs of my article about schools, published
~ in The Observer Of March 7, you uset
the following words "Eola crit,
Tx sees no good in advanced schoo
d ideas. I" Now, such heading is mis-
= leading, and misconstrues my conten
!, lions. If you had inserted the wore
some between the words Gin" ant
advanced" +" You would have truth
Z. fully stated my position.
le In your editorial you state that
II " Mitty's contention that advanced
e thought along educational lines is
o irrational and unsound, is really ludi-
II crous, and not borne out by facts.
] Now, when prominent educators
have strong, diametrically opposing
ideas upon school problems, how are
you going to choose between them
: Do you accept them in ignorance, up
on blind faith in few previously
|, chosen educational leaders? Did you
t not accent and have approved the
: home-credit plan in that wayq If
you desire to form your educational
ideas in that way, that is your right
and privilege: but | prefer to hear
the contention Of both sides, and
decide for myself.
In the Good Housekeeping, mag
azine Of last October, | find school
article, from the pen of A. E. Win
shin, editor of the Journel of Edu-
cation, of Boston, Mass. That edu-
Gator, who | understand invited L. R.
Alderman to visit Boston and give /
lecture upon the home-credit plan,
and that noted educational writer, in
the opening sentence Of his article, |
uses the following language: "The
modern tendency to make the schools |
place of experimentation by experts,
TO make it contribute to industrial,
commercial and agricultural thrift of
the individual. and the community,
will utterly fail if it does not put the
sign Of common-sense above the ex-
pert. = Such strong language gives
rise to the question: For what pur-
pose are our schools established and
maintained? Are they maintained for
the education OF the children? or for
the self-education of the instructors,
through experimentation with the
children? Should educators be paid
higher salary, transferred from state j
to state, and given absolute domineer-
ing control over both the children and
school-movements, for such expert
mental purpose of self-educatlon9
How about school district not far 6
awav. where educators upon the pub {
lie payroll have domineering control !
yet district attendance is a minus
Is not that the reign of the D
expert above common-sense? If not,
why is it not9
Frederic Burke, president Of the
San Francisco State Normal School,
in an article published in the Febru-
ary number of the 'FLadies' Home
Journal y in writing about vocational il
uses the following language: C
Hitherto, with pitifully few excep- a
lions, vocational teaching within the Il
schools has been of an admittedly a
amateur character. But why should Il
t ever have been expected that school II
masters. could teach the other fell N
ow's vocation? Sailors do not teach W
nor farmers teach sailing. ii
Why should it ever have been dream ol
ID that we school masters, trained to al
10 trade, are qualified to teach any Ell
rade 2" | will add: Who dreamed de
md assumed such teaching, but a lot is
f irrational, educational theorists, ia
impractical, visionary cl
deasq And if we accept such doc Gi
rine and teaching, from vocationally be
lcompetent educational leadership. de
re we not putting the reign of the pu
xpert lin erraticism) above common G;
ense? lit
Farmers do not attempt to teach tn
anking, nor perofrm the academic lib
uties of school teachers. Why we
Mould the teachers and bankers of
regon combine to teach farming, WI
hen by training they are unquali- yo
ed to instruct, and incompetent to mis-
ldge, the vocational needs of the sh,
lildren of the farming class? And VIII
e delusively wandering outside of is
eir sphere of professional work To ser
e extent that they attempt to as VIII
me the leadership, in Judging the ant
'rsonal vocational needs, and giving inns
struction to those engaged in voca off
'nal pursuits, not of their profess Tee
'nal line, and of which they are ig- he
rant, because of the lack of expert get
ee, to that extent they are irration- bes
erratic theorists; even though. it is the
aching agriculture to the children of fur
lOrant farmers, in their delusive i'm Il
nation. How long are the farmers aba
ing to be blind, with vain pride in too
'ir children S vocational skill. to the Jaw
It that they are so judged and who
atedq mut
You also state, in that editorial. civ
hat the attempt to prove that be- aint
lse pupils were wholly interested agir
some one branch of school work. the
v have failed in others. is the then
Ikest kind of folderol. - Wenl W
o Is trying to prove itf l certain mas
did not say that there was too befo
eh concentration upon any sub vi
that should be taught within the who
ool ROOM contended, and still Cav
tend, that too much thought. time sun
attention Is being diverted away schu
N school room work. toward the W,