Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-21

Exception is taken to remarks
credited to President Charles P. Tay-
lor, of the Board of Education. Rev.
John A. Dillon says Mr. Taylor's
statement regarding vocational train
ing Is not consistent and asserts
parochial schools system Is not In
fer4or to that of city schools.
To the Editor of the Evening Star:
Dear Sir-My attention has been
called to certain remarks anent the
parochial schools, reported in the daily
paper to have been made by Mr.. Tay-
lor, pres dent of the Board of Educa-
ton, in his speech last Sunday at the
meeting of Polish societies in COM
memoration of the adoption of their
const. tuition IN 1872.
Mr.. Taylor, as reported, outlined
the methods and progress of the pub
lie school system in this city and
urged the parents present to take adj
vantage of the schools. He pointed
out that in private and parochial
schools the child's learning comes
mostly from books, while She city au-
thorit es here have provided for vo-
cational training, by which, he as
serted, boys and girls can be better
trained to earn their livelihood"
We do not clearly understand the
object of Mr. Taylor's contention
when he says that in parochial
SCHOOLS the child's learning comes
mostly from books, while the city
authorities here have provided for Vo-
cational training, by which boys and
girls can be better trained to earn
their livelihood" Surely in the pub
lie school system the vast majority
of schools are not vocational schools;
they differ in nothing so far as prep
aration for worldly success is con-
cerned from our parochial schools.
The branches taught and the meth
DDS used are the same, to a very
great extent, in the one as in the
other. We add something in our
curriculum which is far more precious
in our eyes than any possible mate
rial advantage gained without 1t.
What Mr.. Taylor then says here, II
correctly quoted, initiates not only
against private and parochial schools,
but against the very system of
which he is the head in this city.
Would he have no schools but vo-
cational schools? That is obviously
his contention if there Is any point
to his remark. Are all educators fully
agreed as to the necessity or even
the advantage of vocational tram
ing? -
Opening carelessly the report for
1913 of the u S. Commissioner of Edu-
cation, which has just been handed to
me in this mail, l read 'As yet we
know little of vocational education
and of the best form of organization,
support and management for voca-
tional schools" page 30
In addition to this there seems to
be implied in the assertion ''in the
parochial schools the child's learning
comes mostly from books" a dispar-
agement of the qualifications Of the
teaching corps and of the methods
followed in the parochial schools.
1t would i'll become me to say any,
thing detrimental to that great sys-
tenn of public education inaugurated
and so efficiently developed by our
government. But the success of this
system in the city of Newark. as else
where, is due in great measure to the
sterling body of men and women who
teach and supervise In the various
schools My only object in this letter
is to protect our parochial schools
from comparisons which are both in
vidious and untrue.
While a complete knowledge of our
school conditions may reveal limita
tions, here and there, in the educa-
tional equipment of our teachers not