New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-22
Narrow Book World Out
of Touch with Life, Says
Principal Patri.
FICHANDLER URGES
TABOO OF WAR PLAY
Part Time Shop and Classroom
Plan Interests Many Big
Industrial Concerns.
By HENRIETTA RODMAN.

Forty-one lectures in two days were
given to the graduates and alumn@ OF
Teachers College last week.
/ Among the speakers were Professor
/ Franklin II. Giddings, DR.. David Sned-
den, Commissioner Of Education for
/ Massachusetts,; DR.. Thomas +. Finegan'
Assistant Commissioner OF the New
| York State Department OF Education; ;
| DR.. Alexander lngliS. professor oil edu-
/ cation, Harvard University; DR.. {. H.
/ Mann. Of the Carnegie Foundation (;
Professor Arthur Dow, of Teachers Col,
lege: DR.. c. A. Prosser, of the National
| Society for the Promotion OF Industrial
/ Education, and Dean Russell, OF Teach
ers College.
Various tests we're discussed at the
conference-Binet tests, Curtis tests,
/ Thorndike tests. The last speaker on
! this subject was Angelo Patrl, prin-
/ cipal Of Public School l45, IN The
Bronx. .,
"The greatest test OF our teaching,
/ he said. ais life itself. Do the chill
/ dren we train meet that test success
fully, or don't they?
/ "if they don't, whats the matter
with our teaching? What's the mat
ter with US? What is the matter with
the schools?
THEY'RE a world of books-s narrow,
sterile world, in which the children are
/ repressed until they get out into the
/ larger world beyond the school, alto
gether unprepared for life in it. But
/ we teachers never get out OF our mar
row. sterile world of books into the
strange, stimulating world of reality.
Eve spend not only our childhood,
! but our manhood or womanhood IN the
/ schoolroom. From six to sixty we are
rated A, b, c or d.
I'VE are rewarded for what we know
of books, not for what we know OF life.
/ So we learn to regard all activities, ex-
cept study of books, as interfering with
/ the proper processes Of our lives.
"If we would save our souls, | be-
! lieve that we must change our attitude
toward our work. We must come to
realize that we are preparing boys and
| girls to live in world of people, not
of books.
"The poorest mother who comes with
a shawl over her head must mean more
to US than any textbook, or we are not
really teachers, but only creatures OF
the schoolroom, fit TO prepare others
for the schoolroom, but not for life"
when he was a little boy in the
| kindergarten soldier worship was con-
| stantly before him. II was March like
soldier Stand like soldier and
Soldier boy, soldier boy,
Where are you going?
IL was carrying imaginary guns, aim
ing, firing. 1t was drilling, marching.
"And when he reached the higher
grades of school the boy was again
the same kind. War was shown to him
rs mighty game, from which the
brave and the strong, the wise and the
skilful, emerge triumphant, applauded.
In many schools military organization
and drill. fostered and carried on by
school authorities, served to translate
ideas and impressions into actual eX-
periences.
"But suppose we accustomed our
children to associate guns and swords
with the idea of man killing; not a
man in the abstract, but some def
mite. real man-father, brother, uncle
cousin, playmate. Suppose weapons OF
war were placed by them in the same
category as poison, fire, dlsease-pos'
sible means of causing the death of a
loved one. Suppose we referred ia
armies and navies as dreadful evils
sometimes necessary. it is true, but a.
horrors of whose existence humanity
is ashamed and for whose final exter'
mination all are hoping and striving.
"Do you suppose that if we taught
them thus, our children would grow
up supporters and victims of war?
"Too horrible for the little ones?
"But we warn our children of the
dangers Of poison and narcotics, o.
vice and disease. The truth must bt
told to them if the world is to be made
better.
"You would abolish war? Then you
must teach the children. "-Alexandel
Fichandler, principal Public School 1876
in THE Public" February II, 1915.
"Did you know that the proof OF the
teacher is not in her teaching. but In
the condition of her husband"
For two weeks 1875 pupils from 81,