Imperial Valley press., 1920-12-20
UNNECESSARY
SUBJECTS
SHOULD Be.
DROPPED
Large Attendance at Both
Morning and Afternoon
Session; San Diego State
Normal Addresses Insti-
tute on Music.

In fearless and fOrceful Ian
guage, H. b. Wilson, city super
intendent of public schools of
Berkeley condemned the present
methods of education because of
their ineffective, inefficient and
impractical mode of operations,
at the opening session of the I'm
pcrial County Teachers Institute,
at the Central Union High School
this nc rning.
Taking for topic, "Motivation OF
School Work." Mr.. Wilson broadened
extensively from the subject to bring
his point and theory before the I'M
perial Valley teachers, that of the
many unnecessary subjects 10y are
being forced upon tehele.lentary,
high and college students.
Eight years ago." said Mr.. Wilson,
81 learned the use of arithmetic in
every day life. The extent of lit be-
ing so tnat any man, in any walk of
life, may be able to solve the simpler
problems that come to ones atten-
ton during the course of the day. AS
ye. | have found no other use for it.
WHAT are we as school teachers doing
towards this end? We are forcing on
seventh, eighth and ninth grade stu
dents problems in complex fractions,
cube root, hare and hound examples,
for them to forget the day they leave
the school door"
A scientific investigation of pres
ent school methods was urged by
Professor Wilson, in view of eliminat-
ing superfluous and unnecessary sub
ljects. He compared business firms,
their readiness to adopt new and
twentieth century inventions to re-
place worn out and discarded systems,
with the schools and their persistency
in keeping in operation methods that
were used years ago, instead of ad-
vancing and progressing with time
and demand.
The greatest crime committed by
teachers today, commented Professor
Wilson, was that in the teaching of
English. ut took me three days to
learn the difference between an 'ab-
stract and concrete noun. That
was some 80 years ago., and not since
that time have l found one incident
where l could speak better or write
better because of this knowledge.'
Mr.. Wilson cited business examples
where thousands of dollars are spent
annually by large companies improv-
ing their bookkeeping systems in or
der to keep in advance of the times.
He compared thi sagain with school
customs of holding on to ancient and
obsolete systems Of education.
The first session of the institute
opened with few remarks by B. F.
Enyeart, county superintendent of
schools.
The singing of "America the Beau.
tiful by the institute followed, with
the invocation by Reverend A. w.
Shamel, pastor of the Ell Centro Meth
odist church.
L. J. House, principal of the Central
Union High, introduced the speaker
of the day.
A short business session, with Su-
perintendent f. F. Tanning of Cal
exico presping, completed the morn
ing session.
intendent of schools, presided over
the afternoon session.
A dramatic presentation of the Pill.
grims by the McCabe school children
was an added attraction during the
afternoon session. The playlet was
written by Dimice Parker, eighth
grade teacher.
Mrs. Ruth Freyberger. supervisor
of music, of the San Diego State
Normal addressed the institute OF
"Music in the Public School," Sht
spoke of the need of the results ant
the accomplishments of music in th'
schools.
Mr.. Wilson was the prnicipa
speaker again in the afternoon, speak
ing on "The Natural Attack in Teach
ing"
Following the address sectiona
meeting for the high school and ele
L.. e.LLocl@ -tannlHt.s 1Ita1 lald