The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-09

ton in this country from the country
to the city has created new problems
in the education of the city child, un-
known to the educators of several
generations ago. Country dwellers,
the speaker showed, have been at
tracted to cities because of the addi-
tional opportunities for advancement,
but the solution of the child's educa-
ton has not kept pace with the move
ment.
I'm the days when 80 per cent of
our population lived in the country
and 10 per cent in the cities" said
Mr.. Writ, 'it was an easy problem
for the rural mmunities to furnish
a supply of new blood and the de-
velopment of educational advantages
in the city have been neglected.
mo one city can solve the prob
lens of education alone-it must be
solved by the great mass of teachers
all over the country No one COM
munity can build a wall around itself
and solve it's difficulties.
Can't Keep Busy in City.
There is not enough in the average
city today to keep the children busy.
With the increase of city population
we have doubled the amount of time
wasted in idlenesS about the streets
and the modern city has no oppor-
tunity to keep it's children busy at
work and wholesome play.
"The child's education must receive
more attention than merely providing
a seat where he is forced to pore
over books for five hours day. Cities
never have been good places to rear
children but if some of the economic
principles of welfare were applied to
the training of children as are applied
to the development of adult advan-
tages, they would be.
with the application of scientific
principles to the management of cities,
nd nf.
fer more opportunity than the coun-
try and in this period of progress, ev-
3 eryone wants to go on and make the
city not only a good place for adults
but for children as we'll
We have only old time methods
in our schools today. We still try to
compel all pupils of all grades to be
in their seats when the tardy bell
rings at o'clock-we insist on every
student doing the same thing in the
same place at the same time"
Mr.. Writ said the average teacher
does not know how to go into a class
room and teach science and ask ed
how anyone could expect grade chill
dren to understand the problems o1
science, explained in the abstract
without laboratories when such a diff.
ficult task is not asked of more ma
ture high school and college students
Il object" Mr.. Writ continued 'tt
destroying the work of the academic
IeaCneE Dy crOWdlnS all WORK 10
gether in order to provide a gymna
SUM and swimming pool, from which
only a small section of the city!
school population will get any bene
fit"
BY arranging the schedule of schoo
activities according to grades, will
one group studying, while another
plays, characterized as the multip1t
use of child welfare facilities, tht
Gary system aims to increase the eff
ficiency of the modern school system
and at the same time cut down thi
need of large equipment
Topeka Entertains Tonight
This afternoon sectional meeting
and round tables were the order.
The grand climax of the convention
in the way of entertainment. will conn
tonight with the program at s o'clocl
as provided by the Chamber of Com
merce at the auditorium William
Allen White, recently returned from
Europe and publisher of the Empori;
Gazette and noted writer. will presid
and deliver the foreword. j. E
House, mayor of Topeka. will delive
an address of welcome and Irvini
Bachelor. noted writer, author. lee
turer, will speak on The Cheerful
Yankee" Ray Stannard Baker
David Grayson," writer of note, vii
talk about THE Art of Living in
Crowded World" Both BacheIle
Continued on Page Tw0)