The Mount Holly news., 1919-11-04
Some School Ideas.

e OF the ideas are as follows:
3 I'm this school there is no iron-cIs
= grading, such as of necessity exists i
Y larger schools. No pupil is compelle
e to take each study prescribed by h
: class, and may take studies with MOI
: than one class, according to advanc,
ment and health. This arrangemer
e is very valuable because it permits
child to have his weak points strength
ened by work with lower class Will
doing his own class work, and allow
strong pupil to go ahead in any sub
. ject in which he shows greater capacit,
than does the class with which b
grades. No child is kept for year OF
work that is beyond him and then re
quired to spend another year on tn,
same work; at the end of a few month,
if the work is not satisfactory it is re
viewed. Thus the work is new every
few months to even backward pupils
The public schools of Columbia have
recently adopted the half-yearly pro-
motion but this school does not limit
its promotion even to that extent.
Reviews, drills, and short written
tests take the place of formal examin-
ations and pupils are promoted when
it is evident to the teacher that they
are ready for promotion. No child is
| hold hooL or nuchod fnrrard for fbo N =.
commodation of other children in the
class. Children are taught how to
study. This is as much a teacher s
duty as is the daily test, and it is
manifest that it should be done in the
schoolroom, under the supervision of
| the teacher and with her assistance.
Unless by special request no textbooks
are regularly taken home by the
younger pupils. and the older ones are
advised to take not more than one or
two. Many parents now do the teach
ing at night, while the teacher does
the testing only, A little child s
school work should end for the day
when he leaves the school room. This
leaves time for the child to read at
home in the family circle. This read
ing should be part of all home life.
No child is properly educated if he
does mot have this home reading.
Parents are urged to cooperate with
the school on this question of school
study versus home study. If the ad-
vice on this point is properly carried
out it benefits child, home and school.
Extreme punishment is not used in
this school. If the child cannot be
controlled without such punishment
the matter is transferred to the parents.
The parents are urged to visit the
school. In this way only can they
duly estimate the mental ability and
the department OF their children.
Sometimes the parent will be gratified
to see how we'll his child stands in
comparison with the others, but, on
the other hand, he may discover how
poor the child stands this comparison.
In the latter case not so much will be
expected as formerly was expected.
'The Parent-teacher association of
the school in question was the first or
ganization of the kind to be establish
ed in the state of South Carolina, hav-
ing been in successful operation for
ten years."
The methods employed by the school
mentioned are certainly worthy of con-
sideration. The ignoring of 'ironclad
grading and promotion" is excellent
So is that part of the system which
provides for teaching to be done in the
schoolroom. Not long since pupil
from school not very far from this
town was taken to Philadelphia to-
have his eyes examined. He was sent
by the medical examiner who found
there was defective eyesight. When
the oculist looked at his patient he
asked: docs your school have a
medical examiner" Being answered
in the affirmative the oculist said:
"Well, he is just two years behind in
your case; you should have been here
two years ago." The oculist then dis
cussed school matters and said if he
could have his way no child under Is
years of age should be allowed to take
book home to study at night. When
the schoolroom is left it should be
closed as is the store of a business man.
The oculist said: "A teacher who can
not properly instruct during the hours
she is employed has no business being
a teacher" This may be a little
sweeping but the idea advanced by
the oculist and suggested by the circu-
lar above quoted coincide.
Personally we know children ten
years Of age who take their books
home and are compelled to put in
hours at study when they should be
exercising in the open air. Older pupils
are compelled to worry for hours at
night over the intricacies of Latin,
French or mathematics and instead Of
enjoying few hours of reading or re-
lief from the mental strain of the day
must keep it up until bedtime and re-
tire with tagged brain. The South
may be little slow in comparison
with the school system of the North
but the private school referred to has
the proper conception of what is need
ed and reports that have come from
that institution show that the methods
pursued are to the advantage of the
pupil.