Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1921-05-06
FITCH OF ST. CLOUD
ADDRESSES MEETING
Professor of Psychology Speaks On
Mental Tests at Last Meeting
of Parents and Teachers.

Giving the child the habit of being
ready to form a new habit is the pre-
sent tendancy in education,' said
Professor Fitch of st. Cloud normal
in his address at the meeting of the
Parents and Teachers association
Monday night. Teachers now are
more anxious to inculcate alertness
and openmindedness in students than
simply good habits with no initiative
behind them.
Professor Fitch said the popular
idea of equal opportunities for all in
education is a fallacy in the United
States, for statistics show that the
average number of years spent in
school by a citizen of the United
States is 5.96 years. The total high
school enrolment is only eight and
onefourth per cent of all the chill
dren of school age whereas it ought
to be so per cent.
He suggests psychological tests as
one of the remedies for the present
cational system. The fact that the
work offered often does not fit the
capabilities of the student, he gives
as one reason for the lack of holding
power in the schools. Of every one
hundred children who start school,
thirty drop out on reaching the sixth
grade, thirty more complete the
eighth only, thirty more finish high
school, two enter college and one
graduates from college.
Children do not show equal abili-
ties in school, according to Professor
Fitch, but divide into three groups,
the accelerated, the normal and the
retarded. The accelerated are chill
drer able to learn faster than most
children; normal children go the or
dinary rate of speed and retarded
children are the slower ones. One
third to one half of the children in
every school fail to make progress at
regular intervals. The retarded chill
dren may prove to be morons, individ
uals whose intelligence never goes
beyond that of a child from seven to
twelve years.
The psychological tests will deter
mine why a child is not able to keep
up with his work; whether it is sheer
boredom because the work given is too
easy for him, or whether his studies
are beyond his powers. The tests
enable teachers to mete out work in
proportion to the ability of the child.
If the child is more intelligent than
the average, he can be promoted be-
yond the class of students his own
age, and if he is retarded he can be
given less work than his fellows. Per-
sistance and industry which may
compensate for slowness in thinking
are not measured by the tests Pro-
fessor Fitch said.
Mrs. A. Bredeson was reelected
president of the Parents and Teach
ers' association, Mrs. J. G. Morrison
was elected vice-president and Miss
Klippstein was elected for another
term as secretary. Mrs. F. A. Han
. cock, S. Stewart and Mrs. Oscar Dol
ven composed the nominating COM
, mittee which offered suggestions fOI
. the officers at the close of the pro
gram.
Mesdames w. F. Cooley, George
, Beise and Mrs. L. D. Trip sang two
: selections. "Bobbie Shaftoe" was sung
; by Miss Hazel Cosgrove assisted BY
l Helen Lime, Merrill Flatner anC
3 Della Stoneberg. Mrs. c. G. Jen
: nings recited "The Light on DeaC
: Mans Bar"
$ A large crowd attended the meet
ing which is the last one for the year
e Rev. H. H. Symons spoke in be
l half of the association in apprecia
Y tion of the service given by Superin
s tendent Utne during the past fou
o years. Mr.. Utne in responding
v thanked the association for the sup
t port given him during his stay il
Morris. He spoke highly of the abil
v tiles of L. G. Mustain, superinten
dent-e1e