The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-11-24
PROF. TAFT ASKS. FEDERAt. AID IN EDUCATION WORK
Wants U.s s. Bureau Con verted Into National
 School For Teachers.
EUROPEAN STUDENTS
 BETTER, HE ASSERTS
Much Time Wasted Here in Lives of School Boys and
 Girls, He Says.

Rochester,, N Y., Nov. 24-ThO con- ! version of the United States bureau of edtkcation into a national university forssschool teachers was advocated to- daN by Former President William H. Taf4 in an address before the New York State Teachers Association.
 lEr. Taft criticised the prese2t sys- teIH of education. in the United States as being in many 1nstances inefficient and superficial and suggested4 that the fed&rai government might, through system of inspection and criticism, aid@the states in bringing about high. CT etandards both in respect to teach Ts and methods
 Accidentally, the F. ormer President declared that the boys of England, GeFrnany and France now were bet. terEeducafed than their contemporar- siesk in this country because of lax diseipIips and lack of thoro1ghness here
 ation of the federal and state authori- tie@ MT. Taft said:
 a<Through it's bureau of education thek national government might help tofpromote state education by offering mathinery to the people of a muni-l ciPality of county. orsof 9 state by witch they might, if they choose. have the schools they pay for in-- vestigated and examined and the value of the education given treated bE a survey or Representative officer ofsthe United States of education Such officers would be trained experts
 Referring to his plan for making the bureau of education national university for teachers. MT Taft said
 By searching and thorough teach erss examinations the federal certifi-s cates would acquire, a. high value Tor their holders and the professional qualification for teaching would be 17xr4f frvrV1x .rayyEaf
 Mir. Taft declared that there is a# most important waste of valuable. human time in the years of life of the boy and the ir1 between and 14 years.
 tHn the German schools and in the English schools hesaid, the amount of children between 6 and 14 are re- ulafred to commit may we'll command 4o11r admiration and wonder because it sis so out of proportion to the amount that we require of our elaiI-s dren- The German youth at Is is as. S course as our boys of 8 and 19. He has made up threa years by harder work, longer houns$ and fewer vaca- tiox1s. We cannOts al init that our boys are mot as capable of learning but we fust admit that we do not subject dis9ipI line. e have too much work ing time. There is mo reason why we should not make our educat1on as thorough and efficient as in France or Germany or England. We, as par ents, have been content to follow the line of least resistance. We have not 7 insisted on home disclpHne.t We have allowed our children to have their way far more than foreign, children have
 while admitting that there cannot be religious sectarian education in | schools supported by public funds, Mr. Taft urged that the study of the Bible. especially tie New Testament, is admirably adapted to promote morality and incidentally to stimulate a good English style. In order to meet the objections of those who are opposed to compulsory Biblical in- structions and at the same time supply moral instructions in the schools. MT. Taft outlined a line based on the Gary 7 system-
 t.Moral or ethical instructions" he suggested, might be required for two or three hours a week and then any parent or pupil might be permitted to- substitute for these three hours thus required. religious and Biblical Instruction for the same periods by J the teacher of any church elected by the parent or student in some Of the schoolrooms designated for the pur- pose In that way we would have some moral instructions for all and religious and Biblical instructions for those who desired it. It would be kind of moral instruction would have to- be taken. It would be voluntary in that no religious instruction would be. given to any who did not elect to take it.