The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-05-08

THE ~SIx-AgD-61x" PLAN.
Emphatic approval Of the ''six-and-
six plan Of school organisation urged
| BY the Inland Empire TEACHERS 1850
citation 1t their Spokane meeting II
given by DR.. r. p. Claxton. United
States commissioned Of education. Il
know Of NO valid reason for the pres
ent plan of eight and four years OF
school" declares DR.. ClAxton. There
should be six years Of elementary
school and six years Of high school.
the high school period being divided
into two sections of three years each.
There are. many reasons for the
change Children IL and IL years old
are at the beginning Of the transition
period between childhood and youth
they should not be kept doing. elemen-
tary work. At present the pupils in
most school systems mark time to .
large extent through the seventh and
eighth grades. This is especially true
where the methods Of the elementary
schools are carried through these and
the children are taught by women
Grade teachers. With q sixth-year
elementary school It would be easily
possible to promote the teachers with
s@@>~-~
gaining the large value that comes
from teachers and children remaining
together until the teacher knows the
needs Of the children. their strength,
and their weakness, and can build in
diligently on all the work of previous
years.
Furthermore, to begin the high
school with the seventh Grade will
make much easier the departmental
work, which should begin At least this
low down. It will also make it much
eAsier to begin work in the high
school subjects a. foreign languages.
constructive geometry. and real litera-
ture, at this point where they should
be begun. The study of languages.
especially Of modern languages, should
be begun in q practical way before
children have passed the time when
they can learn in this way. This plan
will also make 1t possible to introduce
manual tEyaining, domestic science, and
various forms Of vocational work two
years earlier than they are now begun.
"Our secondary school work is now
at a great disadvantage as compared
with the work done in the Gynasien
and Realschulen in Germany, the
Lycees of France, and the socalled
public schools of England. BY giving
six years to the high school, the boys
and girls who go to college may easily
have, on admission to college, a much
larger amount of mathematics, lam
guages. and other subjects than they
now have. feel quite sure that by
an arrangement Of this kind and a lit
tie more care in the preparation and
selection Of teachers you may gain
for most children two years in the
twelve.
THE division Of the high school
into two sections Of three years each
will make easier a second differentia-
ton of work at the end Of the first
three high school years.
"At present only about one-fourth
Of the children enter the high school.
The compulsory school age in most
states corresponds quite closely with
the elementary school period. Parents
and children are thereby confirmed in
the idea that the elementary educa-
break between the elementary school
and the high school at this time sug-
gests leaving school and makes it
easier. II the break came at IL or 8
the great majority OF children would
be in the high choo1. doing high
school work under high school condi-
tons. and probably much larger
Of them would continue In
school than under present conditions"
The Inland Empire Teachers asso-
citation, which adopted the resolution
favoring the new plan. enrolls about
2 1000 teachers from the states of
Oregon, Idaho and Mon
tana. The resolution passed unani-