CHAPTER XXI. DISCUSSIONS OF EDUCATIONAL QUESTIONS, CHIEFLY BY SCHOOL OFFICIALS. I. Civics Instruction.-II. Country Schools.-III. Education.-IV. Education as Related to Crime.V. Evening Schools.-VI. High Schools.-VII. Physical Training.-VIII. Private and Parochial Schools.-IX. Public Schools.-X. Religious and Moral Training.-XI. Revenue and Taxation,-XII. School Hygiene.-XIII. Science Teaching.-XIV. Sex in Education.-XV. Supervision.—XVI. Township System. CIVIC INSTRUCTION. The teacher and political morality.-Superintendent W. C. Hewitt, Union City, Mich.: Excepting the comfort which comes to one from knowing something of the Constitution as unrelated knowledge, the study of civil government as commonly pursued affords no new field of information and no completer rounding of the faculties than is given by its sister subjects, history and geography. It is true that the grammatical study of the clauses of the Constitution, together with those questions which are based upon it, develop a kind of sharpness which, while it lasts, justifies the causes of its existence. Yet its influence is but temporary, and long before the period of the franchise comes time has destroyed all traces of the constitutional gymnastics. A boy might better view the Constitution through the dim mists of a curious ignorance rather than, knowing it closer, to be repulsed by the irksomeness of its unmeaning details. If the Constitution is to be made an inspiration the teacher must possess that generous scholarship which will enable him to choose the materials of instruction with judgment; he is not teaching a completed growth, a dead law, but an instrument in which is contained the wisdom of his race. Many clauses of the Constitution are rich in history, others are made sacred by the blood of sacrifice, and through all there is a progressive national conscience. Year after year we have the discussions, ad nauseam, of "How to teach history," "How to teach arithmetic." And on the hypothesis of a poorly educated body of teachers these questions always will be asked, always unanswered. It, now, the majority of teachers were men and women of culture, four-fifths of all the drivel of "how" would disappear. The question usually is, "How shall incompetence teach?" It should be, "Shall incompetence teach at all?" Any improvement in teaching that does not look for a higher scholarship in the teacher can be only temporary in its effects. The teacher in civil government, then, must know something of the great works of Kent, Curtis, and Story; if he would understand the constitutional growth of his country, he must know something of Von Holst; and because the Constitution, studied out of relation with the past, is almost meaningless, he must read some such work as Lieber's Civil Liberty. Just as in history the text-book is only one of the factors of successful instruction, so in civil government biography, history, and law must all unite in supplementing the work of the recitation. But if it be said that it is idle to expect such preparation on the part of the teacher, then civil government, otherwise taught, is filling no want in the educational system of to-day, and the 3,000 school districts [in Michigan] where it is not taught are philosophically correct in keeping it from their courses of study. In most schools we find subjects best taught which are fixed in their nature and call upon the teacher for but little more knowledge than from the pupil, while subjects that are progressive are either not taught at all or only indifferently. We find many a man teaching for the rest of his life branches of study on work done in the prehistoric times of his life. But civil government is one of the branches of study that can not be taught successfully on any such foundation. In any correct system of civic instruction knowledge must form the basis, yet knowledge alone is not sufficient. The welfare of the State demands kinetic, not potential energy. This sentiment is shown in the singing of patriotic songs, the increased publication of patriotic literature, and the hoisting of the flag upon the schoolhouses of the State. However much men may differ as to the interpretation of that term "patriotism," all must agree that it does not consist entirely in feeling, but finds its best ex * * * pression in action. A man may thrill with the music of the Star Spangled Banner and remain a clod forever afterward; a boy may be moved by the swelling periods of liberty and union and show himself unworthy of liberty when left in a room without his teacher. Many pupils associate patriotism with some form of physical prowess; and indeed they have cause, for our patriotic literature is full of saber strokes and sulphur smoke. It is here that the teacher can show that patriotism is not for the battlefield only, but that it lies in being a useful and high-minded member of the commonwealth. The pupil may never shoulder a musket, but by learning a useful trade he may add to the credit of his community; he may not adorn the legislative halls, "th' applause of listening senates to command," but by a careful and conscientious study of his civil rights, he may set the example of duty just as inspiring as the duty of the tented field. His influence may be small, but it can go through a life, and it may shame vice and exalt virtue. * * * Born as man is, with the poison of fallibility in his veins, and surrounded on all sides by influences that check the growth of mind, it is not strange men find the fight against public wrong hard, and are tempted to give up their independence. But not only is eternal vigilance the price of liberty, but intellectual vigilance is the price of manhood. And the pupil should be taught, through all his school course, to feel that he has not well acted, unless it is in the light of the fullest knowledge and for the highest purposes. He should be taught that the world is full of solemn questions that are to be settled only through the intelligence and integrity of such men as himself. And from his school he should receive such knowledge as will cause him to view his public acts with as much solicitude as the duties of his private station. It is here that the educated teacher finds work, not only in teaching the philosophy of the past and the practical duties of the present, but in founding both on the rock of a conscious integrity. The school is but one of the influences that lead toward a higher morality, but the possibilities of the educated teacher may well cause us all to question anew our fitness for the work. If this is done in the spirit of the broadest patriotism there will be no need to ask if civil government is of value as a study, but men, seeing its fruits, will crown it with a diadem of imperial worth. Value of classic American literature.—Horace E. Scudder: I have not cared to divide my argument; to show the power of humane literature in enlarging and enriching the common-school sytem, and then to demonstrate that American literature is the most fit instrument to this end. I have preferred to postulate what is inescapable, that American literature of some sort our schools will have, and I call you away from the cheap, commonplace, fragmentary American literature of our school text-books, which have so long done disservice, to the inspiriting, noble, luminous, and large-hearted American literature which waits admission at the doors of our schoolhouses. The volume of this literature is not very great, and it is lessened for practical purposes by parts which are inappropriate for school use; but it would not be difficult to replace the volume of reading matter offered in the reading books above the grades of the elementary by an equal volume of American classic literature, and the gain would be enormous. If, according to the common practice in our schools, the child were reading over and over and over again the great literature which he would never forget in place of the little literature which he will never remember, how immeasurable would be the difference in the furnishing of his mind. Nor do I fear that such a course would breed a narrow and parochial Americanism. On the contrary, it would destroy a vulgar pride in country, help the young to see humanity from the heights on which the masters of song have dwelt, and open the mind to the more hospitable entertainment of the best literature of every clime and age. I am convinced that there is no surer way to introduce the best English literature into our schools than to give the place of honor to American literature. In the order of nature, the youth must be a citizen of his own country before he can become naturalized in the world. We recognize this in our geography and history; we may wisely recognize it also in our reading. Patriotism should be inculcated.-Superintendent Henry Sabin, of Iowa: It is especially necessary that patriotism, love of our native land, should be inculcated. The flag should be displayed in every schoolroom, and children should be taught what it signifies. The singing of national songs and the recitation of patriotic pieces should be encouraged. To assign the public schools a place in the observance of Independence Day or of Memorial Day, has a tendency to keep the deeds and sacrifices of their fathers alive in the hearts of the children. The growth and resources of this country, the history of the past, and the possibilities of the future, should be so impressed upon the child that he may be proud to say: "I am to be an American citizen." Should permeate all the work of the teacher.-W. E. Sheldon: It may not be necessary to make any special change in or addition to the school curriculum to secure the teaching of what is essential to enlightened citizenship. The essence of this kind of instruction should permeate all the work of the teacher. The facts and principles of good citizenship should be so presented as to become the life, the soul of the school. The pupil should absorb the love of country as freely as he breathes in the pure air. It should surround him in the teaching atmosphere of the school. II.-COUNTRY SCHOOLS. Trained teachers needed especially in country schools.-Superintendent Henry Sabin, of Iowa: The trained teacher who thoroughly understands her vocation, who is fruitful in expedients to interest children and arouse their ambition, is needed in the country school more even than she is in the city school. In the country district the school depends very largely upon the teacher; she is subject to but little supervision; she is not often brought in contact with other teachers, and in her little domain she reigns almost supreme. Outside of and beyond their daily lessons, her influence over her pupils ought to make itself felt for their good. In hiring a person to take charge of a school in an isolated country district the personal character, the skill, the training, and the education of the applicant, should be considered as of first importance, and the matter of wages per month should be so adjusted as to obtain the services of a teacher fitted for that important position. Here, as elsewhere, "money should not be weighed against the welfare of the child." No better place to educate a child in the common branches.-P. A. Latta, Allegan County (Mich.) superintendent: We hear much in these days about the poor quality of instruction in the rural district schools. In fact, there is a tendency to belittle the important work they do. I think that much of this opinion arises from a lack of knowledge of the quality of work that these schools actually accomplish. During the last year while visiting the rural schools I have observed some excellent school work. Almost invariably, where the conditions are favorable to good school work, I have found effective and faithful teaching. I am convinced from long observation of the work of both graded and rural schools that the average rural school-teacher is as efficient as the average graded school-teacher. In the work of the rural school-teacher there is less that is perfunctory, less of routine, more flexibility in the classifications and more adaptation of the instruction to the individual needs of the pupils. These considerations lead me to believe that there is no better place, under proper conditions, with the necessary appliances, to educate a child in all the common branches and some of the higher English than a good rural district school, when conducted by a skilled teacher. Obstacles to the success of country schools.-State Superintendent W. E. Coleman, of Missouri:. The country schools constitute the great educational force in any State; if they are well conducted, the results are good all along the line; if they are poor the pupils suffer thereby throughout life, for there is certain work which if not done in early childhood is never satisfactorily accomplished. Among these schools can be found some as noble, true, and grand men and women as ever assumed the responsibility of teaching children; and their labor will tell for good in the communities in which they teach, in the lives of those instructed and in the State at large. What a glorious thing it would be if all our schools were of this order, but such is not the case. Do you ask "Why are they not all thus?" The answer is not difficult; but how to remedy the existing evils is a question of far greater moment and though answered will be harder to execute. Hundreds and thousands of the children of Missouri have been starved, educationally, on acaccount of the penuriousness of patrons and school boards that they elect. A good school begets a good, wholesome influence in the community, favorable to education; this in turn, is met by liberality on the part of the patrons, and they freely and cheerfully vote for a long term of school and fair wages; the result is just what might be expected; true, active, energetic men are chosen to control the school interests of the district; wellqualified teachers are employed; the school district soon becomes noted for its liberality, thrift, and influence. There are several factors that enter into the successful prosecution of this work, viz: the public, the county superintendent, the board, the parents, and the teacher. Each of these occupies a prominent position, and is an important factor that can not be ignored in endeavoring to have a well-regulated school. There is no use laying the blame on the teacher, when the board has employed a young, inexperienced boy or girl, at the enormous salary of twenty-five or thirty dollars per month for four or five months, and expect the same results as are secured in a district in which an experienced teacher is engaged for eight or nine months at a salary of fifty or sixty dollars per month. Neither is the fault altogether that of the board, for the people have not furnished the money nor voted the time that is necessary to secure the results desired; therefore, the board has to take a cheap teacher for a short term, and the supply is equal to the demand; the result is failure. Course of study for ungraded schools in Germany.-John T. Prince, agent of the Massachusetts board of education: The elementary schools of Germany are required to give instruction in religion, including Bible and church history and the catechism; geometry, elementary science, ancient history and gymnastics-all of which are seldom or never systematically taught in corresponding schools of this country. The course in arithmetic does not embrace so many subjects as with us, and there is less of the geography of foreign countries and more of home geography than is given in our schools. In other respects there is not much difference in the subjects required to be taught in the elementary schools of the two countries; always remembering that with us the requirements concerning subjects of instruction here are not always observed. In mixed or what are called one-class schools, in which are pupils of all ages, two plans of classification prevail, neither of which resembles our classification of such schools. By one plan, the older pupils, or those from ten to fourteen years of age, constitute a single class, and are separated in some studies into two or three sections. These pupils attend school four hours each forenoon, except Wednesdays and Saturdays, when they attend two hours. The younger pupils constitute another class, divided also into two or three groups or sections. These attend afternoons three hours daily, except Wednes days and Saturdays, when they attend two hours in the morning. The recitation period, as in the graded school, is about fifty minutes in length; and, when the class is separated into sections, each division is given somewhat different work to do, although all are supposed to be reciting during the period. By this arrangement there are about eighteen recitations a week with the older pupils, and twelve with the younger. In a school of this kind near Leipsic the following daily programme was followed: First... Hour. Morning. Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. Saturday. Catechism.. Bible stories History....... Catechism... Bible his- Physics. and expla tory and Third Arithmetic.. Geography.. II. Observa- Arithmetic.. Drawing..... II. Num les tion bets. From this programme it appears that the older pupils have 18 recitations a week, of which 6 are in language (including reading, writing, and language or grammar), 3 in arithmetic and geometry, 4 in religion (Bible history, catechism, etc.), 1 each in geography, history, drawing, singing, and physics. The younger pupils have 14 recitations a week, of which 6 are in reading and writing, 3 are in numbers, 3 in Bible stories, and 2 in observation lessons and home geography, giving a short time one day to singing. Such an order of recitations would hardly be tolerated in the schools of many of our rural neighborhoods, where it is thought that a teacher is seriously neglecting his duty who fails to hear every pupil recite in every branch of the curriculum at least once a day. The second plan of classification for country schools is to divide the entire school into three sections in most subjects, a class in each subject reciting about fifty minutes, as in all other schools.. Both of these plans of classification are in strong contrast to the classification of our ungraded schools, by which there are frequently more classes heard in a day than there are pupils, and but five or ten minutes given to each recitation. Some modification of our present custom in the direction of the last-named plan would be an improvement. Consolidation of ungraded schools.-George H. Martin, agent of Massachusetts board of education: The majority of these [ungraded] schools are not furnishing the children with the education which the times demand. Nor can they do so. There can not be a good school without a good teacher, and these schools can not attract and hold good teachers. The isolation, the difficulty of finding boarding places, the smallness of the schools, affording little stimulus to the ambitious and little scope to the enterprising, the dullness and backwardness of many of the pupils, the lack of intelligent and sympathetic interest on the part of parents, the prying and captious spirit which pervades many of the districts-these, singly or combined, repel the very class of teachers who only could improve the schools. * * * More money for higher salaries would buy better services for some of these schools; but many of them are now the most expensive luxuries which the State indulges in. In some the cost per child is from thirty to fifty dollars a year, and many of the towns are now raising as much money as they can afford. Superintendents could make these schools better. Some of them they might even make good, but the improvement would be at an expenditure of time entirely unnecessary. For the State to give more money to the towns, under existing conditions, is to put it into a bag with holes. More effective than any of these measures, because striking at the root of the evils, would be consolidation of schools. Even in the larger towns, with their only partiallygraded schools, there is a waste of energy by scattering it. The attempt in such towns to maintain several schools of the same grade at no great distance from each other means low salaries for all the teachers and frequent changes. In one of these towns, in each of four grammar schools having male teachers, there have been five principals in the last six years. There are but nine male teachers in the county who were teaching in their present schools on my previous visit. Consolidation of schools would allow closer grading, would secure a much more effective division of labor, and would make it possible to employ a man competent enough, and to retain him long enough to become identified with the community and to exert an enduring influence through the continuity of his services. * * The consolidation of schools means building commodious schoolhouses, centrally located, and carrying to them the children from the more remote parts of the town. Many of these children are now walking one or two miles to school, and they are away front home during the whole day. If carried to a central school they would be away from home no longer, and would be much less exposed in going and returning. Many children would have little further to walk to a central school than they now have to the district school which they are forced to attend. Wherever the experiment has been judiciously tried of uniting the small schools it has been attended with gratifying success. The town of Concord has tried the experiment on a more generous scale, having gradually consolidated all its schools in two buildings, one in the central part of the town and one in West Concord. The plan was so wise and so wisely executed and the results have been so gratifying as to make the town a second time historic. No new legislation is needed to make the plan practicable everywhere. The high estimate of education and the earnest purpose to furnish the best, which have helped to make our schools as good as they have been, must be looked to to adapt them to existing conditions. Enlightened public spirit may be depended on to devise ways and means to put every boy and girl of school age into a good school, under a good teacher. III.-EDUCATION. Character is the thing sought.-Journal of Education: For a child to read and write fluently, spell and cipher correctly, know all the bays, capes, and rivers of the world, will not insure his prosperity, happiness, or peace of mind. The school is responsible for intellectual discipline * * not for the sake of such discipline, but for its effect in * |