The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-01-09
Strong Defense Of
The Public School
Continued from Page one.


ent public school system. In an in
terview with The Free Press Mr..
Sperry said: Il think that Mr.. Hill
is guilty OF playing to the grand stand
i'm this matter. and IL seems, to be
the fashion of the times to muck.
rake the schools. Mr. HIN assails
the public schools from the point OF
view Of man who has not had
much schooling himself and he can
understand only railroading and bust
ness matters, and can appreciate
only business efficiency.
HE is a man who is opposed TO
all higher education except for such
children rs are determined upon by
a commission to be leaders or ex-
perts. He wants to build up a class
system OF education and relegate
the masses OF sufficient training for
clerks and laborers.
Does Not Understand Conditions.
Mr.. Hill does not- understand the
conditions under which the schools
work" declared Mr.. Sperry. They
are not training mere calculating
machines or mere clerks. lie would
expect a boy OF sixteen or eighteen
years OF age to be as well trained
I'm letter writing as a man OF fifty.
II is safe to say that these critics
would not have done any better
themselves at the age of sixteen"
Mr.. Snerry admits that there is
nn question about there being a good
deal az inefficient work in the
schools. hut me- considers the state
ment that schools are a dismal fail
ure" too sweeping, when the mitigat-
ing circumstances are considered.
Time Spent in School.
The average child is I'm school
onc-eighth of the time during the
school year." he said. land spends
seven-eighths of the time in other
occupations. There are $50 school
days i'm the year and the child
spends one-fourth of each day I'm
the school room. The child learns
most in that environment I'm which
IL spends the most time. Is II not
fair TO ask whether the schools
should be expected to Offset the
careless habits acquired OF the
streets and I'm the home?"
Referring to the Mankato schools.
Mr.. Sperry said that children of
nineteen different nationalities are
enrolled. and that these children are
from families of all grades. includ
ing the rich and poor. the profess
sional people and the laboring class.
Forty in a Room.
We handle the children forty to
a room. This system is wrong. In
order TO get satisfactory results we
must get away from mass education.
II is entirely unjust to expect
teacher of thirty or forty children
Ia give them individual attention
necessary to bring about the results
which Mr.. Hill and the rest of rs
want
Another factor which must be
considered is the overlooking Of the
school curriculum at the insistent
demand of all the various interests
back Of the schools.
III Mr.. Hill had tried to get uni
versity graduates for his work he
would realize that the demand for
college men is greater than the sup
ply, thus showing that there must
be some efficient men among them.
There Is no doubt but that the
educational system of the United
states will undergo marked revision,
but even then ! fear that no system |
of state education will satisfy such |
radicals as Mr.. HILL"
Up to date James J. Hill has not
accepted Superintendent Potter's in
vitation to visit the st. Paul schools
and make good his charges that |
they are part ofs the system of
failures,