The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-03-27


on "some OF the Problems the sys.
TEN would Bring up in Mankato."
He stated I, at the. outset that the
school was not particularly urg-
ing the change just now. but that
the teachers and those who have
been giving It consideration, want
the parents TO be thinking about
II also. To show. how the. children
who have difficulty with some
branch OF studies. or who are be-
hind grade, leave school at an. early
age. he showed figures representing
the. number OF children who are
behind the grade OF their average
age. In the first three grades. the
percentage Is not large. in the next
two grades II is about thirty per
cent then further along IL Is. small
or. this he affiliated to fact that
as they grow older and are not
making progress the students leave
school, so that only the normal
children remain. sR
Thirty per cent, OF the eighth
grade children are what we may
term manual minded children !"
Mr.. Sperry explained, they are the
children who do not grasp matters
so readily as things to be done
with their hands. Fyteen or TWEEN.
ty per cent are commercially
minded and the rest have what
We may term classical minds"
Mr.. Sperry spoke OF the growing
need for sac schools to eb social
centers, which he believes will tend
to keep the children in school
longer than they, stay at the pres.
emit time. He also spoke of the
physical training which should be
offered students.
In going over the difficulties
which the change OF the system
would present, Mr.. Sperry first
mentioned the matter OF consolida.
ton. at would mean that the sew
enth grade pupils would have to
come from all parts OF the city
TO central point, and there
might be some objection to this.
II might also require change In
some of the teaching force of the
seventh and eighth grades. and the
possibility OF paying higher salar.
les for teachers who are specialists
The number OF teachers would
probably not be larger. The change
would necessitate some remodel
ling OF the building. and some ex-
ira industrial equipment"
..+ Cost Per Pupil.
Mr.. Sperry then showed tables
giving the cost per pupil for teach
Ing the various subjects some of
which are given here; forge show,
50; wood work. s2.55; agriculture,
$3.50; domestic science, 1927; his.
tory. s.63; eighth grade, sos; sew
enth grade, $40.
In closing his remarks Mr..
sperry said that IL was not likely
that this. system would be Initiated
into the Mankato high school next
year, but, he asked the parents to
think the matter over and to be
ready to express an opinion on the
matter when It came up for deci-
sion.
There was some little discussion
of the matter, and M. w. Deputy,
Who. Is at the head of the normal
school training department, was ask
ed to talk. In speaking of the de-
cided transition from the eighth
grade TO the high school. as, com
pared to the, change in going from
the sixth grade to the seventh
grade, Mr.. Deputy said Tho change
would not be any create. but the
change In the earlier grade would
keep. the students In school longer.
Children In the sixth grade are
not old enough to earn their. own
living. as is the case when they
are through the eighth grade. Mr..
Deputy went briefly over the ground
In a way similar to the. way In
which Mr.. willard spoke.
Mr.. Bate In closing the meeting
announced that on April "a. the
third OF these parents. meetings
would be held, but that 1t would
be different sort Of meeting.