The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-08-21
Chickasha School Board Follows
Recommendation Of Supt.
Ramey and Adopts More
Progressive System
GRADS" GROUPED
In FOUR CLASSES
Special Honors at Completion d
Work to Furnish Incentive
for Better Department
Throughout Year

That instrument OF torture. fol
school KIDS the final examination
is to be relegated to the shelf in Chick
asha public schools in every grade
from the first to the twelfth. If one
passes hereafter he will do IL through
nine months of steady work, written
and oral. not by three weeks OF nerve
racking examining and possibly by a
little cribbing from the other fellow s
paper. The announcement has come
from Supt VIM. +. Ramey after action
was taken by the school board ON the
subject.
Numerous reasons are given for the
change. chief of which is that the pub
lie school system OF America is grad
uaIly getting away from the old red
tape system and getting down to the
attempt not to pour into the child a
certain amount OF memorized inform
alton, but really to train his mind and
to teach him the rudiments of what he
must know II he is to fill his place
after he leaves school
The change is not new move.
Supt. Ramey said at his office this
morning. 1T has been adopted BY a
large number OF the more progressive
schools OF the United States in the
past few years. and we believe it has
proved success wherever it has had
proper surroundings. 1t is based upon
sound principles There is no reason
why II should not prove great fac
tor in making our public school sys-
tenn OF greater actual service TO its
pupils.
There are any number Of arguments
against the old examination system,
Prof. Ramey says, not the least Of
which is the great strain most pupils
undergo at the close OF school through
fear that they will fail In part OF their
work. They attempt to cram and
learn lot of whas becomes to them
disconnected facts Mr.. Ramey said,
in explaining the change Their sole
object in the cramming is to pass the
examination That over with, the facts
committed to memory for the special
occasion OF the finals are forgotten al
most as rapidly as it was committed.
Then IN considering the health Of
the. pupil. we have found that the fins
examination is extremely bad. We
have had cases of pupils. especially
girls. being worked up to such ten
sion during the finals that nervous
breakdown follows We do not believe
this high nervous tension with the
damage to the physical powers that
accompanies It is necessary to the sue
cess OF the schSol system In fact, we
believe It is distinct hindrance. We
must consider. too that the building
up OF the physical body comes just as
much in the sphere of the public
school
Another great objection to the final
examination, especially in the high
school," Mr.. Ramey says, "is the fact
that it wastes so much time. Not less
than two weeks of the last of school
are required to prepare for and give
the examination. II takes week In
the middle of the year. During this
time. either examinations are being
given or work is demoralized by the
nervous tension that always precedcs
them. These three weeks are lost to
the school year II we can keep up
regular work until the last day OF
school without the finals. we viii have
saved to the pupil just three. weeks OF
his time"
OF course, Chickasha's school super
intendent is taking it for granted that
the teacher can tell who shoulS be
promoted and who should not ne at
the end OF the year without the aid OK
an examination. She can, he says. A
teacher who cannot tell what quality
OF work pupil is actually doing. and
what quality of work he is capable Of
doing. at the end of a half term Of
school has no place in the chickasha
city schools Moreover, he says, the