The Tupelo journal., 1916-09-22
VALUES"

"Wedeem it unnecessary to state that your paper knows little if anything
a all Of the pedagogical value of the books considered or adopted by the board,
and is unfamiliar entirely with the full and conscientious consideration given to
the adoption of the books in question. = Closing sentence Of communication
from:Phil canae, chairman of the Teachers and Text Book Committee.
Mr. Canale's communication has to do with the arithmetcs. We do not
claim to be intimately familiar with the pedagogical value of the books cor
sldered or adopted by the board, but W e know a few facts, which we seize the
present occasion to state.
If our teachers would give less attention to pedagogical values" and the
like and get down alphabetically to teaching, the intellectual outuurn of our pub
lie schools would grade up to the standard that existed a few years ago Teach
what We mean to say: The young boys and girls out of school now are less able
to ascertain the interest on a note of $40 at seven per cent for l0O days than
today cannot tell how MANY yards of carpet is necessary to cover a room with
that accuracy that they ought to be able to manifest.
Getting away from arithmetic to English, it is amazing how badly writer
is the average communication to a newspaper when it is prepared by a pupil
from the lower grades of the high schools.
Spelling seems to be a lost art.
Punctuation lis beingsso badly done that we have abandoned everything but
We have carefully examined the arithmetic that ws substituted. In our
day we taught arithmetic, algebra and some geometry, and have a reasonably
fair acquaintance with text books In very truth we have com etc the concFu-
sion that n text book on arithmetic is about as good as another. If there is
expense in changing the change is not worth the expense
We do not question 1.-THE full and conscientious consideration given to the
adoption of the text books but are interestedin the result secured after
mercial Appeal
The editor of the Commercial Appeal in taking the position
that he does in the above sets himself down as an old fogy and
back number. The new system of education has abolished thor
oughness in a few subjects and substituted therefor a smattering
of a vast number of things which add but little to the intrinsic
value of an education. The rudiments are no longer essential, but
if the child can get by the grade the teachers work has been ac-
compEshed.
The writer recalls instances from a little country school which
was at that time denominated an academy, :" from which the boys
went out prepared for the higher classes in our colleges. At IS
one boy went to the University of Mississippi, entered the junior
class and graduated in two years; two others went to the Univer-
siy of Tennessee, entered the junior class and graduated in two
years. Another went to Emory & Henry College, Va, entered the
Junior year and graduated in two years.
These boys didn't see inside of a school room until they1were
seven or eight years old.
Our free school curriculum is vast. There is no other word
that can properly describe it. The multitude of subjects and books
is bewildering. Text book companies and easy mark superintend-
ents and principals are responsible for all this collection of subjects
and text books.
Smooth text book statesmen hold their jobs by increasing the
curriculum of the public schools and too many heads of schools
prove easy victims to the arguments of the text book salesman.
With it all, as the editor Of the Commercial Appeal says,
Teaching methods may have improved, but teaching results have
declined" Give US the best methods, let them be old, if they
bring results.