The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-14

examinations in mechanical routine follow
through period after period day after day,
month after month during these precious
years Of the plastic period Of childhood BY
the time the work of the elementary school
is finished, practically all initiative, all use
of the imagination. all of the fresh and
promising spontaneity of childhood have
been destroyed. Long before this time the
children have learned to suppress airy tend
ency to express individuality or original
thoughts or feelings while in school.
Large classes, narrow aims, mechanical
methods. lock step systems and q general
neglect of most of the finest and most po-
tent qualities for growth and progress in
children make tens of thousands of elemen-
tary schools the despair of our hopes for
genuinely more progressive civilization. If
the picture seems overdrawn, visit half a
dozen public elementary schools and sum-
Marie the results Of your own observations.
That these conditions are not universal
or necessary is the only reason for dwell
ing upon them. We need to take an ac-
count Of stock to shock US out of our COM
placency. We must not emphasize weak
nesses too much or IL may produce
apathetic disbursement If il were de-
sirable to make the situation really start
ling and to bring together the evidences of
some of the more menacing results OF the
devastating wreckage produced by our ele-
tendents and school boards would furnish
ample material The statistics Of retarda-
ton failures, Withdrawals and truancy
from scores of cities are tragic almost be-
yond belief In one city with fewer than
10000 children in the public schools there
were over 1000 failures in a single recent
year
That all Of our schools do much that is
good the most severe critic will not deny.
But neither can any one reasonably deny
that most Of them are relatively falling when
measured I'm terms Of what they might
do and what we would have them do We
do not portray these shortcomings in order
that we may grow melancholy and pessi-
mistic about the schools but in order that
we may awaken and arouse ourselves TO
the Imperative needs for improving them.
RECOGNIZING our difficulties and Analysing
them W. the first step toward removing
them.
The Exceptional Schools.
Here and there arc schools in which the
aims arc broad. tho methods humane and
democratic and the finest and best qualities
IN the children are stimulated ana directed
These schools not only teach the mechani-
cul processes OF reading. writing. spelling
and language but they also provide rich
experiences in all OF tho interests and ac-
tivities which are represented in the best OF
present day life They include wholesome
play, wide range of manual activities,
much reading of n wide variety OF material
from literature. history, geography and
science, occasional dramatizations investi-
CATIONS Of community and worldwide occu-
pations, and many periods In the enjoy
inent of good music and fine art.
Such schools supplem ent and enrich the
life going on In It's everyday variety and
do not separate themselves from this life.
They recognize the natural interests of
children and begin with them, directing
and leading their expression along increas-
ingly valuable lines. BY having problems
of absorbing interest which can be carried
forward only by the use Of reading writing
and number the motive for learning these
and becoming proficient in their use be