Mexico Missouri message., 1916-04-06
WHAT MUST COME FOR THE MEXICO SCHOOLS.
BY Prof. Herbert Pryor

with changes that should be made in our own system dur
ing the few years The criticism that the schools do
meet the needs of the children familiar and has
element of truth in it. Strenuous efforts have been put
forth during the last few years to remove for this
criticism by adapting the of study and the methods
of teaching to the needs of child life In the place of teach
ing grammar, history, and arithmetic the schools try
teach children This change point of view the part
of the schools has brought as the
crowded high schools all over the country When we
taught only Mathematics, History Latin and English in
the high Schools the boys and the girls went elsewhere
Now that the effort to teach boys and girls shown by
the large number of optional from which the stu
dent may take his her choice and the changed attitude of
the teaching force towards their work. find high
schools in all parts of the country crowded beyond their
pacity.
The noticeable change has taken place in the lower
grades of the elementary school, We teach children
instead of subjects in the primary school with the most
gratifying and surprising results While living in
school real children and following the activities that
the of life and growth for children they also make
rapid progress their studies than thought pos
sbe in the days when their fathers and mothers attended
school This change has the result of the school
trying to adapt its subject matter and methods of teaching
the needs of child life We have learned that
educate child by crammng facts into his head We now
know that the child grows and Develops that s educaes
himself through his active life and that teachers par
entS, books and environment do nothing than
guide and direct this activity This that the school
must adapt its and its methods meet the needs
of the individual child he passes through the various
stages of growth from early childhood to maturity.
The shool has accepted this idea that the child should
be the center of the rather slowly and grades
have responded to the call slowly than Others The
grades that at the present time perhaps further than
any other from meeting the life needs of the children
rolled in them the sixth seventh eighth and ninth
These grades include children ranging in age from about
to about 5the most important age many respects
in the entire life of the individual During this period mo-
mentous physical and mental changes beginning take
place, which makes it necessary than to adapt
the subject matter and environment of the school the life
needs of the child We failing to do this well here
doing it in the lower elementary grades the up
per high school grades AS result of this failure of the
tO Of
children of them lost to the school during this
rod than any other time There heavy loss the end
the sixth grade another at the end of the eighth and
very heay during the Freshman year of the high school
Other work which explain part of these heavy
losses but the main burden must be borne by the school
1 til it reorganzes these grades to meet the needs
of the children attending them just it has rearranged it,
schedule to meet the needs of the children in the ohe
grades of the school.
1t is this age from about that the natura
abilities of children begin to awaken and develop The
natural aptitude for this that line of work becomes
pronounced and leads them to put forth greater efor
along lines into which their abilities lead them It is time
when child should have chance to try many dieren
lines of work to see just what he does like and to give
latent ability chance to develop The aim of the schoo
during this period should be determine the pupils
aptitude in line of work and to discover the eares
possible moment any pronounced lack of ability For thes
the child should have chance during these grades
beginning at the seventh great variety of courses
general these courses should be academic offering Latin
German for those who wish to study the languages
mercal offering spelling and writing, etc. for those wh
special for girls in needle work. cooking etc.
for the boys in mechanical drawing and the elements
wood and metal working With curriculum broad enough
to enable the child to find himself early in his course hi
chances of success in life would be greatly increased.
In the many the United States where the
ganizaon of the seventh and eighth grades has been chang
ed and the enriched suggested above great de
cfease in the loss of children has followed we'll grea
increase in the enthusiasm and pleasure with which the chill
dren attack the problems of the revised course.
1t is nothing than justice to say that most
celent work is being done in the grades mentioned in Mex
eo Modern methods being used and with good results
But far reaching and fundamental changes are
sary in these grades before the great of children
time and energy can be stopped Ihese CHANGES will be