The Penn's Grove record., 1923-11-09
Failures Laid To
Poor Teaching
Enright Believes Low Standards
Cause 'Flunking" at
Normal School
AN INSPECTION is URGED


Trenton. - Glaring shortcomings m
the efficiency of the educational sys-
TEN of the State were charged against
the school system at tne meeting Of
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 50 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 supericiaQr
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
lour assistant commissioners of edu-
ration 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
si0ner Murray said. show that during
last month one commissioner devoted
but half a 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-
.utes.
Ultimate solution of the problem
presented by the wholesale failure of
high school graduates to qualify for
entrance to State Normal Schools is
10 be found in cooperation between
the normal and preparatory schools
Tor the purpose Of determining upon
al of more effective preparation
.or 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
Ichool entrance and then the prepar-
tory school should provide such
preparation. If the public school has
n obligation to the public 1t is that
VI preparing prospective teachers,
Mr.. Enright said, after remarking that
iearly two-fifths of all young women
graduates OF the public schools enter
he teaching profession.
Commissioner Enright insisted that
10 system will produce lasting results
n the fundamentals unless the work is
,egun early in the grades and pursued
rear by year. Arithm etic, as well as
English, he argued, should be taught
n high school. He declared that a
iew weeks review in the twelfth year
will serve only to show deficiency in
sarly training and will do very little
o remedy efficiency.
- - VI III COIllIlIbs
toner that in the preparation of can
iidates for the normal school there
ire considerations other than pro-
lciency in placing the decimal poiut
,r in the use of the relative pronoun
which measure the ability and worth
" prospective teachers.
bill by Judge Thomas O'Donnell OF
Kansas City, Mo, speaking at . mass
meeting in the home of Elizabeth
Aerie No. 667, Fraternal Order of
Eagles. The bill introduced in
the Legislature last year passed
the House, but failed to be reported
out of committee in the Senate.
Judge O'Donnell told of the spread
of the old age pensions plans, in the
interest of which he is touring the
our .ry. He announced that the Fra
ternal Order Of Eagles, the present
membership of which he placed at
900, 900, has as its goal 1,000, 900 mem
bers by 1925.
High Rents Handicap
High rents, coupled with the fire.
uuCuL ScllluS anu IeStllluS VI uOuSco,
forcing families to ~vacate, continue
to be a handicap to the State Board
of Children's Guardians, according to
the twenty-ifth annual report of that
organization. High rents serve to
complicate the situation, frequently
making it impossible for families to
~. For sufficient accommodations in
<siSa to maintain children placed by
she board. The placing of infants
also has become a problem, many be-
.ween the ages Of one and nine
months having been turned over to
the hoard within the last year.
The report shows that at the close
Of the last fiscal year there were
1856 children under the care of the
board, this being an increase of est
over the previous year. More than
S 1000, 900 has passed through the
treasury of the organization. OF this
amount $3.50, sos was collected from
%cOunties for the maintenance of de-