Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-01-24

r. the Morning Journal.
Ii5Dse who have read The previous
aftifie dealing Wifh the experience VI
Z various e1ueafOrs must ! think agree
Niih Mr Aslendes. that b doesn't ~
much matter uhaf method ~ teach
ing English a. the spaniFh-speak-ng
child D. used. 4 q real sffort h made
Z T. teach him by any method All u
" have doubtless known " eaflsfac-
tory results achieved 10 the Garment
application of coiiOquiai. bllinRual and
Translation and perhaps other meth
01s ! have reached the conclusion
that The best results "a New Mexico,
az lar ~ mere method is concerned.
can be reached b. the application u
sumo sDeh bllingDal system. INCLUDING
tie expenditure 81 much time on coll
igquisl English, ~ bss proved 20 adj
yantage0us 10 the Acaolan schools.
Dr. Roberts proposition 10 segrcggte
the races IL un-American. impr9cti-
cable and not possible u serious con-
EioHfation. But in the adoption II tbs
bilingHal method ge do need and must
have bii.nguai teachers and DrOsihOns
should b. made for special training
for them al the nOrmalE.
should Know Both Languages.
Whils from q pedagogical stan1-
point. wholly cOllOquial method,
which pays no attention 10 the YER
pacuiar would probably produce the
best results, yet such q method would
Do flat failure, except In the hands
u an experienced and resourcefui
teacher. Furthermore an luestimable
advantage u the bilinguai system u
that n viii equip the pupil with a
thorough knowledge Of his own laa-
gBage. The ideal ~ New Mexico
should be- biliugnal training ia every
school The man in this country who
Is equipped with the two most widely
spoken languages Of the globe Il twice
equipped for success. Here IN the
southwest with the spanish speaking
peoples reaching southwark from w
70 the Antarctic ocean. the need is
doubly imperative.
The method adopted IN some New
Mexico schools Of translatiHg from
one language 10 another. while thor
opgh, IL slow and does not lend itself
10 flueney IN speaking. There II the
ZANE objection to the Spanish English
readers BX q eOll0quial method the
pupil associates the word directly with
the idea. while By the other. he of
course, must interpret the idea In
terms Of his own language aud tbsn
By an effort Of the memory recall
The corresponding word IN English.
Longer school Terms.
But the solution Of the problem Hes.
not ~ much IN the adoption Of GER
tain methods. az It does In faithfully
uainlnR t. TprU for long enough
consecutive period with the view con-
Etantly Ia mind that the object Of the
teaching " the actual requirement Of
a 9peakiag aud writing knowledge of
English. Can this BE- done? II can
be and should have been done long
ngo How by virtue Of longer
school terms better salaries, bett0r
teachers Given the flrpt, the other
conditions follow IN order. With a
Bine-monih school term IN every dis
uict, the incompetent third grad
teacher can be eliminated and that 10
the only way IN which he can be elm
mated No employment which fails
10 cover the greater part OF the year
viii attract first or even second class
men,
Nine Months Short Enough.
But from the standpoint, not alone
OF English, but OF all other subjects
IN the school course, the children OF
this state are all entitled to a nine
month term. We can't afford H.
ia the only objection urged. Well. !
the education OF tile children In the
schools Is OF infinitely more impor- /
lance than the thousand and one other /
things Tor which We have spent money |
50 laYishly. We have been woefully !
exiravaaant HI state Institutions hut |
We can still afford 10 be Just TO the !
IN the rural districts. IT we |
VIII but adopt fairly rational system |
Of obtaining school revenues As an /
aside. one OF the present methods OF /
revenues from the saloons /
Is neither rational nor decent and I
should be eliminated The saloons in /
the country districts are undoing /
much Ut the work OF even the best |
schools.
But should We not IN fairness TO
our whole population adopt coun-
" or state unit system, as has been /
done nearly everywhere The dis. |
tfiet unit system has proven unsatis- /
Figure il out and see II |
levy under the county unit /
system wont produce enough 70
maintain every school in the county /
for nine months Now some OF the .
districts legy nothing on the district |
and some run up to hfteen or even
twenty mills.
County Tax Necessary.
! spoke In my first letter Of the
similarity OF conditions
here with those in Nova Scotia. There
the district system was abandoned a
half century ago. While each school /
section WIS allowed 70 vote a cer-
tain sum, the province Itself con
a certain amount to each
school and in the case of poor dis
trict. the amount vas increased But
some years age, il WAS found advis-
able To- levy county tax also for the
support or the schools the province
certain amount, and I
providing as In New Mexico, add
tiQnalls for the poor districts.
| wish 20 refer Co another contrast
shown by the Nova Scotia system.
For MANY years tho province con-
tfibuted 10 only one state school aud
That normal college. An anriculnr.l