Norwich bulletin., 1915-05-01

measure of the climate as 1t affects the soldiers during the war period. anu @ large number of interesting studies can be instituted.
 Knowledge of locations is a neces- sity to the understanding of the situa- ton in Europe, and 1t is a commend able spirit which promotes the news papers to print maps of the areas rav- aged by war. It Is noticeable in the maps ordinarily set before us that To- cations are the only items which can be gleaned from them, and this with difficulty, because of the multiplicity of places. The value of a topographic map showing boundaries Is infinitely greater than that of political map which shows in uncertain features some mountains, and this value can be easily demonstrated in the schools.
 Altogether 1t would appear that there are many questions within the strict bounds of neutrality which make the study of Europe especially worth while today.
 At the close of the morning session dinner was enjoyed at the hotels and restaurants about the city.
 Inspector cIoush.
 President Graham called the after. noon session to order at 2.30 o'clock and announced as the first speaker H. o. Clough, inspector of state super. vision, Deep River, his subject beinS The Changing Ideals of Education.
 Education Ideals Changing.
 Tn part MT. Clough spoke as fol- lows:
 This is a time of serious unrest in the educational world perhaps not more serious or far reaching than the unrest in other feds. but fraught with great possibilities and great difficulties for the teachers and school officials.
 From it's foundation as a colony Connecticut had laws providing for education in common schools for all its children but these schools were supported in part by taxes and in part by so-called rate bills paid by par ents. While, therefore, there was os- tensibly a chance for every child to acquire the rudiments of an educa- tion, probably a small minority of children acquired very much educa- tion as the term is meant in school sense. They were, however, trained in the home in the work there going on. The schools of hundred years ago were designed to furnish an education to a small minority of the children, for only such availed themselves of the privilege and they were generally children looking forward to a higher education fitting them for the learned professions. Today the schools are open to all children between the ages
 
 children escape compulsory school at tendance, certainly until they are IA
 The schools of then were, however, in essentials the same as the schools of today-arithmetic. grammar spell ing, writing, reading-these were giv- en attention and they were the back bone of the curriculum then as now. With the changing years have been added to the curriculum many branch es which were not then taught-draw- ing, music, manual training sewing, civics, increased amoa7nts of history, and geography, and other branches as occasion and interest directed. There has been no attempt, however to put out of the curriculum branches which have persisted from earlier times and the school hours have been filled un- til it Is a question whether the schools can do the work expected of them at all adequately. With changes of the sort suggested has also come move ment for shorter school hours and less study outside.
 Must Stop Somewhere. These movements must stop some where or the schools are destined to be crowded with work to the point of utter inefficiency. Along with these changes have come serious changes in the standards of living and in the up- bringing of children. More and more distractions and amusements have come in for the children, less and less home duties and home instruction, so that more has been expected of the schools, The influx of foreign elements in our cities and towns has further complicated our work with the need of administering to the children of these aliens. These suggestions make 1t manifest that the schools of our ! time must be far different from those of our fathers or lack woefully the I ,11 -s,I. ! them as training places for the future citizens of our country.
 One hundred years ago the farm was a center of many industries and as far as the needs of life then were concerned was practically sufficient to itself. Clothes, food and shelter were produced and manufactured on the farm where they were to be used. Times Have Changed. Times have changed; with better means of communication it is no long CT necessary for each farm to attempt | the production of all it's necessities of life. Children no longer receive adequate instruction in the homes as | they did one hundred years ago. Par than merely to care for their homes | and children. This may be well or | i'll, but whichever it is, the necessity for frugality and economy, as they were OnC0 IlO IOHS0T
 How many children now receive | systematic instruction in sewing, cooking, housekeeping. etc.. of the sort general in the good old times? If parents were willing to give this in- | struction, how many children would | now be content to sew seams or do | chores when they may learn to play the piano and go to the movies? The | times have changed and the schools
 must do their best to remedy the de- fects in home training, which are gen
 eral and acknowledged. This is one
 reason why we must teach sewing i cooking and housekeeping in the
 schools. Then too, the multitude of
 children do not adapt themselves tc the changed conditions of life into
 which they have come from foreign | shores.
 On the farm the same need is felt
 Fathers no longer resent a stranger | trying to instruct his children In | farming. They demand that we shall
 teach their children what they them
 selves learned at home. And well is
 this from one point of view, for it
 shows that the farmer recognizes that