New Britain herald., 1927-11-08
LITTLE RED SCHOOL
 STRIPPED OF MYTH
Compared With Modern Institu.
 tion by Supt. Holmes

The old village schoolhouse wa!
 stripped Of its romance and stooc
 revealed in all its defects and in,
 conveniences and shortcomings b,
 Stanley Holmes, superintendent 0
 schools, and Judge B. F. Gaffney
 fer years chairman of the board O
 education. at the meeting of tn.
 New Britain Lions club at the Bur
 ritt hotel today.
 The addresses were given in con, nectlon with the observance O
 American Education Week." r. F King, chairman of the board Of edu cation and a past president of tho Lions club, acted as chairman ant introduced the speakers.
 In commenting upon the fact thar this is American Education Week
 MT. King said it could properly be called "Children's Week" also. "It busy country like this can spar, the time for such things as a na- tional apple week, it surely can dc. vote some attention and 1t is fitting that l. should allot some time to American Education week." Mir King stated.
 What IS needed. and what New Britain schools usually get from the New Britain public is more than CO., operation, it is intelligent coopcra ton, Mir, Holmes stated in his opening remarks. He told the Lions that intelligent cooperation now freely offered in this city will con-
 inue to grow as the public become better acquainted with the school system.
 He referred to the growth and doN elopment Of modern educa tional methods from the old fashioned country school Of 50 years ago to the modern educational institution. He said the development in the quality Of teachers in the past 50 years has been as marvellous as the development of modern schools from the old wooden echoolhouse of a half century ago.
 He spoke of the broadening of the school curriculum. There was nothing in that old schoolhouse but the harest fundamentals, reading. writing, arithmetic and geogra phy,' he said. There was no concern about chara cter development except what was given by the individual teacher; We were taught no music no drawing, no civics. Arithmetic was taught probably as well as it is now but reading was not nearly so well done. There was no organized help for the backward child.
 If we were asked today if our main object were the teaching of arithmetic, reading, writing and geography, would answer No, those are not our main objectives. Oh. yes. We teach them, and find it easy 10 do so, but our main objective is in developing those qualities in boys and girls which all Of us recognize as being essential 10 the development Of the highest worth in human values.
 We are teaching the children to have a sense Of responsibility: we are teaching honesty, reasonable ness, deliberative judgment, far play, sense of justice. mental activi- ties, good health. proper health habits. the desire to read and to know, physical fitness, and many other things.
 Tn the future our lives and prop erty will not he safe unless our tu- ture citizens are trained in citi2en- ship such as citizens Of no other country have ever been trained.
 In these days we don't thrash children in school. De don't have to. There is no occasion for it. There has been no corporal punishment in the New Britain schools for years. wants it or expects it to- day.
 There never has been q time when there was less confusion or 10 thc school program than there is today. There is great ar interest among the children than here ever was in that old fashioned school of years ago. The child is taught individuality as never before. y1,$ .l hi, on their own responsibility and to watch and determine their own progress in school. They actually keep hooks on themselves
 Group activities used 10 be con |idered q crime. Today we try 10 develop group activities among the children. They gather in the school libraries and read and think and ah- 'nrh information as never before. They learn 10 play under ih" lead arship of skilled teachers of physi- ,al education.
 "Thc public school las tn" ad- vantage of private and home tutor ship because it brings the children .ogether and teaches them 10 work and play together. II takes tho 'elfishnesS and importance ont ot .he Individual"
 Education is the eroat,si gift in ife,' said Judge Gaffney. The for mer school board chairman traced he development of education trough the days Of mythology and authentic history 10 its present status. He pointed out that the present generations. but short period removed from their cave lwelling ancestors, take discoveries and inventions of the present day for granted, They forget that these things were the fruit of the toll and sacrifice of their ancestors
 Education is one Of the develop ments of the ages, he pointed out. He said it consists of three things. book learning. experience and mcn- tai discipline. These ancestors had trained themselves In mental disci-