Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-03-18


had no experience with it.
Or. Arthur S. Otis Speaks
Following this discussion DIR. Ar.
thur s. Otis, author Of the Otis In.
telligence Tests, gave a brief talk on
| the Interpretation Of the Results OF
; the Intelligence Tests" He said that
there were things still to be found out
! after the intelligence tests had been
taken. These things are many Of them
matters of temperament and in this
connection he told of will Tempera
ment' test which had been recently
originated. He went into the techni-
caiities Of this test and said that when
first he heard of 1t he thought that IL
must fail because OF the object which
it was designed to accomplish He
has changed his mind now. however.
and now thinks that this object can
and will be accomplished.
He said that tests which have been
made show that the children of higher
mentality were not working as hard
as the others, due to lack of training
in the line of application on the one
part and to the effort which is made
By the teachers to keep the others up.
Because of the defects which have
been pointed out, dependence upon
these tests alone should not be made.
\ system which has been tried and
bids fair to work well is to combine
the intelligence test, the subject test
and the rating which scholar would
give them, not upon what they do.
but upon what they have the ability
to do. In this way fairly complete
idea Of the pupils capacity and in
telligence is arrived at.
This was also discussed by the
teachers and principals many asking
technical questions of DR.. Otis.
The latter part of the afternoon was
taken up with a talk and discussion
OF How the New England secondary
school standards will affect our
schools" This discussion was presid-
cd over by Principal Thomas c. Chat
fee of Gardiner, and was led by Prin-
cipai c. W. Proctor of Bangor
The discussion was taken from a
and which contained the standards
i for secondary schools as formulated by
/ the New England Association of Col
! leges and Secondary Schools. These
, standards contain much that is of in
terest. telling what the purpose of a
/ secondary school should be. standards
! of instruction, some regulations
about the program of studies. qualifica-
! tons for teachers. organization and
! .I, int ~, ;,>,, . 1tl,
; useful ideas about equipment. health
and the buildings and grounds.
| These matters We're gone over one
at time by Mr.. Proctor and com
/ ments made upon them. He thinks
! that the average OF school years
! should be longer than at the present
| time and also that a greater number
| Of subjects might well be taken. as
| through his observation he has felt
! that many fail in their studies simply
because they have not enough to do.
| The number of students that a
| teacher should have in class and the
number of student hours a teacher
| should carry week came into the
! discussion and it was the general opin-
! ion that many of the teachers arc
| having more to do than they should.
J. w. Taylor
The final speaker of the afternoon
]. W. Taylor, supervisor of secondary
| education. spoke of the reports from
the field which he had recently receiv-
cd. These reports show that there arc
but few if any more pupils enrolled
in the high schools than last year
This is something of a puzzle as unit
now the enrolment has steadily in
crea sed.
The reason for this is not known
but it seems to be one of two things
either the work of acquiring pupils has
let down or the limit has been reached
in the ratio of eighth grade pupils
who go to high school. In this case
it will be necessary to sell the high
school idea to the pupils Of the earlier
grades.
He then told of the different rates
of pay that were being received now
and were received in 1912 and quite q
difference is noted here The cost OF
maintaining the schools was alsc
taken up and Mr.. Taylor said that hs
was afraid that the public would soor
be asking why 1t cost so much more
for education per pupil.
The work which vas being done il
the various schools IL inter-curriculun
work was taken up and the different
projects such as public speaking, dra-
matics special assemblies and other
things of like nature We're mentioned
The problem of teaching leadership
| was then discussed by tho speaker
who recommended that the pupils who
showed aptitude for leadership should
be encouraged so that they might de.
velop this trait for use in later life
This ended the work of the after.
! noon and the meeting adjourned.
EVENING SESSION