The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-11-15
Enright Believes 10 WStandards
Cause "FIunking" at Nor
nal School.
AN INSPECTION is URGED
Failure of Pupils Is Laid to School
System of state-Too Little Time
Is Devoted to Observation in
Field, Board Informed.


the State Board OF Education. An at
tack upon the States educational
methods was made by John P. Murray
of Jersey City, one of the members of
the board, and was based upon the fact
that 35 per cent of the eighth grade
pupils failed in the examinations last
June for admittance to the high
schools.
Such a condition, Mr.. Murray de-
clared, stands out as an indictment
against the system and indicates that
something is wrong in the elementary
grades. The school system of the
State, Mr. Murray charged is turning
out children who are but specifically
trained and the explanation Of this
condition lies in the fact that the
schools are crowding too much into
their curricula.
Commissioner Murray was asked by
Commissioner of Education Enright
for a suggestion as to some means of
remedying this defect and he said that
an improvement could be brought
about by making it possible for the
four assistant commissioners of edu-
cation to devote their entire time to
actual inspection work in the field.
which was the original intention of
the law creating these officers.
Cites Little Field Work
Records of the department, Commits
sioner Murray said, show that during
last month one commissioner devoted
but half day to field work, another
one day and a third two days. The
remainder of the time was given over
to conferences and teachers insti-
tutes.
Ultimate solution of the problem
presented by the wholesale failure of
high school Praduatei to qualify for
entrance to State Normal Schools is
to be found in cooperation between
the normal and preparatory schools
for the purpose of determining upon
means of more effective preparation
for normal school study This is the
conclusion reached by State Commits
sioner Enright in a special report to
the board.
The normal schools, Dr. Enright
suggested, should first define what is
standard preparation for normal
school entrance and then the prepar-
atory school should provide such
preparation. If the public school has
any obligation to the public it is that
of preparing prospective teachers,
Mr.. Enright said, after remarking that
nearly two-f1fths of all young women
graduates of the public schools enter
the teaching profession.
Commissioner Enright insisted that
no system will produce lasting results
in the fundamentals unless the work is
begun early in the grades and pursued
year by year Arithmetic, as we'll as
English. he argued, should be taught
in high school. He declared that
few weeks review in the twelfth year
will serve only to show deficiency in
early training and will do very little
to remedy efficiency.
1t was the contention of the commits
sioner that in the preparation of can
didates for the normal school there
are considerations other than pro-
fciency in placing the decimal point
or in the use of the relative pronoun
which measure the ability and worth
of prospective teachers.
Urges certification Standard
He stated that all curricula of the
public school are not on the same
level and that normal schools are
bound TO receive a variety of talent so
long as they accept pupils from a va
riety of curricula. Since it would be
hopeless to attempt to unity these
courses, Mr.. Enright said their differ
ences should be recognized. He sug-
gested establishing a standard of GER
tif1cation similar to the system or rec
concentration to other higher institu-
tons
Commissioner Enright submitted to
the board the nomination of Louis D..
Deyo. principal of the Bound Brook
High School for the past five years,
as county superintendent of Somerset,
and also the nomination Of Miss Eliza
beth woodward of FREEHOLD as county
attendance officer of Monmouth. The
Somerset County superintendency is
now being filed by Assistant Commits
sioner of Education Strahan owing to
the refusal of the State board to con-'
firm the nomination of E. A. Reuther.
Erection at the earliest possible
date Of a normal school in Hudson
County was urged upon the State
board by City Superintendent Edward
Murphy of Jersey City and Superin-
tendent NJ. Fl T1usted of North Bergen.
A site for the school already has been
purchased.
At present, Mr.. Murphy said, 452 of
the teachers of Hudson County are
graduates of normal schools of other
States. He referred to this condition
as poaching upon the educational in
situations of other States, 4 practice
not creditable to New Jersey.
Urge Old Age Pension Bill
The next New Jersey Legislature
was urged to adopt an old age pension