The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-02-18
Professor Pickell's Experiment.

Professor Plckells Experiment.
AS described in the Palladium of Monday
evening, Prof. Pickell of the Richmond High
School is planning to conduct unique expert
ment He intends to have each of twenty-five
teachers select pupil and to adapt the teaching
and curriculum to that child's Unborn capacity
and needs. This is one of the most advanced
steps ever taken in the history of Richmond
schools and is frank recognition on the part of
local school authorities of the theory in edu-
cation.
To Horace Mann usually is given the credit
for establishing the American school system. He
and his assistants in that mighty work lived in
the atmosphere of Civil War days. All about
them was enlistment drilling and soldiers life
in it's various phases. How natural it was then
to organize the school somewhat after the fash
ion of a regiment of soldiers! The pupils were
lined up in company; the teacher was the cap
tain the superintendent the commander-in-chlef.
PUPILS marched in and out of the class room IN
soldier fashion, were seated in straight rows and
the whole discipline of the school made to smack
of the military discipline of the camp.
This regimental system Of school life may
also be traced to Horace Manns theory of the hui
man mind According to him, the brain of a
child was like piece of white paper on which
the teacher may write anything she wishes. 1t
was supposed that any child could do anything
any other child could do, providing he was willing
to put forth the same amount of effort. If pu-
pill showed aptitude for study, it was attrlb-
uted to his Discrimination to work. Naturally the
remedy for this condition copious draught
now and then of the birch rod.
In choosing a profession for the child, the
parents were guided solely by considerations of
income, honor and fame. AS to whether no
they were driving square peg in round hole
never seemed to enter their heads.
This "tabula rasa'' theory and the military
camp formation the two characteristics of
the average American school and have been
since it's inauguration. But ever since that early
day, there have always been prominent educa-
tors to condemn the system. eve have simply
built factory" they have argued, rigid, formal,
inelastic. We feed the boy into one end and turn
him out at the other a finished product. But too
often he has indeed been finished in the most
literal sense Of the word his native ability
his original capacity, have been sacrificed in
the interest of the machine. Like the bed of
PrccrUstes we have hacked and cut at the pupil
to make him fit the stiff framework of the sys-
TEN.
we will never have scientifically organ
lied school system until we recognize the princi-
pie that the school is for the sake of the pupil
and not the pupil for the sake of the school
until come to understand that the whole
school apparatus must be adapted to the require
ments of the individual. He must be the stand
ard ard not the military camp.
CAS- for the tahula rasa' theory, that is un-
scientific and absurd. A child does not come
into this world with white paper mind Hered
itary and early environment influences have al
ready given it character peculiar to itself long
before it comes into the hands Of the teacher
Every child has Unborn abilities peculiar to Itself
alone The only reasonable and successful edu
cational system is that which seeks not to trim
the pupil down to fit rigid standard, but rattle
to develop to the full those original and unique
gifts with which each and every child is en-
dowed. The school exists for the pupil and no
the pupil for the school,"
If we interpret it Alright Prof Pickell accept
this pedagogic principle and is endeavorng t.
work out practical method by which the Rich
mond High School system may be adapted t.
each individual pupil. This is magnificent pic
neer work and every parent who has any genu
inc interest in the education of his child wi
await with eager expectancy the outcome of tn
experiment.
Child Welfare Day
Driven bv social conscience as we'll as he