Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-12-11

on Education" A very enjoyable feat
ure of the evenings program was the
singing Of the Marseillaise by Charles
F. Bilodeau and J. frank Bilodeau.
The latter part Of the evening ses-
sion was given over to an informal re-
ception which was q most enjoyable oc-
casion.
Or. A. o. Thomas
The speaker Of the evening. DR..
Thomas, spoke as follows:
The stress through whidn we have
just passed has. turned the search
light on our educational prepared
ness. 1t has demonstrated our fitness
and our weakness. It now becomes
necessary to go through an eliminat-
ing process in order to strip our
educational procedure of its weak
nesses. When this is done We can
begin to strengthen and. build in the
light OF recent demonstration. There
Is little chance for us to go wrong II
we make use Of the knowledge gained
in passing events.
1t has been quite popular in some
quarters to heap criticisms upon the
schools as lacking thoroughness. as
being full of fads and fancies,. but
after all these so-cailed fads and fan
cies have proved a source of strength
and while we have been seeking a
means as a profession of testing out
the results Of the system, behold, a
supreme test was applied. We have
builded better than we knew-the i'm
provements which seem 80 vital now
fit with precision upon the foundation
laid in pre- war days. ...
In many respects our schools will
go on very much as they have been
going. The elementary school pro-
cesses will be very much as they
were SO far as the elements of an
English education are concerned. A
longer year. and more thorough in
struction will come. The High school
seems to be in for a greater change
the change in organization to meet
the new ideal Of grouping into pre-
vocational and vocational divisions
Is imminent. The COLLEGES of the
country announce that they are ready
to go back to their pre-war basis. It
is hoped they may not go back. en-
tirely. for some changes are essential
Possibly they will not introduce
changes until the new conditions af-
fecting high schools nre worked out.
The following weaknesses Of the
whole system are to be repaired.
!. We are not getting sufficient
quality through the educational mill
No system can be called efficient until
it reaches all who need its assistance
The attendance mortality Of pupils
passing through the grades is ire
mendous. In the year. 1915 and 1916
in the State of Maine there were IT,.
156 pupils entering. or in the FIRST
grade, while In the eighth or last
grade Of what is commonly termed
the elementary school there were but
1913. This. does not include the 80
called ungraded schools. This is n
mortality of As per. cent, or only 4S
children, out Of each hundred who
enter the primary school in our own
State secure an elementary or com.
mon school education We have one
Of the very best compulsory eduea-
ton laws in the. Union and even then
an Unsatisfactory condition exists.
It would seem that parents are aid.
ing and abetting their children in
stacking school. The strength of a
democracy rests upon the intelli.
gence OF the people heightened by
education. 'sN a-
! 2. We have not paid sufscient At
tention to the Individual !. needs or
children but have confined our attea-