Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-19
LONDON SCHOOL CHILDREN
NEED SMALLER! CLASSES
Teaching I'm Masses Gives No Fair
." Chance for Development
a OF individuality.
!. GONTRARY TO EvERr IDEA
Pupils Arc Not Encouraged 10 Fol
low Amy Definite Lines to Prepare
Them to Become Wugc-Earncr>.
Curriculum Too Long.


Them to Become Wage Earncrs.
Curriculum Too Long.
- ny HILDA q. CUMMINGS.
LONDON, September lS.-liavinS dis
cussed the teachers complaint ana seen
that AN amendment OF their salary
scheme is a reform cntailinS only per
sonal issues and in way affecting
the welfare OF the children whom II Is
their work to teach. and, at the same
~ inc. bcinS convinced that change IN
1.-The present order is both desirable and
- Unnecessary, We may neNt consider few
:er.poin,s which could we'll be made the
=. ;nirots on which such reform might
j. tion is the interchangeable size OF ihc
10 average class in an English eicmrm'
aary school.
~ To my mud. there has hccn a c.y.
Ling need lone this Tor dcmonstrh-
liens not 10 demand revision q! sal
- - aries. but 10 protest aSinst the crowd
one room, where they are subjected
sa,Hl alike, irrespective oi capacity. in
ssMl ellisence or disposition, TO a ladlinS
- out of measured doses OF instruction
--2Eot education.
,.a.,, The teaching OF the children OF the
6 ma SScs in masses gives no fair chance
SILT is contrary TO every ideal OF cduGa-
it;tion. The teacher must dctcriorate
~ Into mere lecturer before "A class OF
@k.svch cumbersome proportions. Yet the
L-ssystem of huge classes in the cicmen-'
..ttary schools is prevalent throughout
the towns ot England. despite the tact
-. that IL IS both waStcful and harmful
r.ll> lis wastcful because the normally In
,~.telliSent child who can learn much
more. QUICKLY than ihc dulicd Is to'esI
wastes /, while his brother OF the slow
u intellect Is coached 10 catch up. or
What is more likely since syliabuscs
must. he col through In set numocr
Oh weeks aud a teachers patience has
HI cnd. the dullaids are lett 10 srepe
H. tcnurAncc while the chosen icw
=, b ali.
g,E., Eu> IuiLU E>TlTI.ED no
- ~. bhRGt.H SHARE or ALTERATION
CT course win the introduction oi
iirw methods OF grading .,ud the tor
patton OF smaller classes, the nccee-
SHY would arise tor ia &c. stan %
workers, bot neither state nor iocAi
=, Changc. None is needed moro. TO. the
;. Progress. mental and moral, vi the
children rests largely on the "ppoi-
+runities and environment of school, and
=, UP 10 the present, no child, who has
Received during its bret school TIT. ui
.pire years ouc-siNticih OF Il teachers
attention.. can v!aIln ~ nave had IT'S
due.
- Then, too. cducut.uu ~ IL, upper
. .uassrS tends 10 become draultury. Zach
- Lay brings inc pupIIa iour,rcnth birth
days ocar,r and school uutIoS lose their
importance bctur. the ahttCipa ,ion OF
eaworld adventure there Is aisu oltcE
Il, the. seventh standard u-imS c"udcmn,u
,>to hear repetition lasting "h"'o
year OF the lessons give" neh he VA"
a member Of the Sixth Standard. Hni,Ss
he chooses TO enter Tor tho labor a.
animation and gam has haNiuS. cvI-
Stineate several uivhthS TOO suvn
This deplorable condition, which T.
l>y no means uncommon. is due -
;iauIty organization and oad'y ar
RANGED eurricnlnm, e ~, , 81, my ne
plan already mentioned OF nom Srad-
~-fpS and by adding cuurs1 oi sp,ti,l.
ICED study Adapted I" Tic nctns o.
their trairins N some ara -, craft use
.t,fui in the world thcy arc arvut /"
enter.
Under the prcscu, regime srhol,rs
aru. not encouraged 10 iviivw an! don-
Hase-carncrs, ana they leave srhoo,
Win high talu,u notions at th,ir
ctpab,.,,y, but v,ry Llt'lc 'doa AZ I"
80. sncuid so. ilcncc the crow d. wnicn
lose themselves Tor precious years ~
at last WGedy specimens in their lat,
teens too old for thcr recent Jobs aud
ignorant Of the knowledge that snvuid
1fttp them 10 get others
1.ShUtLD HI TALGiir >OMt:
-------- TRADE OK u rtJIuN
i;ut If each pupil say At tue axe OF
tnoNe; enen disposition ana aputunv
p.aced Tor inc iaAtAwo year.. q school
iS siysn fla "a Anb5sy par, o. 'nG nm
larger. rest TO the learning OF some
special trade or occupation, tho cha nee
is that At fourteen tiist pupil would
he IN tar bstt'r wasc-ehriins posi-
lion than Is the product ui the cAISt-
lag shp-shod scheme, snd While OF GER
tam pront 10 h'nscli he would nci-
ueiitaiiy, as an ciicicnt worker. nc.
apund ~ INC credit OF the state.
ii$re again the plan demands more
teachers than. omo Tor aINty cnildren.
,,-~5t reluirts also rearranscmcni OF
liner duties. The method Wnici gives
+Hr. teacher INC same group OF children
for every lesson condemns Itself
,r,ot one OF the up.,cr standards OF an
'-c'ementsry school tor girls arc:
Arithmetic phcorCtical and practi.
SAD. Eng !isn gram mar and composition,
S.l!hgiish literature, spelling, reading
aseesrsphy, history. domestic science,
nature study E.,ysioioSy, drawing
:. thrush work.. ncedicwork tnodeD. re.
itsious Instruction singing tonic sol.
tincludins fancy marching. Morris and
country ddHcinSJ.
Now II one slrl out OF the hundreds
~ thst the colleges turn out yearly sue.
cseded In teaching with equal power
each OF those subjects in an undulv
long curriculum. the scheme that re.
ouIres such AN effort would hardly he
JUSTIFIED. But it is SAFE to saw tha;
NOT one would claim 10 reach the stand
ord. II simply demands the impossi-
fr6le. Yet the wonder is that ii has pro-
ductd no rebel at least none whose
voice has been heard. Year in and
year out the state has been content
TO make it's teachers "jacks OF an
trades. and for the same long time
the teachers have calmly undertaken q
task that Is mare hotChpotcn of
duties. each OF which requires a lirc-
time in which TO become properly able.
4: .tUndoubtedly. the National Federation
:. OF Women Teachers has struck tile
~ right note in the legend on its ban
Ter. The FIRST line Of our defense is
educs ton. but in calling for an amend
t3t ed salary scheme il is showing only q
- Dartia knowledge of its case. 1t may
:, BIO a question in some minds stiil Is