Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1915-02-26


rolled in the Pullman public schools
EOS pupils. OF this number over
500. or about three pupils out OF
every four, are in the grades, | give
these figures in order the better to
point out the very great Importance
of and interest in the grades. This
Importance is more apparent when
we take into consideration the two
fold function of the grade schools:
preparing some pupils to enter the
high school. and as finishing school
for much larger number who never
enter the high school or any other
higher institution of learning.
The branches taught in the Pull
man grade schools and the methods
practiced in teaching those branches
are not very unlike those of the best
up-to-date schools throughout the
country.
1t is needless for me to tell you
that the conception of public educa
ton as limited to the grade schools
has been transformed to such an ex-
tent during the % years last past as
to amount to a revolution. Neither
is it easy to trace the steps by which
this revolution has been going on.
Those of us with long memories can
look back upon the epoch when the
inflexible and narrow curriculum
characterized as the three RS" was
succeeded by an unsettled period in
which the course of study was most
unsatisfactory loaded with expert
ments in nature study, sloyd, etc
AS these "enrichmeuts" had been
recommended by various higher-up
committees with whom the ordinary
school officers or teachers would not
think of differing publicly they were
accepted, and the higher grades of
the grammar school became the
scene of a continuous performance.
reyel of academic studies in which
no act was repeated, Recitations in
French, German. algebra, plane ge-
ometry, nature study, physical cul-
ture, language technical grammar,
arithmetic, drawing, history, SPELL
ing, reading, vertical writing. medal
writing, and many other subjects
too numerous to mention, followed
each other in a vaudeville perform
ance in which the teacher had to
keep an eye on the program to see
what was coming next. The genera
ton that were educated 90 along
these lines have demanded for their
children more definite, more concrete
educational methods than those
under which they were trained, and
today vocational, part time, pre-voca-
tional and other technical schools are
being established as a result of this
demand. OF large cities in America.
perhaps Los Angeles is the one that
most differs in this respect from the
traditional regime.
Not a few have characterized
those innovations in the modern cur
rieulum as fads. Perhaps they are.
And yet every fad has had its use
and greatly should every intelligent
person regret such a condition OF
education that no fad should be
tried. The first and the great value
OF the fad is that once in a while
there comes fad that is good, that
lives and grows. Teaching the chill
dren of the poor to read and write
was once only fad 1t was forced
out. At last, in the nineteenth cen
fury, it won its place, and it will
stay.
But in every reaction from pre-
Valiing methods there are bound to
be failures and undesirable features.
so we can not expect to find in the
vocational schools of today a pana-
cea for all the evils of the times. The
proper function Of vocational train
ing, It seems to me, is to raise the
enid upon platform from which
he can view in perspective all line.
OF Industrial, business and profess
sional life. starting from where he
stands at the threshold and stretch
ing away into the future. each line
revealing the possible DEVELOPMENT
or blind alley character of the career
1t represents. Then let the child.
when the proper time comes and
with the advice of his parents. exer-
else his choice OF occupation and
let him make the leap without being
pushed. The evident duty of the
school in this vital matter is 10
show, not to shove.
In the judgment Of all. it is now
practically settled that one. if not
the most important function. of the
public schools is to prepare the
pupils for citizenship. The social
and industrial experiences of the
last 3 or % vaar r. y.r,,,o .t4