Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1914-12-05
STATE TEACHERS
IN SESSION HERE
CONTINUED from First Pase.)

or mere knowledge of data be suffi-
Gent All must be vitalized and ap-
iiied to the important conditions of
the citizens environment.
Conserve Community Interests.
eFourth-The administration and
discipline Of the school must be
slaped to further the end of training
habits of thought and action so that
4 ley shall conserve community inter-
ests. We have been all along running
eur schools as if our children were to
We under a despotism where the
liehesl virtue is unthinking obe-
dience This habit of unthinking obe-
dience is precisely the one most IA
srable to the government of tho
people by a Barnes or a Murphy in
obedience to the corrupt interests that
they serve. The schools should
through their discipline and adminis-
tration become labora tories of COM
munity thought which shall always
place the welfare OF the school COM
munity as the criterion of individual
and community action within the
school.
why do we not shape our curricule
and govern our schools according to
these ideas? Because tradition has
applied to the American school the
feady-made notions of the English
education of a century ago, which
was never intended to be democratic.
1.-THE school should offer the widest
opportunities of culture to it's pupils,
but it should remember that many
pupils have no distinctively intellec-
tuaf interests and that those who
lack these interests are Of as much
concern to the community as are
those who have them. Education
differs for different individuals, and
it should be the aim of the American
high school to furnish to every
American child the opportunity for
the education that that child needs,
and it should be the duty of the
school to study the child and adapt
the education to his individual needs
Some will object that this program
leaves out the ideal of culture on
the contrary, 1t includes the best of
culture Of which every individual Is
capable. For some this will mean
only a glimpse of the larger life; for
others it will mean all that splendid
definition: TO be at home in all
lands and all ages: to count nature a
familiar acquaintance and art an in
innate friend etc.
'But ell this may become a merely
personal attainment. only an accom-
pllSnnenl, unless II Is prompted Dy
the human helpfulness and social
democracy of Him who said, Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites,' as He walked the stony
ways to Palestine. ate with pub
leans and sinners, mingled joyously
in the wedding feast, and lifted the
repentant Magdalene from her life Of
shame.
Our schools. the finest flower of
our democracy, must remain demo-
cratic; they must offer not merely
Identical but really equal opportu-
mites to all"
A general discussion followed the
address. Reports of the treasurer
auditing committee. committee on col
1ege entrance requirements and tht
nominating committee will be fol.
lowed by the election Of officers.
The present officers are: President
Ralph X. Files, East Orange; vice
president, George L. Bennett, o.
IIackensack; secretary, Cornelia r
Macmillan, Montclair; treasurer
William A. Barber, East Orange, ant
+. Eugene Seymour, Of Trenton, mem
Der of executive committee.