99 99 99 99 99 ,,transcriber',s ,,note3 ,every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible2 please see detailed list of printing issues at the end of the text1 after the ,index4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,new ,,education ,a ,,review ,,of ,,progressive ,,educational ,,movements ,,of ,,the ,,day ,,by ,,scott ,,nearing1 ,ph4,d4 ,wharton ,school1 ,university of ,pennsylvania ,,author ,,of ,,social ,,adjustment1 ,,the ,,super ,,race1 ,,wages ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,states1 ,,social ,,sanity1 ,,reducing ,,the ,,cost ,,of ,,living1 etc4 ,,chicago ,,new ,,york ,,row1 ,,peterson ,,company ,copyright1 #aiae ,,row1 ,,peterson ,,company 99 99 99 99 99 ,,preface ,during #aiaj1 #aiaa1 and #aiab1 as a part of a general plan to write a book on education1 ,i reread a great deal of the classical educational literature1 and carefully perused most of the current material in magazine and book form4 ,an interest aroused by undergraduate and graduate work in the department of pedagogy had been whetted by the revolutionary activity in every field of educational endeavor4 ,the time seemed ripe for an effective piece of constructive educational writing1 yet ,i could not see my way clear to begin it4 ,glaring faults there were2 remedies appeared ready at hand and easy of application2 the will of an aroused public opinion alone seemed to be lacking4 ,by what method could this wheel horse of reform best be harnessed to the car of educational progress8 ,i was still seeking for an answer to this riddle when the editors of ,the ,ladies' ,home ,journal asked me to consider the preparation of a series of articles4 ,we have done some sharp destructive work in our criticisms of the schools1 they said4 ,now we are going to do some constructive writing4 ,we are in search of two things3--first1 a constructive article outlining in general a possible scheme for reorganizing the course of study2 second1 a series of articles describing in a readable way the most successful public school work now being done in the ,united ,states4 ,we want you to visit the schools1 study them at first-hand1 and bring back a report of the best that they have to offer4 ,when your investigation is completed1 we shall expect you to write the material up in such a form that each reader1 after finishing an article1 will exclaim1--',there is something that we must introduce into our schools4' ,that was my opportunity4 ,instead of writing a book to be read by a thousand persons1 ,i could place a number of constructive articles before two million readers4 ,the invitation was a godsend4 ,the articles1 when completed1 formed a natural sequence4 ,first there was the general article 7,chapter #c7 suggesting the reorganization4 ,then followed descriptions of the schools in which some such reorganizations had been effected4 ,prepared with the same point of view1 the articles constituted an acceptable series1 having a general object and a connecting idea running throughout4 ,what more natural than to write a few words of introduction and conclusion1 and put the whole in book form8 ,the style of the articles has been changed somewhat1 and considerable material has been added to them2 but1 in the main1 they stand as they were written--simple descriptions of some of the most advanced school work now being done in the ,united ,states4 ,looked at from any standpoint1 this study is a collection of articles rather than a book1 yet there is sufficient relation between the articles to give a measure of continuity to the thought which they convey4 ,in no sense is the work pedagogical or theoretical4 ,it is1 on the contrary1 a record of the impressions made on a traveler by a number of school systems and schools4 ,the articles purported to cover the most progressive work which is being done in the most progressive schools4 ,although the selection of successful schools was made only after a careful canvass among the leading educators of the country1 there are undoubtedly many instances1 still at large1 which are in every sense as worthy of commendation as any here recorded4 ,this fact does not in any way vitiate the purpose of the original articles1 which was to set down a statement of some educational successes in such a way that the lay reader1 grasping the significance of these ventures1 might see in them immediate possibilities for the schools in his locality4 ,behind all of the chapters is the same idea--the idea of educating children--an idea which has taken firm hold of the progressive educators in every section of the community4 ,the schoolmaster is breaking away from the traditions of his craft4 ,he has laid aside the birch1 the three ,r's1 the categorical imperative1 and a host of other instruments invented by ancient pedagogical inquisitors1 and with an open mind is going up and down the world seeking to reshape the schools in the interests of childhood4 ,the task is ,herculean1 but the enthusiasm and energy which inspire his labors are sufficient to overcome even those obstacles which are apparently insurmountable4 ,,contents ,,page ,,introduction4 ,,the ,,old ,,education #aa ,i4 ,the ,critical ,spirit and the ,schools #aa ,,ii4 ,some ,harsh ,words from the ,inside #ab ,,iii4 ,a ,word from ,huxley and ,spencer #ae ,,iv4 ,some ,honest ,facts #ag ,v4 ,have ,we ,fulfilled the ,object of ,education8 #bb ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,new ,,basis ,,for ,,education #bd ,i4 ,can ,there ,be a ,new ,basis8 #bd ,,ii4 ,social ,change #be ,,iii4 ,keeping ,up ,with the ,times #bf ,,iv4 ,education in the ,early ,home #bg ,v4 ,city ,life and the ,new ,basis for ,education #bh ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,teaching ,,boys ,,and ,,girls #cb ,i4 ,the ,new ,school ,machinery #cb ,,ii4 ,rousseau ,versus a ,class of ,forty #cc ,,iii4 ,the ,fallacious ,average #cd ,,iv4 ,the ,five ,ages of ,childhood #ce ,v4 ,age ,distribution in ,one ,grade #cf ,,vi4 ,shall ,child or ,subject ,matter ,come ,first8 #ci ,,vii4 ,the ,vicious ,practices of ,one ,good ,school #dj ,,viii4 ,boys and ,girls--,the ,one ,object of ,educational ,activity #db ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,fitting ,,schools ,,to ,,children #dd ,i4 ,child ,growth--,a ,primary ,factor in ,child ,life #dd ,,ii4 ,children ,need ,health ,first #de ,,iii4 ,play as a ,means to ,growth #df ,,iv4 ,some ,things ,which a ,child ,must ,learn #dh ,v4 ,what ,schools ,must ,provide to ,meet ,child ,needs #ea ,,vi4 ,the ,educational ,work of the ,small ,town #eb ,,vii4 ,the ,educational ,problems of an ,industrial ,community #ee ,,viii4 ,beginning ,with ,child ,needs #ef ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,progressive ,,notes ,,in ,,elementary ,,education #eh ,i4 ,the ,kindergarten #eh ,,ii4 ,translating the ,three ,r's #ei ,,iii4 ,playing at ,mathematics #fj ,,iv4 ,a ,model ,english ,lesson #fa ,v4 ,an ,original ,fairy ,story #fe ,,vi4 ,the ,crow and the ,scarecrow #fg ,,vii4 ,school and ,home #fh ,,viii4 ,breaking ,new ,ground #ga ,,ix4 ,the ,school and the ,community #gb ,x4 ,new ,keys for ,old ,locks #gd ,,xi4 ,school and ,shop #gf ,,xii4 ,half a ,chance to ,study #gi ,,xiii4 ,thwarting ,satan in the ,summer ,time #hj ,,xiv4 ,sending the ,whole ,child to ,school #ha ,,xv4 ,smashing the ,school ,machine #hd ,,xvi4 ,all ,hands ,around for an ,elementary ,school #hf ,,xvii4 ,from a ,blazed ,trail to a ,paved ,highway #ij ,,chapter ,v4 ,,keeping ,,the ,,high ,,school ,,in ,,step ,,with ,,life #ib ,i4 ,the ,responsibility of the ,high ,school #ib ,,ii4 ,an ,experiment in ,futures #ib ,,iii4 ,the ,success ,habit #ie ,,iv4 ,the ,help-out ,spirit #ig ,v4 ,joining ,hands ,with the ,elementary ,schools #ih ,,vi4 ,the ,abolition of ,mass ,play #aja ,,vii4 ,experimental ,democracy #ajc ,,viii4 ,breaching the ,chinese ,wall of ,high ,school ,classicism #aje ,,ix4 ,an ,up-to-,date ,high ,school #ajg ,x4 ,from ,school to ,shop and ,back ,again #aji ,,xi4 ,fitting the ,high ,school ,graduate ,into ,life #aaj ,,xii4 ,the ,high ,school as a ,public ,servant #aad ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,higher ,,education ,,at ,,lowville #aaf ,i4 ,lowville and the ,neighborhood #aaf ,,ii4 ,lowville ,academy #aag ,,iii4 ,the ,school's ,opportunity #aai ,,iv4 ,field ,work as ,education #abj ,v4 ,real ,domestic ,science #abb ,,vi4 ,one ,instance of ,success #abc ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,a ,,great ,,city ,,school ,,system #abe ,i4 ,co-operation and ,progressivism #abe ,,ii4 ,an ,educational ,creed #abg ,,iii4 ,vitalizing the ,kindergarten #abi ,,iv4 ,regenerating the ,grades #acb ,v4 ,popularizing ,high ,school ,education #acg ,,vi4 ,a ,city ,university #adj ,,vii4 ,special ,schools for ,special ,classes #ada ,,viii4 ,special ,schools for ,special ,children #add ,,ix4 ,playground and ,summer ,schools #ade ,x4 ,mr4 ,dyer and the ,men ,who ,stood ,with ,him #adg ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the ,,oyler ,,school ,,of ,,cincinnati #aec ,i4 ,an ,experiment in ,social ,education #aec ,,ii4 ,an ,appeal for ,applied ,education #aef ,,iii4 ,solving a ,local ,problem #aeg ,,iv4 ,domestic ,science ,which ,domesticates #aei ,v4 ,making ,commercial ,products in the ,grades #afa ,,vi4 ,a ,real ,interest in ,school #afb ,,vii4 ,the ,mothers' ,club #afc ,,viii4 ,the ,disappearance of ,discipline #afe ,,ix4 ,the ,spirit of ,oyler #afg ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,vitalizing ,,rural ,,education #agj ,i4 ,the ,call of the ,country #agj ,,ii4 ,making ,bricks ,with ,straw #aga ,,iii4 ,making the ,one-,room ,country ,school ,worth ,while #ahb ,,iv4 ,repainting the ,little ,red ,schoolhouse #ahg ,v4 ,a ,fairyland of ,rural ,education #ahh ,,vi4 ,the ,task of the ,country ,school #aic ,,chapter ,x4 ,,out ,,of ,,the ,,mouths ,,of ,,babes ,,and ,,sucklings #aie ,i4 ,miss ,belle #aie ,,ii4 ,going to ,work ,through the ,children #aif ,,iii4 ,beginning on ,muffins #aig ,,iv4 ,taking the ,boys in ,hand #bjj ,v4 ,busy ,work as an ,asset #bja ,,vi4 ,marguerite #bjc ,,vii4 ,winning ,over the ,families #bjd ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,wide-,,awake ,,sleepy ,,eye #bjg ,i4 ,fitting ,schools to ,needs #bjg ,,ii4 ,getting the ,janitor in ,line #bjh ,,iii4 ,the ,department of ,agriculture #bji ,,iv4 ,a ,short ,course for ,busy ,people #bab ,v4 ,letting the ,boys ,do ,it #bad ,,vi4 ,a ,look at the ,domestic ,science #bad ,,vii4 ,how ,it ,works ,out #baf ,,viii4 ,theoretical and ,practical #bag ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,the ,,south ,,for ,,the ,,new ,,education #bbj ,i4 ,a ,dream of ,empire #bbj ,,ii4 ,finding the ,way #bbb ,,iii4 ,jem's ,father #bbd ,,iv4 ,club ,life ,militant #bbh ,v4 ,canning ,clubs #bcd ,,vi4 ,recognition ,day for ,boys and ,girls #bce ,,vii4 ,teaching ,grown-,ups to ,read #bcf ,,viii4 ,george ,washington1 ,junior #bcg ,,ix4 ,a ,step ,toward ,good ,health #bci ,x4 ,theory and ,practice #bdb ,,xi4 ,a ,people ,coming to ,its ,own #bdi ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,spirit ,,of ,,the ,,new ,,education #bea ,i4 ,the ,standard of ,education #bea ,,ii4 ,standardization ,was a ,failure #beb ,,iii4 ,education as ,growth #bed ,,iv4 ,child ,needs and ,community ,needs #bee ,v4 ,the ,final ,test of ,education #beg ,,the ,,new ,,education ,,introduction ,,the ,,old ,,education ,i ,the ,critical ,spirit and the ,schools ,everybody is doing it1 said a high school principal the other day4 ,i look through the new books and ,i find it2 it stands out prominently in technical as well as in popular magazines2 even the educational papers are taking it up1--everybody seems to be whacking the schools4 ,yesterday ,i picked up a funny sheet on which there were four raps at the schools4 ,one in particular that ,i remember ran something like this1-- ',james1' said the teacher1 'if ,thomas has three red apples and ,william has five yellow apples1 how many apples have ,thomas and ,william8' ,james looked despondent4 ',don't you know8' queried the teacher1 'how much three plus five is8' ',oh1 yes1 ma'am1 ,i know the answer1 but the formula1 ma'am1--it's the formula that appals me4' ,probably nine-tenths of the people who read that story enjoyed it hugely1 continued the schoolman1 and they enjoyed it because it struck a responsive chord in their memories4 ,at one time or another in their school lives1 they1 too1 bowed in dejection before the tyranny of formulas4 ,this criticism of school formulas is not confined to popular sources4 ,prominent authorities in every field which comes in contact with the school are barbarous in their onslaughts4 ,state and city superintendents1 principals1 teachers1 parents1 employers1--all have made contribution to the popular clamor4 ,on every hand may be gleaned evidences of an unsatisfied critical spirit4 ,,ii ,some ,harsh ,words from the ,inside ,the ,commissioner of ,education of ,new ,york ,state writes of the schools1--#a ,a child is worse off in a graded school than in an ungraded one1 if the work of a grade is not capable of some specific valuation1 and if each added grade does not provide some added power4 ,the first two grades run much to entertainment and amusement4 ,the third and fourth grades repeat the work supposed to have been done in the first two4 ,too many unimportant and unrelated facts are taught4 ,it is like the wearying orator who reels off stories only to amuse1 seems incapable of choosing an incident to enforce a point1 and makes no progress toward a logical conclusion4 ,when but one-third of the children remain to the end of the elementary course1 there is something the matter with the schools4 ,when half of the men who are responsible for the business activities and who are guiding the political life of the country tell us that children from the elementary schools are not able to do definite things required in the world's real affairs1 there is something the matter with the schools4 ,when work seeks workers1 and young men and women are indifferent to it or do not know how to do it1 there is something the matter with the schools4#b ,there is a waste of time and productivity in all of the grades of the elementary schools4#c ,the things that are weighing down the schools are the multiplicity of studies which are only informatory1 the prolongation of branches so as to require many text-books1 and the prolixity of treatment and illustration that will accommodate psychological theory and sustain pedagogical methods which have some basis of reason1 but which have been most ingeniously overdone4#d ,former ,united ,states ,commissioner of ,education1 ,e4 ,e4 ,brown1 is responsible for the statement that1--,with all that we have done to secure regular and continuous attendance at school1 it is still a mark of distinction when any city is able to keep even one-half of the pupils who are enrolled in its schools until they have passed even the seventh grade4#e ,here is an illustration1 from the pen of a widely known educational expert1 of the character of educational facilities in the well-to-do suburb of an ,eastern city4 ,after describing two of the newer schools 7#aiaa7 ,prof4 ,hanus continues1--,the ,maple ,avenue ,school is too small for its school population1 without a suitable office for the principal or a common room for the teachers1 and1 of course1 very inadequately equipped for the work it ought to do2 it ought1 therefore1 to be remodeled and added to without delay4 ,the ,chestnut ,street ,school is old1 gloomy1 crowded1 badly ventilated1 and badly heated1 has steep and narrow stairways1 and it would be dangerous in case of fire4 ,there are fire escapes1 to be sure1 but the access to some of these1 though apparently easy in a fire drill1 might be seriously inadequate and dangerous in case of haste or panic due to a real fire4 ,in such a building sustained good work by teachers and pupils is very difficult4444 ,the ,high ,school is miserably housed4 ,it is dingy1 badly lighted and badly ventilated4 ,these defects constitute a serious menace to the physical welfare of pupils and teachers and1 of course1 seriously interfere with good work4 ,it is crowded4 ,intercommunication is devious and inconvenient4 ,the building is quite unfit for high school uses4 ,some of the school furniture is very poor2 the physical and chemical classrooms and laboratories are very unsatisfactory1 and its biological laboratory and equipment scarcely less so4 ,the assembly room is too small1 badly arranged1 and badly furnished4 ,there are no toilet-rooms for the teachers1 and there is no common room4 ,there is no satisfactory or adequate lunch-room4 ,the library is in crowded quarters2 the principal's office space is altogether too small1 and his private office almost derisively so4#f ,overwork in the school is said to be alarmingly prevalent4 ,it is generally recognized by physicians and educators to-day that many children in the schools are being seriously injured through nervous overstrain4 ,throughout the world there is a developing conviction that one of the most important duties of society is to determine how education may be carried on without depriving children of their health4 ,it is probable that we are not requiring too much work of our pupils1 but they are not accomplishing their tasks economically in respect to the expenditure of nervous energy4 ,some experiments made at home and abroad seem to indicate that children could accomplish as much intellectually1 with far less dissipation of nervous energy1 if they were in the schoolroom about one-half the time which they now spend there4 ,german educators and physicians are convinced that a fundamental reform in this respect is needed4 ,in fact1 among school children we are learning the same lesson as among factory employees1 viz41 that high pressure and long hours are not economy but waste of time4#g ,the school has been rendered monotonous4 ,we have worked for system till the public schools have become machines4 ,it has been insistently proclaimed that all children must do things the same way for so long a time1 that many of us have actually come to believe it4 ,children unborn are predestined to work after the same fashion that their grandparents did4#h ,,iii ,a ,word from ,huxley and ,spencer ,these are typical of a host of similar criticisms of the schools which leading educators1 men working within the school system1 are directing against it4 ,out of the fullness of their experience they spread the conviction that the school often fails to prepare for life1 that it frequently distorts more effectively than it builds4 ,the thought is not new4 ,thomas ,huxley asked1 years ago1 whether education should not be definitely related to life4 ,he wrote1--,if there were no such things as industrial pursuits1 a system of education which does nothing for the faculties of observation1 which trains neither the eye nor the hand1 and is compatible with utter ignorance of the commonest natural truths1 might still be reasonably regarded as strangely imperfect4 ,and when we consider that the instruction and training which are lacking are exactly those which are of most importance for the great mass of our population1 the fault becomes almost a crime1 the more so in that there is no practical difficulty in making good these defects4#i ,approaching the matter from another side1 ,tyler puts a pertinent question in his ,growth and ,education1-- ,in the grammar grade is learning and mental discipline of chief importance to the girl1 or is care of the body and physical exercise absolutely essential at this period8 ,no one seems to know1 and very few care4 ,what would nature say8#aj ,herbert ,spencer answers ,tyler's question in spirited fashion4 ,while many years are spent by a boy in gaining knowledge1 of which the chief value is that it constitutes 'the education of a gentleman2' and while many years are spent by a girl in those decorative acquirements which fit her for evening parties2 not an hour is spent by either of them in preparation for that gravest of all responsibilities--the management of a family4#aa ,for shoe-making or house-building1 for the management of a ship or a locomotive-engine1 a long apprenticeship is needful4 ,it is1 then1 that the unfolding of a human being in body and mind1 may we superintend and regulate it with no preparation whatever8#ab ,one fact is self-evident1--the existence of a body of criticism and hostility is prima facia evidence of weakness on the part of the institution criticised1 particularly when the criticism comes strong and sharp from school-men themselves4 ,the extent and severity of school criticism certainly bespeaks the careful consideration of those most interested in maintaining the efficiency of the school system4 ,,iv ,some ,honest ,facts ,let us face the facts honestly4 ,if you include country schools1 and they must be included in any discussion of ,american ,education1 the school mortality1--i4 e41 the children who drop out of school between the first and eighth years--is appalling4 ,we may quarrel over percentages1 but the dropping out is there4 ,the ,united ,states ,commissioner of ,education writes1--#ac ,of twenty-five million children of school age 7#e to #ah71 less than twenty million are enrolled in schools of all kinds and grades1 public and private2 and the average daily attendance does not exceed fourteen million1 for an average school term of less than #h months of #bj days each4 ,the average daily attendance of those enrolled in the public schools is only #aac days in the year1 less than #e-c_/d months4 ,the average attendance of the entire school population is only #hj-a_/b days1 or #d months of #bj days each4 ,assuming that this rate of attendance shall continue through the #ac school years 7#e to #ah71 the average amount of schooling received by each child of the school population will be #a1jdf days1 or a little more than #e years of #aj school months4 ,this bureau has no reliable statistics on the subject1 but it is quite probable that less than half the children of the country finish successfully more than the first #f grades2 only about one-fourth of the children ever enter high school2 and less than #h in every #ajj do the full #d years of high school work4 ,fewer than #e in #ajj receive any education above the high school4 ,taking this dropping out into consideration1 it is probable that the majority of children who enter ,american schools receive no more education than will enable them to read clumsily1 to write badly1 to spell wretchedly1 and to do the simplest mathematical problems 7addition1 subtraction1 etc47 with difficulty4 ,in any real sense of the word1 they are neither educated nor cultured4 ,judge ,draper1 ,superintendent of ,public ,instruction in ,new ,york ,state1 writes1--#ad ,we cannot exculpate the schools4 ,they are as wasteful of child life as are the homes4 ,from the bottom to the top of the ,american educational system we take little account of the time of the child4444 ,we have eight or nine elementary grades for work which would be done in six if we were working mainly for productivity and power4 ,we have shaped our secondary schools so that they confuse the thinking of youth and break the equilibrium between education and vocations1 and people and industries4444 ,in the graded elementary schools of the ,state of ,new ,york1 less than half of the children remain to the end of the course4 ,they do not start early enough4 ,they do not attend regularly enough4 ,the course is too full of mere pedagogical method1 exploitation and illustration1 if not of kinds and classes of work4 ,the terms are too short and the vacations too long4444 ,more than half of the children drop out by the time they are fourteen or fifteen1 the limits of the compulsory attendance age1 because the work of the schools is behind the age of the pupils1 and we do not teach them the things which lead them and their parents to think it will be worth their while to remain4 ,observe that ,judge ,draper writes of the graded schools only4 ,could you conceive of a more stinging rebuke to an institution from a man who is making it his business to know its innermost workings8 ,these statements refer1 not to the small percentage of children who go to high school1 but to that great mass of children who leave the school at1 or before1 fourteen years of age4 ,if you do not believe them1 go among working children and find out what their intellectual qualifications really are4 ,one fact must be clearly borne in mind1--the school system is a social institution4 ,in the schools are the people's children4 ,public taxes provide the funds for public education4 ,perhaps no great institution is more generally a part of community interest and experience than the public school system4 ,the most surprising thing about the school figures is the overwhelming proportion of students in the elementary grades--#ag1jej1dda of the #ah1bjg1hjc4 ,if you draw three lines1 the first representing the number of children in the elementary schools1 the second showing the number in the high school1 and the third the number of students in colleges1 professional and normal schools1 the contrast is astonishing4 ,it is perfectly evident1 therefore1 that the real work of education must be done in the elementary grades4 ,the high schools with a million students1 and the universities1 colleges1 professional and normal schools with three hundred thousand more1 constitute an increasingly important factor in education2 at the same time1 for every seven students in these higher schools1 there are ninety-three children in the elementary grades4 ,the proportion is so unexpected that it staggers us--more than nine-tenths of the children who attend school in the ,united ,states are in the elementary grades6 ,can this be the school system of which our forefathers dreamed when they established a universal1 free education nearly a hundred years ago8 ,did they foresee that such an overwhelming proportion of ,american children would never have an opportunity to secure more than the rudiments of an education8 ,be that as it may1 the facts glower menacingly at us from city1 town and countryside1--the overcrowded elementary grades and the higher schools with but a scant proportion of the students4 ,so1 if we wish to educate the great mass of ,american children1 we must go to the primary grades to do it4 ,there are1 in the public schools1 #ecc1fjf teachers1 four-fifths of whom are women4 ,these teachers are at work in #bfg1aec school buildings having a total value of #a1bba1fie1gcj4 ,each year some four hundred and fifty million dollars are devoted to maintaining and adding to this educational machine4 ,the school system is the greatest saving fund which the ,american people possess4 ,the total value of school property is greater than the entire fortune of the richest ,american4 ,each year the people spend upon their schools a sum sufficient to construct a ,panama ,canal or a transcontinental railway system4 ,thus the public school is the greatest public investment in the ,united ,states4 ,it is one thing to invest1 and quite a different matter to be assured a fair return on the investment4 ,nevertheless1 the individual investor believes in his right to a fair return4 ,from their public investments1 the people1 in fairness1 can demand no more2 in justice to themselves1 they may accept no less4 ,are they receiving a fair return8 ,the people of the ,united ,states have invested nearly a billion dollars in the public school system2 each year they contribute nearly half a billion dollars more toward the same end4 ,are they getting what they pay for8 ,turn to another section of the ,report of the ,commissioner of ,education1 and note how1 in mild alarm1 he protests against teachers' salaries so low that it is clearly impossible to hire the services of men and women of good native ability and sufficient scholarship1 training and experience to enable them to do satisfactory work2 against the schoolhouses1 which are cheap1 insanitary1 uncomfortable and unattractive2 against thousands of schools in which one teacher teaches from twenty to thirty classes a day2 against courses of study ill-adapted to the interest of country children or the needs of country life2 against a small enrollment of the total children of school age1 and a school attendance so low that the average of the entire school population is only #hj-a_/b days per year4#ae ,the tone of these statements is certainly not reassuring4 ,perhaps it is high time that the citizens inquired into the status of their educational securities--their public school system4 ,v ,have ,we ,fulfilled the ,object of ,education8 ,the object of education is complete living4 ,a perfect educational system would prepare those participating in it to live every phase of their lives1 and to derive from life all possible benefit4 ,any educational system which enables men to live completely is therefore fulfilling its function4 ,on the other hand1 an educational system which does not prepare for life is not meeting the necessary requirements4 ,charles ,dickens1 in his characteristic way1 thus describes in ,hard ,times a public school class under the title ,murdering the ,innocents3 ',in this life1 we want nothing but ,facts1 sir2 nothing but ,facts4' ,the speaker and the school master swept with their eyes the inclined plane of little vessels then and there arranged in order1 ready to have imperial gallons of facts poured into them until they were full to the brim4 ,so ,mr4 ,m',choakumchild 7the school master7 began in his best manner4 ,he went to work on this preparatory lesson1 not unlike ,morgiana in the ,forty ,thieves--looking into all the vessels ranged before him1 one after another1 to see what they contained4 ,say1 good ,mr4 ,m',choakumchild3 when from thy store thou shalt fill each jar brim full by and by1 dost thou think thou wilt always kill outright the robber ,fancy lurking within1 or sometimes only maim him and distort him6 ,is the picture overdrawn8 ,are there grades in our large ,american cities where conditions similar to those just portrayed may be found8 ,every parent who has a child in the public schools1 every taxpayer who contributes to school support1 has a right to a direct1 impartial and honest answer to that question4 ,among educators as well as among members of the general public a spirit of educational unrest has developed4 ,everywhere there is an ill-defined feeling of dissatisfaction with the work of the schools2 everywhere an earnest desire to see the schools do more effectively the school work which is regarded1 on every hand1 as imperative4 ,the facts of school failure are more generally known than the facts of school success2 yet there are successful schools4 ,indeed1 some of the school systems of the ,united ,states are doing remarkably effective work4 ,emphasis has been lavished on the failure side of the educational problem1 until public opinion is fairly alive to the necessity of some action4 ,the time is1 therefore1 ripe for a positive statement of educational policy4 ,many schools have succeeded4 ,let us read the story of the good work4 ,efficient educational systems are in operation4 ,let us model the less successful experiments on those more successful ones4 ,circumstances force people to live in one place1 to see one set of surroundings and meet one kind of folks1 until they are led to believe1 almost inevitably1 that their kind is the kind4 ,schools are the victims of just such provincialism4 ,although the school superintendents and principals1 and some of the school teachers meet their co-workers from other cities1 the people whose children attend the schools almost never have an opportunity to learn intelligently what other schools are doing4 ,this city develops one educational idea1 and that city develops another idea4 ,although both ideas may deserve widespread consideration1 and perhaps universal adoption1 they will fail to measure up to the full stature of their value unless the people in all communities learn about them intelligently4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #a3 ,american ,education1 ,andrew ,s4 ,draper1 ,boston2 ,houghton ,mifflin ,co41 #aiji1 pp4 #bha-hc4 ,footnote #b3 ,ibid41 p4 #bge4 ,footnote #c3 ,ibid41 p4 #bha4 ,footnote #d3 ,idem4 ,footnote #e3 ,the ,responsibility of the ,school1 ,e4 ,e4 ,brown1 ,u4 ,s4 ,commissioner of ,education4 ,a pamphlet privately printed in ,philadelphia1 #aijh1 containing a series of addresses4 ,footnote #f3 ,report on the ,programme of ,studies in the ,public ,schools of ,montclair1 ,n4 ,j41 ,paul ,h4 ,hanus1 ,cambridge1 ,mass41 pp4 #g and #h4 ,footnote #g3 ,report on ,national ,vitality1 ,irving ,fisher1 ,washington ,government ,print41 #aiji1 pp4 #gf-gg4 ,footnote #h3 ,the ,problem of ,individualizing ,instruction1 ,w4 ,f4 ,andrew1 ,education1 ,vol4 #bf1 p4 #ace 7#aije74 ,footnote #i3 ,evolution and ,ethics1 ,t4 ,h4 ,huxley1 ,new ,york1 ,d4 ,appleton ,co41 #aijb1 p4 #bbj4 ,footnote #aj3 ,growth and ,education1 ,j4 ,m4 ,tyler1 ,houghton ,mifflin ,co41 ,new ,york1 #aijg1 p4 #ba4 ,footnote #aa3 ,education1 ,h4 ,spencer1 ,new ,york1 ,d4 ,appleton ,co41 #ahfa1 p4 #afb4 ,footnote #ab3 ,supra1 p4 #fc4 ,footnote #ac3 ,annual ,report1 ,u4 ,s4 ,commissioner of ,education1 #aiaa2 ,washington ,government ,print41 #aiab1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #ab-ac4 ,footnote #ad3 ,conserving ,childhood1 ,andrew ,s4 ,draper2 ,the ,child ,workers of the ,nation1 ,proceedings of the ,fifth ,annual ,conference on ,child ,labor1 ,chicago1 ,ill41 ,jan4 #ba-bc1 #aiji2 ,new ,york1 #aiji1 pp4 #i-aj4 ,footnote #ae3 ,report ,u4 ,s4 ,commissioner of ,education1 #aiaa1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ab4 ,,chapter ,i ,,the ,,new ,,basis ,,for ,,education#af ,i ,can ,there ,be a ,new ,basis8 ,can there be a new basis for education8 ,does the foundation upon which education rests really change8 ,is the educational system of one age necessarily unfitted to provide for the educational needs of the next8 ,these1 and a multitude of the similar questions which people interested in educational progress are asking themselves1 arise out of the process of transition that is seemingly one of the fundamental propositions of the universe4 ,all things change1 and are changing1 from the smallest cell to the most highly organized creature1 the noblest mountain range1 and the vastest sun in the heavens4 ,to-day differs from yesterday as to-morrow must differ from to-day4 ,all things are becoming4 ,test this statement with the observed facts of life4 ,here is a garden1 well-planted and watered4 ,the soil is loamy and black4 ,on all its surface there is nothing1 save a clod here and there1 to relieve the warm1 moist regularity4 ,come to-morrow and the level surface is broken by tiny green shoots which have appeared at intervals1 thrusting through the top crust4 ,next week the black earth is striped with rows of green4 ,onions1 beets1 lettuce1 and peas are coming up4 ,go back to the hills which you climbed in boyhood1 ascend their chasmed sides and note how even they have changed4 ,each year some part of them has disappeared into the rapid torrent4 ,had you been there in ,april1 you might have seen particles of your beloved hills in every water-course1 hurrying toward the lowlands and the sea4 ,while you watch them1 the clouds change in the sky1 the sunset wanes1 and the forest covers the bared hills4 ,nature1 fickle mistress of our destinies1 spreads a never-ending panorama before our eyes that we may recognize the one great law of her being1--the law of progression4 ,,ii ,social ,change ,how well does this principle of change apply to the organization of society6 ,the absolute monarchy of one age yields to the semi-democracy of the next4 ,yesterday the church itself traded in men's bodies1--holding slaves1 and accepting1 without question1 the proceeds of slavery4 ,to-day machines replace men in a thousand industries4 ,to-morrow slavery is called into question1 until in the dim-glowering nineteenth century1 men will struggle and die by tens of thousands2--on the one side1 those who believe that the man should be the slave2 on the other1 those who hold that the slavery of the machine is alone necessary and just4 ,thus is every social institution altered from age to age4 ,thus is effected that transformation which men have chosen to call progress4 ,how profoundly does this truth apply to the raw material of education1--the children who enroll in the schools6 ,under your very eyes they lose their childish ways1 feel their steps along the precipice of adolescence1 enter the wonderland of imagery and idealism1 and pass on into the maturity of life4 ,how vain is our hope that the child may remain a child2 how worthless our prayer that adult life shall never lay her heavy burden of cares and responsibilities upon his beloved shoulders4 ,even while you raise your hands in supplication1 the child has passed from your life forever1 leaving naught save a man to confront you4 ,from these mighty scythe strokes which change sweeps across the meadows of time1 naught is exempt4 ,the petals fall from the fairest flower2 the bluest sky becomes overcast2 the greatest feats of history are surpassed2 and the social machinery1 adequate for the needs of one age1 sinks into the insignificance of desuetude in the age which follows4 ,thus does the inevitable come to pass4 ,thus does the social institution1 wrought through centuries of turmoil and anguish1 become useless in the newer civilization which is arising on every hand4 ,the educational system in its inception was well founded1 but the changes of time invalidate the original idea4 ,yesterday the school fulfilled the needs of men4 ,to-day it fails to meet a situation which reshapes itself with each rising and each setting of the sun4 ,each epoch must have its institutions4 ,with the work of the past as a background1 the present must constantly reshape the institutions which the past has bequeathed to it4 ,these modified institutions1 handed on in turn by the present1 must again be rebuilt to meet the needs of the future2 and so on through each succeeding age4 ,,iii ,keeping ,up with the ,times ,at times the march of progress is so rapid that even the most advanced grow breathless with attempts to keep abreast of the vanguard4 ,again1 marking time for ages1 progressive movements seem wholly dead1 and the path to the future is overgrown with tradition1 and blocked by oblivion and decay4 ,the rapid advances of the nineteenth century1 challenging the quickest to keep pace1 forced upon many institutions surroundings wholly foreign to their bent and scope4 ,nowhere is this more true than in the case of the educational system1 which had its rise in an age of individualized industry and governmental non-interference1 and now faces a newly inaugurated socialization of industry and an impromptu system of government control4 ,the new basis of education lies in the changes which the nineteenth century wrought in industry1 transforming village life into city dwelling1 and substituting for the skilled mechanic1 using a tool1 the machine1 employing the unskilled worker4 ,the men of the eighteenth century made political institutions1 and were content with democracy2 the men of the nineteenth century1 accepting government as it stood1 built up a new industry4 ,the society which we in the twentieth century must erect upon the political and industrial triumphs of our forefathers1 can never be successful unless it recognizes the fundamental character of the issues which nineteenth century industry and eighteenth century politics have brought into twentieth century life4 ,is it too much to ask that the school stand foremost in this recognition of change1 when it is in the school that the ideas of the new generation are moulded1 tempered1 and burnished8 ,may we not expect that in its lessons to the young our educational system shall speak the language of the twentieth century rather than that of the eighteenth8 ,,iv ,education in the ,early ,home ,before the modern system of industry had its inception1 while the old hand trades still held sway1 at a time when the household was the center of work and pleasure1 when the family made its butter1 cheese1 oatmeal1 ale1 clothing1 tools1 and utensils1--in such an atmosphere of domestic industry1 ,froebel wrote his famous ,education of ,man4 ,note this description of the way in which a father may educate his son4 ,the son accompanies his father everywhere1 to the field and to the garden1 to the shop and to the counting house1 to the forest and to the meadow2 in the care of domestic animals and in the making of small articles of household furniture2 in the splitting1 sawing1 and piling up of wood2 in all the work his father's trade or calling involves4#ag ,in another passage he calls upon parents1 more particularly fathers 7for to their special care and guidance the child ripening into boyhood is confided71 to contemplate their parental duties in child guidance2#ah and he prefaces this exhortation with a long list of illustrations1 suggesting the methods which may be pursued by the farm laborer1 the goose-herd1 the gardener1 the forester1 the blacksmith1 and other tradesmen and craftsmen1 in the education of their sons4 ,any such man1 ,froebel points out1 may take his child at the age of two or three and teach him some of the simple rules of his trade4 ,how different is the position of the son of a workman in a modern ,american city6 ,an ,american city dweller reading ,froebel's discussion would not conceive of it as applying in any sense to him1 or to his life4 ,v ,city ,life and the ,new ,basis for ,education ,the very thought of city life precludes the possibility of home work4 ,the narrow house1 the tenement1 the great shop or factory1 on the one hand1 prevent the mechanic from carrying on his trade near his family2 and on the other hand1 make it impossible for the father whose work lies far from his home to give his boys the special care and guidance about which ,froebel writes4 ,the system of industry which was established in ,england during the closing decades of the eighteenth century1 and which secured a foothold in both ,germany and the ,united ,states during the first half of the nineteenth century1 has revolutionized the basis of our lives4 ,the workshop has been transplanted from the home to the factory2 both men and women leave their homes for ten1 eleven1 or even twelve hours a day to carry on their industrial activities2 great centers of population collect about the centers of industry2 the farm1 the flock of geese1 the garden1 the forest1 and the blacksmith shop disappear2 food1 clothing1 and other necessaries of life--formerly the product of home industry--are produced in great factories2 and the city home1 stripped of its industrial functions1 restricted in scope1 robbed of its adults1 presents little opportunity for the education of the city child4 ,standing on the threshold of his meager dwelling1 this child of six looks forward to a life which must be based on the instruction provided in a public school system4 ,the country boy still has his ten-acre lot1 where he may run and play4 ,there are flowers and freckles in the spring2 kite-flying1 fishing1 hunting1 and trapping in summer and autumn4 ,the general farm is a storehouse of useful information in rudimentary form4 ,from day to day and from year to year the country boy may learn and enjoy4 ,the city boy is differently situated4 ,his playground is the street1 where he plays under the wheels of wagons1 automobiles1 and trolley cars2 or else he plays in a public playground in company with hundreds1 or even thousands1 of other children4 ,even then his activities are restricted by city ordinances1 monitors1 policemen1 and other exponents of law and order4 ,the city home1 whether tenement or single house1 cannot begin to supply the opportunities for growth and development which were furnished by life in the open4 ,where else1 then1 does the responsibility for such growth and development rest than upon the school8 ,on the farm the boy learned his trade1 as ,froebel suggests1 at the hands of his father4 ,the father of the city boy spends his working hours in a mill1 or in an office1 where boys under fourteen or sixteen are forbidden by law to go4 ,the city home is unavoidably deprived of the chance to provide adequate recreation or adequate vocational training for its children4 ,the burden in both cases shifts to the school4 ,a hundred years ago practically all industries were carried on in connection with the home4 ,the weaver1 the carpenter1 the hatter1 the cobbler1 the miller1 lived and worked on the same premises4 ,then steam was applied to industry2 the machine replaced the man2 semi-skilled and unskilled labor replaced skilled labor2 great numbers of men and women1 and even of children1 crowded together in factories to spin thread1 make bolts and washers1 weave ribbon1 bake bread1 manufacture machinery1 or do some one of the many hundreds of things now done in factories4 ,the change from home industry to factory industry is well named the ,industrial ,revolution4 ,it completely overturned the established and accepted means of making a living4 ,the industrial upheaval has changed every phase of modern life4 ,industry itself has replaced apprenticeship by a degree of specialization undreamed of in primitive life4 ,from the superintendent to the office boy1 from the boss roller to the yard laborer1 from the chief clerk to the stenographer1 the work of men and women is monotonous and specialized4 ,the city has grown up as a logical product of an industrial system which centers thousands1 or even tens of thousands1 of workmen in one place of employment4 ,the city home differs fundamentally from the country home as the city differs from the country4 ,the changes now going on in farming are no less significant than those which the nineteenth century witnessed in manufacturing4 ,science has been applied to agriculture4 ,old methods are brought into question4 ,intensive study and specialization are widespread4 ,the time has passed when a farmer can afford to neglect the agricultural bulletins or papers4 ,to be successful1 he must be a trained specialist in his line1 and the school and college are called upon to provide the training4 ,no individual is responsible for these changes4 ,they have come as the logical product of a long series of discoveries and inventions4 ,new methods1 built upon the ideas and methods of the past1 have created a new civilization4 ,the civilized world1 reorganized and reconstituted1 rebuilt in all of its economic phases1 demands a new teaching which shall relate men and women to the changed conditions of life4 ,this is the new basis for education1--this the new foundation upon which must be erected a superstructure of educational opportunity for succeeding generations4 ,it remains for education to recognize the change and to remodel the institutions of education in such a way that they shall meet the new needs of the new life4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #af3 ,portions of this chapter originally appeared in ,the ,journal of ,education4 ,footnote #ag3 ,the ,education of ,man1 ,f4 ,froebel4 ,translated by ,w4 ,n4 ,halliman1 ,new ,york2 ,d4 ,appleton ,co4 #aiji1 p4 #ajc4 ,footnote #ah3 ,ibid41 p4 #ahg4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,teaching ,,boys ,,and ,,girls ,i ,the ,new ,school ,machinery ,the influence which the industrial changes of the past hundred years has had on education is considerable4 ,with the transformation of the home workshop into the factory has come the transition from rural and village life to life in great industrial cities and towns4 ,the introduction of specialized machinery has placed upon education the burden of vocational training4 ,more important still1 it has so augmented the size of the educational problem that an intricate system of school machinery has been devised to keep the whole in order4 ,the rural1 or village1 school was a one or two-room affair1 housing a handful of pupils4 ,aside from matters of discipline1 the administration of the school was scarcely a problem4 ,general superintendents1 associate superintendents1 compulsory attendance laws1 card index systems1 and purchasing departments were unknown4 ,the school was a simple1 personal business conducted by the teacher in very much the same way that the corner grocer conducted his store--on faith and memory4 ,the growth of cities and towns necessitated the introduction of elaborate school machinery4 ,in place of a score of pupils1 thousands1 tens1 and even hundreds of thousands were placed under the same general authority4 ,city life made some form of administrative machinery inevitable4 ,the increasing size of the school system1--and in new1 growing cities the school system increases with a rapidity equal to the rate of growth of the population1--leads to increase in class size4 ,a school of twenty pupils is still common in rural districts4 ,in the elementary grades of ,american city schools1 investigators find fifty1 sixty1 and in some extreme cases1 seventy pupils under the charge of one teacher1 while the average number1 per teacher1 is about forty4 ,recrimination is idle4 ,the obvious fact remains that the rate of growth in school population is greater than the rate of growth in the school plant4 ,the schools in many cities have not caught up with their educational problem4 ,the result is a multiplication of administrative problems1 not the least of which is the question of class size4 ,,ii ,rousseau ,versus a ,class of ,forty ,a toilsome journey it is from the education of an individual child by an individual teacher 7,rousseau's ,emile7 to the education of forty children by one teacher 7the normal class in ,american elementary city schools74 ,rousseau pictured an ideal2 we face a reality--complex1 expanding1 at times almost menacing4 ,the difference between ,rousseau's ideal and the modern actuality is more serious than it appears superficially4 ,rousseau's idea permitted the teacher to treat the child as an individuality1 studying the traits and peculiarities of the pupil1 building up where weakness appeared1 and directing freakish notions and ideas into conventional channels4 ,the modern city school with one teacher and forty pupils places before the teacher a constant temptation1 which at times reaches the proportions of an overmastering necessity1 to treat the group of children as if each child were like all the rest4 ,a teacher who can individualize forty children1 understand the peculiarities of each child1 and teach in a way that will enable each of the children to benefit fully by her instruction1 is indeed a master1 perhaps it would be fairer to say a super-master in pedagogy4 ,a class of forty is almost inevitably taught as a group4 ,there is another feature about the large school system which is even more disastrous to the welfare of the individual child4 ,rousseau studied the individual to be educated1 and then prescribed the course of study4 ,the city teacher1 no matter how intimately she may be acquainted with the needs of her children1 has little or no say in deciding upon the subjects which she is to teach her class4 ,such matters are for the most part determined by a group of officials--principals1 superintendents1 and boards of education1--all of whom are engaged primarily in administrative work1 and some of whom have never taught at all1 nor entered a psychological laboratory1 nor engaged in any other occupation that would give first-hand1 practical1 or theoretical knowledge of the problems encountered in determining a course of study4 ,a course of study must be devised1 however1 even though some of the responsible parties have no first-hand knowledge of the points at issue4 ,the method by which it is devised is of peculiar importance to this discussion4 ,the administrative officials1 having in mind an average child1 prepare a course of study which will meet that average child's needs4 ,theoretically1 the plan is admirable4 ,it suffers from one practical defect1--there is no such thing as an average child4 ,,iii ,the ,fallacious ,average ,averages are peculiarly tempting to ,americans4 ,they supply the same deeply-felt want in statistics that headlines do in newspapers4 ,they tell the story at a glance4 ,in this peculiar case the story is necessarily false4 ,an average may be taken only of like things4 ,it is possible to average the figures #c1 #d1 and #h by adding them together and dividing by #c4 ,the average is #e4 ,such a process is mathematically correct1 because all of the units comprising the #c1 #d1 and #h are exactly alike4 ,one of the premises of mathematics is that all units are alike1 hence they may be averaged4 ,unlike mathematical units1 all children are different4 ,they differ in physical1 in mental1 and in spiritual qualities4 ,their hair is different in color and in texture4 ,their feet and hands vary in size4 ,some children are apt at mathematics1 others at drawing1 and still others at both subjects4 ,some children have a strong sense of moral obligation1--an active conscience1--others have little or no moral stamina4 ,no two children in a family are alike1 and no two children in a school-room are alike4 ,after an elaborate computation of hereditary possibilities1 biologists announce that the chance of any two human creatures being exactly alike is one in five septillions4 ,in simple ,english1 it is quite remote4 ,,iv ,the ,five ,ages of ,childhood ,a very ingenious statement of the case is made by ,dr4 ,bird ,t4 ,baldwin4 ,children1 says ,dr4 ,baldwin1 have five ages1-- #a4 ,a chronological age1 #b4 ,a physical age1 #c4 ,a mental age1 #d4 ,a moral age1 #e4 ,a school age4 ,two children1 born on the same day1 have the same age in years4 ,one is bound to grow faster than the other in some physical respect4 ,therefore the two children have different physical ages1 or rates of development4 ,in the same way they have differing mental and moral ages4 ,the school age1 a resultant of the first three1 is a record of progress in school4 ,even when children are born on the same day1 the chances that they will grow physically1 mentally1 and morally at exactly the same rate1 and will make exactly the same progress in school1 are remote indeed4 ,school children are1 therefore1 inevitably different4 ,v ,age ,distribution in ,one ,grade ,a very effective illustration of the differences in chronological age1 in school age1 and in the rate of progress in school is furnished in the #aiaa report of the superintendent of schools for ,springfield1 ,mass4 ,there are in this report a series of figures dealing with the ages1 and time in school1 of fifth-grade pupils in ,springfield4 ,the first table shows the number of years in school and the age of all the fifth-grade pupils4 ,,table #a ,age and ,time in ,school1 ,fifth ,grade1 ,springfield1 ,december1 #aiaa ,years in ,ages ,school #e #f #g #h #i #aj #aa #ab #ac #ad #ae #af #ag #ah ,total ---------------------------------------- --------------------------- #a 44 44 44 44 44 44 #a 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 #a #b 44 44 44 #b #a #a #a #b #b 44 44 44 44 44 #i #c 44 44 44 #f #ch #be #i 44 #a #a 44 44 44 44 #hj #d 44 44 44 44 #afb #bjj #fc #ab #aj #c 44 44 44 44 #dej ---------------------------------------- --------------------------- #e 44 44 44 44 #ag #aghaca #dg #ad #b 44 44 44 44 #chi ---------------------------------------- --------------------------- #f 44 44 44 44 #a #aaabj #fj #bi #c 44 44 44 44 #bbd #g 44 44 44 44 44 #a #c #df #bi #h #a 44 #a 44 #hh #h 44 44 44 44 44 44 #a #d #ag #d #a 44 44 44 #bh #i 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 #d #a 44 44 44 #e #aj 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 #a 44 44 44 44 #a #aa 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 #ab 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 #ac 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 ,total 44 44 44 #h #bai #dafcbi #aga #ajb #bf #c 44 #a 44 #a1bge ---------------------------------------- --------------------------- ,theoretically1 children in ,springfield enter the school at six1 and spend one year in each grade4 ,if all of the children in the ,springfield schools had lived up to this theory1 there would be #a1bge eleven years of age1 and #a1bge in the fifth grade4 ,a glance at the table shows that only #aca1 or about #aj per cent of the children1 are both eleven years of age and five years in the school4 ,among the #a1bge fifth-grade children1 #chi1 or #ca per cent1 have been in school five years1 and #cbi1 or #bf per cent1 are eleven years of age4 ,the superintendent follows this general table with other tables giving a more detailed analysis of over and under age pupils1 and of rate of progress in school4 ,,table #b ,age and ,progress ,groups of ,fifth-,grade ,pupils in ,springfield1 ,december1 #aiaa ,young ,normal ,over-age ,total ,per ,per ,per ,per ,no4 ,cent ,no4 ,cent ,no4 ,cent ,no4 ,cent ,rapid #dce #cd #gd #f #ca #b #edj #db ,normal #aie #af #aca #aj #fc #e #chi #ca ,slow #ac #a #abd #aj #bji #af #cdf #bg --- -- --- -- --- -- ----- --- ,total #fdc #ea #cbi #bf #cjc #bc #a1bge #ajj ,the inferences from ,table #b are very clear4 ,of the #a1bge fifth-grade pupils1 #dce1 or #cd per cent1 are not only under-age for the grade1 but they have progressed at more than normal speed4 ,they are the exceptionally capable pupils of the grade4 ,at the other extreme we find #bji children1 or #af per cent of all in the grade1 who need special attention because they are both over-age and slow4 ,feeble-minded children rarely advance beyond the second grade2 hence we know that none of these are feeble-minded1 but among their number will be found many who will be little profited by the ordinary curriculum2 #aaj of them are already #ab years old1 and #ge are #ac years old4 ,a majority of them will1 in all probability1 drop out of school as soon as they reach the age of #ad1 unless prior to that time some new element of interest is introduced that will make a strong appeal2 for example1 some activity toward a vocation4 ,a further study of the over-age column shows that #ca pupils1 #b per cent1 are over-age1 but they have reached their present position in less than usual time2 while #fc of them1 also over-age1 have required the full five years to reach their present grade position4 ,unless by limiting the required work of these over-age pupils to the essentials1 or by some administrative arrangement involving special grouping with relatively small numbers in a class1 so that we can in the one case maintain1 and in the other case bring about1 accelerated progress1 there is little likelihood that any large number will remain in school to complete the ninth grade1 much less take a high school course2 for four years hence their ages will range from #af to #ah years4 ,the #abd pupils who are of normal age1 but slow1 are also subjects for special attention1 for they have repeated from one to three grades1 or have failed to secure from two to six half-yearly promotions1 and are in danger of acquiring the fatal habit of failure1 if they have not already acquired it4 ,the superintendent then goes on to emphasize the imperative duty resting on each principal1 to examine and to understand the varying capacities of individual children in his school4 ,without such an understanding real educational progress cannot be made4 ,this study is most illuminating4 ,nothing could more effectually show variation in individual children than the difference in one city grade of the most obvious of characteristics--age and progress in school4 ,the infinitely greater variations in the subtle characteristics that distinguish children can be more readily guessed at than measured4 ,under these circumstances1 the attempt to prepare studies for an average child is manifestly futile4 ,the course may be organized1 but it will hardly meet the needs of large numbers of the individual children who take it4 ,,vi ,shall ,child or ,subject ,matter ,come ,first8 ,the old education presupposed an average child1 and then prepared a course of study which would fit his needs4 ,the new education recognizes the absurdity of averaging unlike quantities1 and accepts the ultimate truth that each child is an individual1 differing in needs1 capacity1 outlook1 energy1 and enthusiasm from every other child4 ,an arithmetic average can be struck1 but when it is applied to children it is a hypothetical and not a real quantity4 ,there is not1 and never will be1 an average child2 hence1 a school system planned to meet the needs of the average child fits the needs of no child at all4 ,mathematics may be taught to the average child4 ,so may history and geography4 ,while subject matter comes first in the minds of educators1 a course of study designed to meet average conditions is a possibility4 ,the moment1 however1 that the schools cease to teach subjects and begin to teach boys and girls1 such a proceeding is out of the question4 ,the temptation in a complex school system1 where children are grouped by hundreds and thousands1 to allow the detail of administration to overtop the functions of education is often irresistible4 ,the teacher with forty pupils learns to look upon her pupils as units4 ,the superintendent and principals1 seeking ardently for an overburdened commercial ideal named efficiency1 sacrifice everything else to the perfection of the mechanism4 ,among the smooth clicking cogs1 child individuality has only the barest chance for survival4 ,,vii ,the ,vicious ,practices of ,one ,good ,school ,there are school systems in which organization has overgrown child welfare1 in which pedagogy has usurped the place of teaching4 ,in such systems the teacher teaches the prescribed course of study1 whether or no4 ,the officers of administration1 aiming at some mechanical ideal1 shape the schools to meet the requirements of system4 ,the proneness of some teachers and school administrators alike to overemphasize mechanics1 and to underemphasize the welfare of individual children is well illustrated in a recent statement by ,dr4 ,w4 ,e4 ,chancellor1 who1 in writing of a first-hand investigation made in a city in the ,northeast1 describes a condition which he says ,i know by fairly authoritative reports does exist in a considerable number of cities and towns--not merely in a school here and there1 but generally and characteristically4 ,in the city to which ,i definitely refer1 ,dr4 ,chancellor continues1 ,i found that the intermediate and grammar grade teachers had systematically1 deliberately1 and successfully sacrificed hundreds of boys and girls upon the altar of examinations to the fetish of good schools4 ,they have been so anxious to have good schools that they have kept an average of #bj per cent of their pupils one grade lower than they belong4 ,in some schools the average runs to above #ce per cent4 ,some teachers and some school superintendents cannot see that the school is simply a machine for developing boys and girls2 cannot see that the machine in itself is worthless save as it contributes to human welfare4 ,a school may be so good as actually to damage the souls and bodies of human beings4 ,it damages their souls when the machine operators1 seeking #ge per cent in every subject1 keep boys and girls in grammar schools until they average sixteen years of age4#ai ,dr4 ,chancellor continues with a stinging arraignment of school officials who sacrifice children to systems4 ,the article strikes an answering chord in the experiences of many men and women4 ,a friend came recently to our bungalow1 and1 with a troubled face1 spoke of his daughter's ill-health4 ,she is not sick1 he said1 but just ailing4 ,these first ,may days have taken her appetite4 ,she needs the country air4 ,the daughter was a dear little girl of twelve--any one might have envied the father of his treasure--and we offered to keep her with us for a month in the country1 and to go over her school work with her every day4 ,the father accepted our proposal on the spot1 but two days later he came back to say that he could not make the arrangements4 ,it cannot be done1 he explained1 because the school will not let her off4 ,i told the principal about my daughter's health and showed him the advantage of a month in the country with her school work carefully supervised4 ,her school is rather crowded1 and as ,i want her to go on with her class in the autumn1 ,i asked him if he could arrange to keep her place for her4 ,in reply he said1-- ',i cannot do as you wish4 ,such cases as yours interfere seriously with the working of the school4' ,,viii ,boys and ,girls--,the ,one ,object of ,educational ,activity ,perhaps our language was not as temperate as it should have been1 but we told that father something which we would fain repeat until every educator and every parent in the ,united ,states has heard it and written it on the tables of his heart1-- ,,the ,,one ,,object ,,of ,,education ,,is ,,to ,,assist ,,and ,,prepare ,,children ,,to ,,live4 ,why have we established a billion-dollar school system in the ,united ,states8 ,is it to pay teachers' salaries1 to build new school houses1 and to print text-books by the million8 ,hardly4 ,these things are incidents of school business1 but they are no more reason for the school's existence than fertilizer and seed are reasons for making a garden4 ,gardens are cultivated in order to secure plants and flowers2 the school organization of which ,americans so often boast exists to educate children4 ,of course1 you exclaim1 we knew that before4 ,did you8 ,then why was my friend forced to choose between the wreck of his daughter's health and the disarrangement of a bit of school machinery8 ,why is ,dr4 ,chancellor able to describe a situation existing generally and characteristically1 in which the welfare of children is bartered away for high promotion averages8 ,the truth is that society still tolerates1 and often accepts1 the belief that the purpose of education is the formation of a school system4 ,we have yet to learn that1 to use ,herbert ,spencer's phrase1 the object of education is the preparation of children for complete living4 ,education exists for the purpose of preparing and assisting children to live4 ,to do that work effectively1 it must devote only so much effort to school administration and to school machinery as will perform for boys and girls that very effective service4 ,no two children are alike1 and no two children have exactly similar needs4 ,there are1 however1 certain kinds of needs which all children have in common4 ,it is obviously impossible to discuss in the abstract the needs of any individual child4 ,it is just as obviously possible to analyze child needs1 and to classify them in workable groups4 ,it is true that all children are different2 so are all roses different1 yet all have petals and thorns in common4 ,similarly1 there are certain needs which are common to all children who play1 who grow1 who live among their fellows1 and who expect to do something in life4 ,the matter may be stated more concretely thus1-- ,i4 ,the school exists to assist and prepare children to live4 ,,ii4 ,living involves three kinds of needs1 which it is the duty of the school to understand and interpret4 #a4 ,needs which the child has because he is a physical being4 #b4 ,needs which result from the child's surroundings4 #c4 ,needs which arise in connection with the things which the child hopes to do in life4 ,a further analysis of these groups of needs constitutes the subject matter of the next chapter4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #ai3 ,sacrificing ,children1 ,w4 ,e4 ,chancellor1 ,journal of ,education1 ,vol4 #gg1 pp4 #efd-efe 7,may #bb1 #aiac74 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,fitting ,,schools ,,to ,,children ,i ,child ,growth--,a ,primary ,factor in ,child ,life ,in the first place children have certain needs because in common with many other living creatures they develop through spontaneous1 self-expressive activity4 ,the growth of children is a growth in body1 in mind and in soul4 ,during the first six years of life the bodies of children grow rapidly1 and during these years we wisely make no attempt to train their minds4 ,from six to twelve or thirteen body growth is slower1 the mind is having its turn at development1 and during these years the children start to school4 ,then1 at twelve or thirteen or fourteen1 differing with different races and different individuals1 all normal children enter the fairyland of adolescence4 ,life takes on new meanings1 human relationships are closer1 great currents of feeling run deep and strong through the child's being1 because there is coming into his life one of the most wonderful of human experiences--the dawning of sex consciousness4 ,this period of sex awakening produces a profound change in the lives of boys1 but it works an even greater transformation in the lives of girls4 ,for both sexes it is a time of rapid physical growth and of severe mental and spiritual strain4 ,it is a time when the energies of the body are so entirely devoted to the development of sex functions that great mental stress should above all things be avoided1 yet it is at this very time--think of it6--when we send our boys and girls to high school1 and force them to spend a great part of their waking hours in severe intellectual efforts4 ,,ii ,children ,need ,health ,first ,had we set out with the deliberate intention of torturing our children we could have devised no better method4 ,if we had applied ourselves to physiology1 found out the time when the child needed the most energy for physical growth and the most relief from mental strain1 and had then set out to plan a course of study which would wreck his health1 we should have built a school system which gave him the comparatively easy work of the elementary grades until he was fourteen1 and then1 at the most critical period of his life1 sent him into a new system of schools to study new1 abstract subjects4 ,what is it that our children must have before they can acquire anything else8 ,health6 ,we cry the word aloud1 emphasizing and exhorting--nothing without health6 ,yet1 despite our protest1 at a period of rapid physical growth1 at the time of severe spiritual trial1 there yawns the high school--grim for boys1 ghastly for girls--with its ever-recurring demand3 ,work1 study2 study1 work4 ,considering the child's physical welfare1 the high school is placed at exactly the point 7fourteen to eighteen years7 where it is best calculated to destroy the delicate balance of sanity1 rendering its victims unable to stand the burden and heat of life's later day4 ,we cannot escape the fact that children have bodies4 ,the first duty of the schools1 therefore1 is to recognize the existence of these bodies by giving them due attention1 particularly at the crucial periods of physical growth4 ,therefore every school must provide as much physical training as is necessary to insure normal body growth at each particular age4 ,then there are certain rules of health--hygiene1 they are called--which should be taught to every child4 ,since bodies do not stay normal if they are abused every child should have right ideas of body care4 ,most important of all1 the schools must instruct children in sex hygiene because the growth of sex consciousness is one of the most significant of the changes which occur in the life of a child4 ,but must sex hygiene be taught in the school8 you will ask4 ,undoubtedly it must4 ,if it were a choice between sex instruction in the home or in the school1 there would be no hesitation about delegating it to the home2 but since most homes neglect the discussion of sex matters1 leaving the children to gain their knowledge of sex from unreliable sources on the streets1 the choice lies between the perversion of sex as it is taught on the streets1 and the science of sex as it should be taught in the schools4 ,,iii ,play as a ,means to ,growth ,children's minds grow as well as their bodies--grow in retention1 in grasp1 and in power4 ,memory work 7the learning of poems1 songs1 and formulas7 helps to make minds more retentive1 while all studies1 but particularly number work1 increase mental grasp and power4 ,besides body growth and mind growth all children have soul growth4 ,they develop human sympathy1 and they are interested in esthetic things4 ,to supply these needs the school must give the child literature and art4 ,simple these lessons must be1 particularly in the elementary grades2 but there is scarcely a child who will not respond to the noble in literature or the beautiful in art if these things are presented to him in an understandable way4 ,the bodies1 minds1 and souls of children grow4 ,they are all sacred4 ,each child needs a normal body1 an active mind1 a healthy and a beautiful soul4 ,we dare not develop bodies at the expense of minds and souls1 but neither may we educate minds at the expense of souls and bodies--a tendency which has been fearfully prevalent in ,american education4 ,the most valuable means of securing this all-important growth is play1 which ,froebel said contained the germinal leaves of all later life4 ,growth comes only through expression4 ,one does not develop muscle by watching the strong man in the circus1 but by exercising4 ,the child's chief means of expression is through play1 hence play is the child's method of securing growth4 ,in their earliest infancy children play4 ,their frolics and antics are really puppy play1 the product of overflowing life and animal spirits4 ,at this puppy play stage1 when the child plays merely to work off surplus energy1 the most essential thing is a place to play1 and the school must meet this need by providing playgrounds4 ,as children grow older they turn to a more advanced type of play4 ,instead of romping and frolicking individually they play in groups4 ,it is in these group plays that the child gets his first idea of the duty which he owes to his fellows1 his first glimmering of a social sense4 ,in the home and in the school he is in a subordinate position1 but in the gang1 or set1 he is as good as the next4 ,group play teaches democracy4 ,more than that1 group play has a moral value4 ,each one must play fair4 ,those who do not are ruthlessly ostracized1 so children learn to abide by the decision of the crowd4 ,while children's plays should be as untrammeled as possible1 it is the duty of the school to stimulate group play by suggesting new games1 organizing athletic meets1 getting up interclass sports1 and in other ways supervising and directing games and sports4 ,in the course of the child's life play takes another form1 the form of creative work4 ,boys build wagons and houses2 girls cook1 and make dolls4 ,the puppy play of their early childhood has evolved into a form of creative activity that sooner or later grips every human creature4 ,we want to plant1 to build1 to plan1 to make4 ,it is the creative power within us yearning for expression1 hence the well-planned school will provide simple forms of manual training by means of which both boys and girls will be taught to use their hands so skillfully that they may translate an idea into a concrete product4 ,civilization has been described as the art of playing4 ,big folks are apt to look down on play because most of it is done by children4 ,but listen1 big folks3 ,when ,anna plays dolls she does it in a frank1 serious1 whole-souled way that you seldom imitate4 ,there is no activity so vital to the child as play1 nor does any man succeed at his work unless he can play at it with the fervor and abandon of a child4 ,,iv ,some ,things ,which a ,child ,must ,learn ,so much for the needs which a child has because he is a living creature4 ,suppose we turn now to some other needs--the needs which arise because the child is in a great universe and surrounded by his fellowmen4 ,wherever a child lives and whatever he does he must always face certain surrounding conditions4 ,first among his surroundings are people4 ,no one except ,robinson ,crusoe can get away from people1 and even ,crusoe had his man ,friday4 ,since we are compelled1 whether we like it or not1 to live with people1 the school must teach language 7oral and written71 in order that the children may learn to tell others what they think1 and may likewise understand the thoughts of others4 ,the better the language the more clearly can they understand each other4 ,in order that children may have a proper respect for the rights of others the school should teach ethics by means of simple stories about people4 ,teachers should explain how men live in groups1 and how1 if group life is to be tolerable1 men must respect each other's rights4 ,perhaps in the upper elementary grades1 and certainly in the high school1 there should be some simple work in psychology in order that children may know how people's minds work4 ,then besides the people of the present there are the people of the past1 and1 because the things which they did enable us to live as we do1 children should be taught history1 particularly the history of their own country1 state1 and town4 ,the child comes into contact1 in addition to people1 with the institutions which people have constructed--the home1 the school1 the state1 the industrial system4 ,every child who grows to maturity will participate in the activity of these institutions1 hence every child should be taught about them4 ,in the last two years of the elementary grades civics can be successfully taught1 since even at twelve years children are interested in the things which are happening around them4 ,in the high schools this work can be carried much further in the form of social and industrial problem courses4 ,the most universal and by far the largest of the child's surroundings consist of the things about him4 ,he lives in a world1 a very little world to be sure1 but to him it is great2 and a knowledge of the world comes through a study of geography4 ,beginning with the geography of his native town 7not with the basin of the ,ganges7 he can learn successively about the geography of the county1 the state1 the country1 and then of the world4 ,surrounding the child on every hand are plants and animals4 ,nature study gives him an intelligent interest in them4 ,as he grows older general nature study may be subdivided into geology1 botany1 zoology2 and the forces of nature may be examined in astronomy1 chemistry1 and physics3 but most of these subjects are too specialized for the elementary grades1 and should appear1 if at all1 in the high schools4 ,there is a group of courses which belongs in every school--elementary school as well as high school--namely1 the courses which prepare children for life activity4 ,growth and training in the art of living enable children to fulfill the third function of their being--that of doing4 ,every man and every woman needs work in order to live1 and it is a part of the duty of education to prepare them for that work4 ,first of all1 as modern society has developed1 every man and many women need an income-producing trade or occupation2 hence it is the duty of the schools to provide trade and professional educations 7really the same thing under different names74 ,no child should be permitted to leave the schools until he is proficient in some income-giving work4 ,the character of the teaching must be altered to suit the locality1 but the principle is absolute4 ,further1 since men should not devote their entire lives to the same task1 because they require a change of occupation1 the school should aim to provide an avocation1 or secondary occupation1 which may occupy leisure hours4 ,manual training1 agriculture1 art work1 and civics will supply different people with occupations for spare time4 ,finally1 since one of the chief duties of society is to insure a healthy and increasingly valuable supply of human beings1 no one should leave the schools without a thorough domestic training1 including training for parenthood4 ,while this training should be given in a measure to boys1 it should be intended primarily for girls1 and should include biology1 hygiene1 chemistry1 dietetics1 psychology1 and nursing4 ,although the elementary grades can provide only the simplest training along these lines that training should be given to every future housekeeper and mother4 ,v ,what ,schools ,must ,provide to ,meet ,child ,needs ,if1 up to this point1 we have rightly described child needs1 the school must be so organized as to provide for growth and play1 for instructing the child in a knowledge of people1 institutions1 things and ideas1 and for preparing every child to do his work in life4 ,these subjects must be so apportioned over the grades that each child has the benefit of them4 ,the high school is a continuation of the elementary school4 ,it is in the high school that children should begin to specialize1 because specialization before the beginning of adolescence is undesirable2 but since1 in many localities1 almost all of the children leave before reaching the high school1 these subjects must be taught in the elementary grades4 ,certain things every child must know4 ,if he is going to drop school at fourteen1 as three-quarters of the ,american school children do1 he must be reached in the first eight school grades4 ,if he goes to high school he may there be given an opportunity to complete and intensify the education which the elementary school has started4 ,we believe that these fundamental principles of education are sufficiently flexible to fit any community in the ,united ,states2 they will apply to places of the most divergent school needs4 ,,vi ,the ,educational ,work of the ,small ,town ,let us begin by applying the scheme to a mining village of three thousand inhabitants1 a typical industrial community4 ,in this village more than nine-tenths of the children leave school at or before fourteen years of age1 so that whatever school training they get must be secured between the ages of six and fourteen4 ,the kind of activities that the children will take up in life is fixed by the custom of the town4 ,the great majority of the boys go into the mines or shops1 while practically all of the girls help around the home until they marry4 ,a small number work in stores and factories4 ,the life is rather primitive2 the houses are set far apart2 the children have an abundance of play space2 they are required to do chores in homes where they receive little home training4 ,the town affords an unparalleled opportunity to learn nasty things in a nasty way4 ,almost all of the educational work in such a town must be done in the elementary schools4 ,while high school facilities may be afforded they will appeal to a vanishingly small percentage of the children4 ,the elementary schools in such a village must provide organized games for the younger children and organized sports for the older ones2 a sufficient amount of physical training to insure robust bodies2 careful instruction in physiology1 body hygiene1 and sex hygiene2 simple manual training for the younger children2 thorough preparation in the reading and writing of ,english2 the fundamentals of numbers2 geography with particular reference to the geographic conditions in the immediate locality2 civics and history--particularly ,american history2 a thorough drill in ,english and ,american literature2 a minimum amount of instruction in fine art--drawing1 painting1 modeling2 an extensive system of nature study1 supplemented by field trips4 ,this course should be required of boys and girls alike4 ,in addition to these studies the boys in a coal-mining village should receive careful instruction in geology1 particularly in the mineralogy of the region in which the mine is located2 technical training in mining1 drafting1 and shop work2 and a sufficient training in agriculture to enable them to make good kitchen gardens1 since gardening is one of the chief avocations of men in such a community4 ,parallel to this special training for boys the schools should provide for girls a thorough course in domestic science1 with particular emphasis on economical purchasing1 and an education for parenthood1 including hygiene1 dietetics1 psychology1 and nursing4 ,such a course of study given in a typical mining village would tend to make of the boys educated1 trained workmen1 and of the girls educated1 trained mothers4 ,to be sure this course would not make of the boys railroad presidents or ,united ,states senators2 but even that is not a drawback because1 incredible as it may sound to many old-fashioned ears1 the vast majority of these boys will be miners and mechanics4 ,the question is1 therefore1 ,shall they be good miners or bad ones8 ,united ,states senatorships bother them not a whit4 ,if there are1 as there always will be in such a village1 a few exceptional children who desire more advanced work1 the teacher can do exactly what he does now--namely1 give them special instruction4 ,such an educational system as that outlined would require more training in the teachers1 and an additional outlay for tools and school-rooms1 but it would train the boys and girls of the village to live their lives effectively4 ,the mine-village educational problem is rendered especially easy of solution because the community is small in size1 and because there are only two occupations1 mining and homekeeping1 into which the children go4 ,a similar situation may be found in most of the agricultural districts1 except that the boys take up farming instead of mining1 while the girls are called upon to participate in farm work to the extent of caring for chickens and pigs1 and sometimes for milk4 ,in such an agricultural community the same outline for study might apply1 except that in training for occupations boys should be taught the facts regarding soil fertility1 fruit culture1 dairying1 market gardening1 and other agricultural problems1 while girls need instruction which will fit them for domestic life and for parenthood4 ,in ,new ,york ,state a number of agricultural high schools giving a course such as the one just hinted at1 have met with marked success4 ,most country children do not go to high school1 however--although they are doing so in increasing numbers--and hence the necessity for shaping the elementary course along similar lines4 ,,vii ,the ,educational ,problems of an ,industrial ,community ,when the mining village and the farming district are replaced by the industrial town and the city1 the school problem is greatly complicated by the crowding of many people into a small space and by the great diversity of occupations which the people pursue4 ,the larger the town the worse the crowding and the greater the variety of jobs4 ,otherwise the problem of education remains largely the same4 ,the most apparent need of the town child is a place to play1 and the plainest duty of the town elementary school is to provide play space4 ,in thinly settled places there is no such need4 ,in towns and cities there is no more imperative duty resting on the school than the furnishing of playgrounds and gymnasiums for children4 ,the practice of building school houses without gymnasiums and without play spaces cannot be too strongly condemned4 ,it is robbing children of the chance to grow into normal human beings4 ,the other side of the town problem--the question of occupations--has been settled in ,germany1 and more recently in certain ,american cities1 by the continuation school1 which unties the ,gordian knot by cutting it4 ,instead of allowing children to stop school at fourteen the continuation system requires partial school attendance until they are eighteen4 ,under this system1 when children reach the end of the elementary schools they may either go on with a high school course for four years1 or else they may take a continuation course for four years4 ,for example1 if a boy elects to be a carpenter he spends forty hours a week as a carpenter's apprentice4 ,then for fourteen hours a week he goes to a school where he is taught mechanical drawing1 designing1 the testing of materials1 and any other subjects which bear on carpentering4 ,the time he spends in school is credited on the time sheets of his employer4 ,so at the end of four years the boy1 at eighteen1 has been well trained in the practice of carpentering by working at his job1 and well schooled in its theory by taking a continuation course which bore directly on his work4 ,thus wage-earning and education are united to produce a well-trained man4 ,the school problem of the city suburb is very different from that of the mining village1 the rural community1 the industrial town1 or the city4 ,the children have space1 good homes1 and abundant opportunity to go through high school and even through college4 ,under these conditions the elementary grades can be directly preparatory for high school work1 since six or even seven out of ten children will go to high school4 ,in the city suburb there need be little specialization in the elementary grades4 ,the high school1 with a general course and two or three special courses1 can be relied upon for all necessary specific training4 ,,viii ,beginning with ,child ,needs ,in the industrial town1 in the city1 and in the city suburb the high school is being looked to as the place where specialized training must be given4 ,the trade school can succeed a little1 but its effectiveness will always be limited by the narrow technical character of its instruction1 which makes the continuation school generally preferable4 ,the high school is not a separate institution1 but an integral part of the school system4 ,in a high school1 therefore1 the children should move naturally from the studies of the elementary grades to more advanced studies1 but the purpose of both elementary and high schools is the same--the preparation of children for living4 ,children have needs which the schools are here to supply4 ,certain of these needs are common to all children1 and to that extent all schools must provide similar training4 ,other needs1 varying with the size and character of the community1 call for a like variation in the course of study4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,progressive ,,notes ,,in ,,elementary ,,education ,i ,the ,kindergarten ,no single chapter can contain all of the progressive notes that are being sounded in ,american ,elementary ,education2 yet it is possible1 after some arbitrary picking and choosing1 to describe a number of the most typical and most successful educational innovations4 ,at the bottom of most up-to-date elementary school systems is the kindergarten4 ,not so often as it might be1 but still frequently1 the child begins school work there4 ,the games1 the songs1 the children's sports of these kindergarten years1 make a joyous entry-way into the grades4 ,in ,gary the kindergarten child sees life4 ,the flowers1 leaves1 grasses1 lichens1 fruits1 butterflies1 moths1 and birds are usually brought to the classroom4 ,the ,gary children go on expeditions to explore nature's wonderland1 besides making excursions to squares1 parks1 and to the open country4 ,the kindergartners of ,cincinnati plant tulip bulbs in the city parks1 and visit farms in order to have a chance to meet the farm animals4 ,singing1 visiting1 playing1 shaping1 building1 the kindergarten child sees life on many sides4 ,perhaps1 finally1 other cities following the lead of ,cincinnati will introduce the kindergarten spirit and kindergarten activities into the lower grades where they will clarify an atmosphere1 fetid and dank with concepts which to the six-year-old are meaningless abstractions4 ,,ii ,translating the ,three ,r's ,at best the kindergarten reaches but a few4 ,even in cities which boast of a system of organized kindergartens1 only a small portion of the children attend them4 ,on the other hand1 since practically all school children enter the grades1 it is on them that an inquiry into elementary education must be focused4 ,the time has passed when reading1 writing1 and arithmetic made up the entirety of a satisfactory elementary education4 ,like the kindergarten1 the elementary school must touch life2 like the kindergarten1 it must provide for child needs4 ,everywhere schools are turning from the old methods of teaching spelling1 multiplication1 and syntax to the new methods of teaching children1--yes1 and teaching them those things which they need1 irrespective of name4 ,three ,r's no longer suffice4 ,the child requires training from the ,alpha to the ,omega of life4 ,compare1 for example1 the old method of teaching geography with the new4 ,under the abandoned system1 the child began with capes1 peninsulas1 continents1 meridians1 trade routes1 rivers1 boundaries and products4 ,under the new system1 he begins with the town in which he lives4 ,each schoolroom in ,newark1 for example1 is provided with a large map of the city4 ,in addition to these complete maps1 each child is given a series of small maps1 each of which centers about a familiar square1 store1 or public building4 ,then1 from this simple beginning1 the child fills in the surrounding streets and buildings4 ,newark geography begins in the third grade with a description of the school yard and the surroundings of the school lot4 ,after all1 what more simple geography could be conceived than the geography that you already know4 ,borneo and ,beloochistan are abstractions except to the most traveled1 but what child has not noted the red bricks and ugly iron fences surrounding his own school yard8 ,charity and geography both begin logically at home4 ,when in the later ,newark grades the children are taught about ,europe and ,australasia1 they are taught on a background of the geography of yards1 alleys1 squares1 streets and playgrounds with which they are familiar4 ,geography thus concretely presented1 becomes comprehensible to even the dullest mind4 ,,iii ,playing at ,mathematics ,the passing system of elementary mathematics took the innocents through addition1 subtraction and the abatis of multiplication tables1 until every child was fully convinced that ,multiplication is vexation1 ,division's twice as bad1 ,the rule of three perplexes me1 ,and practice drives one mad4 ,to-day arithmetic begins with life4 ,the teachers at ,gary organize games in which the children are divided into two sides4 ,some of the children play the game1 while others keep score4 ,unconsciously1 under the stress of the most gripping of impulses--the desire to win--these little scorekeepers learn addition4 ,as they advance in the work1 they take up practical problems--measure the room for flooring and measure the school pavement for cementing4 ,at school ,no4 #d1 in ,indianapolis1 one of the teachers wanted a cold-frame and a hot-bed for use in connection with her nature work4 ,the class in mathematics made the measurements2 the drawing class provided the plans2 the boys in the seventh and eighth grades dug the pit and constructed the beds4 ,the higher grade mathematics work in ,indianapolis is extremely concrete4 ,prices and descriptions of materials are supplied1 and the children are asked to compute given problems involving the buying of meats1 groceries1 and other household articles2 the cost of heating and lighting the home2 the cost of home furnishing2 the construction of buildings2 cost-keeping in various factories2 the management of the city hospital2 the taxation of ,indianapolis2 the estimation and construction of pavement2 and1 generally1 the mathematical problems involved in the conduct of public and private business4 ,mathematics is alive when it is joined to the problem of life4 ,well taught1 it becomes a part of the real experiences of childhood and furnishes a foundation for the knowledge of later life4 ,,iv ,a ,model ,english ,lesson ,of all subjects taught in the schools1 ,english is the most practical1 because it is most used in life4 ,we buy with it1 sell with it1 converse with it1 write with it1 adore with it1 and protest with it4 ,english is the open sesame of life in ,english-speaking countries4 ,in some classes the ,english period would be fascinating even for adults4 ,what experience could be more delightful than a visit to a third or fourth grade room in which the children were writing original poems1 fables and stories6 ,the monotony of routine ,english work was completely broken down2 the children were enthusiastic1--enthusiastic to such a degree that they had all written poetry4 ,just before ,halloween the teacher had distributed pictures of a witch on a broomstick1 with a cat at her side1 riding toward the moon4 ,each child was called upon for an original poem on this picture4 ,one boy of eight wrote3-- ,there was an old witch ,who flew up in the sky1 ,to visit the moon ,that was shining so high4 ,another child improved somewhat upon the versification-- ,the witch's cat was as black as her hat1 ,as black as her hat was he4 ,he had yellow eyes which looked very wise ,as he sailed high over the trees4 ,how many of you mature men and women could have done a better piece of work than ,dorothy ,hall1 nine and a half years old8 ,,the ,,moonlight ,,people ,when the stars are twinkling1 ,and the ground with snow is white1 ,and we are just awaking ,for to see the morning light2 ,little moonlight people ,are dancing here and there ,o'er a snow white carpet1 ,dancing everywhere4 ,this same class of little people1 after learning ,riley's ,pixie ,people1 were asked to write down what they believed were the circumstances under which ,riley composed the poem4 ,their reasons varied all the way from a dream of butterflies1 to cornfields4 ,seventh and eighth grade children in this same city 7,newton1 ,mass47 write books1 the titles of which are selected by the children with the approval of the teacher4 ,a ,boy's ,life in ,new ,york1 ,fairy ,stories1 ,a ,book ,about ,airships1 ,a ,story of ,boarding ,school ,life1 are a few of the titles4 ,having chosen his title1 the child outlines the work and then begins on it1 writing it week by week1 illustrating the text with drawings1 illuminating and decorating the margins with water colors1 painting a tasty cover1 and at last1 as the product of a year's work in ,english1 taking home a book written1 hand printed1 hand illumined1 covered and bound by the author4 ,could you recognize in this fascinating task the dreaded ,english composition and spelling of your childhood days8 ,one eighth grade lad1 who had always made a rather poor showing in school1 decided to write his book on birds4 ,as he worked into the subject it gradually got hold of him4 ,in the early spring he found himself1 at half past four1 morning after morning1 out in the squares1 the parks and the fields1 watching for the birds4 ,he became absorbed in writing his book1 but at the same time the teachers of other subjects found him taking additional interest in them4 ,the whole tone of his school work improved2 and when1 in ,may1 he delivered an illustrated lecture1 before one of the teachers' meetings1 on the birds of ,newton1 he was triumphant4 ,in less than a year he had vitalized his whole being with an interest in one study4 ,in his talk to the teachers1 said ,superintendent ,spalding1 he showed a deeper knowledge of the subject than most of the teachers present possessed4 ,those who remember with a shiver of dread the syntax1 parsing1 sentence diagramming1 paragraph dissecting1 machine composition construction of the grammar grades1 should have stepped with me into the class of an ,indianapolis teacher of seventh grade ,english4 ,the teacher sat in the back of the room4 ,the class bent forward1 attentively listening while a roughly clad1 uncouth boy1 slipshod in attitude1 stumbled through the broken periods of his ungrammatical sentences4 ,and ,esau went out after a venison1 he was saying1 and ,jacob's mother cooked up some goat's meat till it smelled like a venison4 ,and then ,jacob1 he took the venison--,i mean the goat's meat to ,isaac1 and ,isaac couldn't tell it wasn't ,esau because--so the story continued for two or three minutes4 ,when it was ended1 the boy stood looking gloomily at the class4 ,well1 class8 queried ,miss ,howes1 has any one any criticism to make8 ,instantly1 three-quarters of the class was on its feet4 ,well1 ,edward4 ,edward1 a manly fellow1 spoke quietly to the boy who had told the story4 ,paul1 you don't talk quite loud enough4 ,then you should raise and lower your voice more4 ,several of the class 7having intended to make the same criticism7 sat down with ,edward4 ,the teacher turned4 ,yes1 ,mary4 ,paul1 your grammar wasn't very good4 ,you didn't make periods4 ,one by one1 in a spirit of kindly helpfulness1 criticisms were made4 ,when the children had finished1 ,miss ,howes said3 ,paul1 you did very well4 ,this is your first time in this class1 isn't it8 ,yes'm4 ,yes1 ,paul1 you did very well2 but1 ,paul--and with care and precision she outlined his mistakes1 suggesting in each case ways of avoiding them in the future4 ,throughout the grades in ,indianapolis the children have some oral ,english work every day4 ,when they reach the seventh and eighth years this oral work takes on quite pretentious forms4 ,beginning with ,aesop's ,fables1 the children tell fairy tales1 ,bible stories1 ,greek legends1 ,norse legends1 animal stories1 and any other stories that the teacher thinks appropriate4 ,each child may select in the particular group of stories whatever topic seems most interesting4 ,each day has its written ,english work1 too4 ,on ,monday1 letters are written and criticized2 ,tuesday is composition day2 on ,wednesday each scholar writes a description of the day in a ,season ,journal2 ,thursday is set aside for the revision and correction of compositions2 and on ,friday1 the letters for the following ,monday are written4 ,wherever possible1 the subjects for written work are selected with reference to the other studies which the child is taking4 ,v ,an ,original ,fairy ,story ,the work is arranged primarily to arouse interest4 ,at ,halloween1 the theme is timely1 and one girl1 ,dorothy ,morrison1 selects as her title1 ,how the ,witch got the ,black ,cat for her ,prisoner4 ,read this charming fairy tale--an original piece of work by a girl of twelve3 ,years ago1 when the witch rode her broomstick1 no snarling black cat accompanied her on her midnight rides4 ,that wicked person was always planning and plotting how to get some nice young girl to go with her4 ,at this time there lived a beautiful fairy1 who was condemned to death by a cruel magician1 who had no reason to do so4 ,this good fairy1 ,eilene1 finally decided to take the shape of a bird and to fly through the tiny window of her prison to her old friend1 ,mr4 ,moon4 ,she did so1 and when she arrived at her friend's home she assumed the form of a fairy and entreated him to keep her safe from the cruel clutches of the magician4 ,he promised to do his best4 ,the next ,halloween1 the witch1 ,crono1 rode up to the moon and on spying ,eilene she exclaimed1 ',aha1 just what ,i have been looking for--a nice young maiden4' ,eilene became frightened at first and clutched the moon's hand4 ,just then ,crono grabbed at her1 but she was too quick for her1 for she changed herself into a bird and flew out of the reaches of the witch4 ,shaking her fist at the girl she muttered1 ',i will get you yet4' ,then the witch returned to her caldron and ,eilene returned to the moon4 ,mr4 ,moon then advised her to be careful for ,crono wanted her for her prisoner4 ,she did not heed this because she thought that she could outwit ,crono with all her fairy power1 but she was mistaken1 for ,crono had more power than she4 ,one day1 while sitting at the moon's knee1 listening to the story of how he got up in the sky1 ,eilene's hands and feet were tied1 and before ,mr4 ,moon could help her1 what little power that fat personage possessed was taken from him4 ,crono transformed ,eilene into a snarling black cat which now always accompanies her on her ,halloween rides when she tells the grinning ,jack-o'-,lanterns of how she captured ,eilene4 ,because ,mr4 ,moon loved ,eilene so well1 ,crono gave him a picture of the fairy1 which he always keeps near him1 and even to this day1 if we look up at the moon1 we can see the picture of ,eilene4 ,so let us remember that1 although the black cat does appear fierce1 she is really good at heart4 ,,vi ,the ,crow and the ,scarecrow ,when corn was sprouting1 ,crows and ,scarecrows was announced as a topic1 and one ,irish lad1 giving rein to his imagination1 wrote3-- ,,the ,,crow ,,and ,,the ,,scarecrow ,having a story to write concerning a crow1 ,i decided to go to the zoological gardens and seek an interview with one of the species4 ,accordingly ,i went1 and after passing numerous cages containing all kinds of animals1 ,i arrived at the bird cages4 ,here in one cage all by himself ,i met ,mr4 ,crow4 ,he was a big bird with coal-black feathers that glistened in the sunlight4 ,i made a bow1 explained my errand and asked for a story4 ,he cocked his head to one side1 looked steadily for a few seconds and then actually winked at me4 ',well1 young man1' he said in a throaty voice1 'you have certainly come to the right place4 ,but as it is near my lunch time ,i must be brief4 ',in the first place1 ,i was the leader of as wild and mischievous a band of crows as you ever heard tell of4 ,there was one particular farm in our territory we loved to visit4 ,the owner's name was ,silas ,whimple and he was the grouchiest1 most miserly man in the county4 ,he lived alone and what part of the ground that was tilled1 he did it himself4 ,as much to tease as to eat1 we would pay him an occasional flying visit1 digging up his newly planted seeds1 nibbling at the young green shoots1 or1 later on1 scratching up his potatoes4 ,all his shouting and screaming did not scare us a bit4 ,one day one of my companions came winging with the news that ,silas had a farm hand4 ,i laughed and said1 ,if there is another man on the farm then ,silas ,whimple must be dead4 ,off we flew to investigate4 ,sure enough1 out in a patch of potatoes was a man4 ,watching him quite a while1 ,i saw he did not move or make a noise as ,silas would4 ,he just stood still4 ,i came down to take a closer look1 when who should come to the doorway but ,silas himself4 ,he was laughing and shouting1 ,now ,i have something to keep you away4 ,the scarecrow shall keep you from bothering me any more4 ,he laughed and laughed1 but ,i watched my chance and flew behind this being and scratched off his cap4 ,then the story was out4 ,it was only a straw man4 ,i went back to my companions and explained1 and before evening we had picked the scarecrow to pieces4 ,next day ,i was unfortunate enough to put my foot in a wire trap and then they sent me up here for life4' ,at this moment his keeper came up with something to eat1 so ,i bade him good-bye and left4 ,english1 in these classes1 is so alive with interest that the children write with ardor and read eagerly the literature which1 improperly handled1 they learn so soon to despise4 ,the time-honored studies of the old curriculum may be charged with interest if they are linked to life4 ,the most irksome task has its pleasant aspects4 ,even the three ,r's may be translated into current thought4 ,,vii ,school and ,home ,even more significant for the future is the work which is being done in a few cities to train girls for their chief work in life--homemaking4 ,the home schools at ,indianapolis and ,providence are1 perhaps1 typical4 ,the ,indianapolis ,school ,board bought a number of wretched homes near one school in a crowded district4 ,the boys in the school renovated the homes1 converting one into a rug shop1 another into a mop factory1 and still a third into a shoe-shop4 ,in these shops the children of the school did their trade work4 ,another house was made into a model home--7model for that quarter7--in which the domestic science department was located4 ,of this home the girls took entire charge1 living in it by the day4 ,there they were taught1 by practical experience1 the art of homemaking4 ,the home school of ,providence1 ,rhode ,island1 under the direction of ,mrs4 ,ada ,wilson ,trowbridge1 has received nation-wide recognition4 ,six hundred dollars1 appropriated by the ,board of ,education1 renovated and furnished the flat on ,willard ,avenue in which the school is held4 ,the girls who elect to take work in the home school--the work is wholly elective--may come on ,monday and ,tuesday1 or on ,wednesday and ,thursday4 ,the hours are #d to #f1 or #g3cj to #i3cj4 ,on ,friday1 anyone comes who cares to4 ,the day pupils are from the grammar schools and the evening pupils come from the factories and shops4 ,seventy-five names on the waiting list of day classes indicate the popularity of the school4 ,we try to keep the school like the homes from which these girls come1 explained ,mrs4 ,trowbridge1 as she showed her tastefully arranged apartment4 ,the girls in the ,technical ,high ,school worked out the color schemes1 selected the patterns and bought the materials4 ,we tried to get things which were good looking and durable4 ,the three kinds of work1 7#a7 ,cooking1 7#b7 ,housekeeping1 and 7#c7 ,sewing1 are carried on in rotation1 a girl spending one entire afternoon at cooking1 the next at sewing and a third at housework4 ,thus each girl does an afternoon's job in each subject4 ,the cooking class studies successively breakfast1 lunch and dinner1 in each case preparing menus and cooking the food4 ,a meal is served nearly every day4 ,the service falls to the housekeeping class1 which is also responsible for cleaning up1 tending the furnace1 washing1 ironing and the like4 ,included in this part of the work are a number of thorough discussions of personal hygiene and home sanitation4 ,to the sewing class1 the girls bring their home sewing problems4 ,certain classes darn stockings while a teacher reads to them4 ,some girls make underclothing and dresses4 ,the beginners hem table cloths1 napkins1 towels1 dustcloths1 etc41 for the school4 ,the classes are small 7ten to fifteen7 making individual work possible4 ,no1 no1 protested ,mrs4 ,trowbridge1 we have no course of study1 or else1 if you please1 there are as many courses as there are girls4 ,each girl has her problems and we aim to meet them4 ,the backyard1 utilized as a garden1 furnishes vegetables which the girls cook and can4 ,these vegetables1 together with canned fruits1 jellies1 jams and pickles1 which the girls put up1 give the school such an excellent source of revenue that last year it turned over #ae to the ,superintendent of ,schools4 ,the crowning work of the school was done in a bare upstairs room which the girls papered and painted themselves4 ,two of them have since done the same thing with rooms at home1 declared ,mrs4 ,trowbridge1 happily4 ,isn't that good for a start8 ,the home school stays close to home problems1 dealing with the facts of life as the girls who come to school see them4 ,it would hardly be fair to expect more of any school4 ,,viii ,breaking ,new ,ground ,the regular work of the public school has been supplemented1 of late years1 by a number of significant innovations1 of which the most far-reaching is1 perhaps1 a medical inspection of schools which involves a thorough physical examination of all school children by experts4 ,by this scheme1 the defect of the individual child is corrected1 and the danger of widespread contagion or infection in the schoolroom is reduced to a minimum4 ,following these physical examinations1 the children who are clearly sub-normal are placed in special classes or special schools1 where1 under the direction of specially fitted teachers1 they do any mental work for which they are fitted1 in the interims of time between manual activities4 ,weaving1 woodworking1 folding and similar employments hold the attention of sub-normal children where intellectual work will not4 ,the special school1 freed from the throttling grip of an iron-clad course of study1 studies the need of each child1 and makes a course of study to fit the need4 ,although the special school has been used for incorrigibles1 its real value rests in its care of the defective child4 ,anaemic children and those who show a tubercular tendency are treated in open air schools4 ,in ,springfield a special school was constructed4 ,in ,providence an old building was employed4 ,in all cases1 however1 the windows are notable by their absence4 ,the school supplies caps and army blankets1 a milk lunch in the middle of the forenoon and the afternoon1 and a plain1 wholesome dinner at noon4 ,a few months of such treatment works wonders with most of the children4 ,it seems only fair that the sick school child should be treated to fresh air and full nutrition1 even though the well child is not so favored4 ,the open air school has borne fruit1 however1 in the establishment of numerous open-window classes4 ,against these classes1 there seems to be only one complaint4 ,the children are too lively4 ,fancy6 ,they get a supply of oxygen sufficient to stimulate them into life during school hours4 ,how tragic this must seem to the teacher who is in the habit of calming the troubled spirits of her class by a generous administration of closed windows and carbon dioxide4 ,a few cities are attempting to relieve underfeeding by the provision of wholesome school lunches at cost4 ,buffalo leads in the work1 with ,chicago1 ,philadelphia and a number of other cities trailing behind4 ,when you remember that the ,chicago ,school ,board reported that in the ,chicago schools there were five thousand children who were habitually hungry1 while ten thousand others do not have sufficient nourishing food1 you will perhaps agree that the time has come for some action4 ,among the liveliest educational movements of the day is that of providing school children with a legitimate occupation and a convenient place to be occupied outside of school hours4 ,chicago1 with an unequaled system of playgrounds1 and ,philadelphia1 with a department devoted to school gardens1 are leaders in two fields which promise great things for the future welfare of ,american city school children4 ,,ix ,the ,school and the ,community ,not content with doing those needful things involved in the education of children of school age1 the school is reaching far out into the community4 ,night schools came first1 as a means of education for those who could not attend school during the daytime4 ,every progressive city and town has a night school now1 and the scholars who come after working hours use the same expensive equipment that is furnished to the regular classes4 ,machines1 cooking apparatus1 maps and blackboard all do double duty4 ,in the foreign quarters1 particularly1 the night schools attract a large following of adults1 eager to learn the language and ways of the new land4 ,though many a one falls asleep over the tasks1 who shall say that the spirit is not willing8 ,public lectures are being used more and more as a means of public education4 ,there is scarcely an up-to-date city that has not some public lectures connected with its school or library system1 while in a center like ,new ,york1 the ,board of ,education has established an elaborate organization for the delivery of lectures in public school buildings throughout the city4 ,the lecture topics--widely advertised through the schools and elsewhere--cover every field of thought4 ,perhaps the whole movement of the schools to influence the community may be summed up in the phrase1 ,a wider use of the school plant4 ,why should not the schools be open1 as they are in ,gary1 day and evening1 too8 ,why should the mothers and fathers not be organized into ,home and ,school ,leagues1 meeting in the schools as they do on a large scale in ,philadelphia8 ,why should not the social sentiment of a community be crystallized around its schoolhouse1 as it has been in ,rochester8 ,is it better to have the children playing in the street in the summer time1 or in the school yards and playgrounds1 as they do in ,minneapolis and ,st4 ,paul8 ,the billion dollars invested in the school plant must be made to yield a return in broader social service with each succeeding year4 ,x ,new ,keys for ,old ,locks ,nor have progressive educators been satisfied to change the methods of teaching old subjects4 ,more important still1 they have introduced new courses which aim to open larger fields for child experience4 ,hygiene1 nature study1 civics1 manual training and domestic science have all been called upon to enrich the elementary school curriculum4 ,the nineteenth century physiology--names of muscles and bones1 symptoms of diseases and the like--has been replaced in the twentieth century schools by a physiology which aims to teach that the body is worth caring for and developing into something of which every boy and girl may be proud4 ,beginning with nature study and elementary science1 the hygiene course in ,indianapolis emphasizes1 first1 the care of the body and then1 in the seventh and eighth grades1 public health1 private and public sanitation1 etc4 ,from nature and her doings1 the child is led to see the application of the laws of physiology and hygiene to the life of the individual and of the community4 ,nature study1 elementary science1 horticulture and school gardens have taken their place1 on a small scale1 in all progressive educational systems4 ,there is an education in watching things grow2 an education in the sequence and significance of the seasons1 which brick and cement pavements can never afford4 ,scattered attempts are being made to teach children the relation between individual and community life4 ,all of the seventh and eighth grade children in ,indianapolis visit the city bureaus--water1 light1 health1 fire and police4 ,trips to factories teach them the relation between industry and the individual life1 while social concepts are developed by newspaper and magazine reading1 book reading and class discussions of the articles and books which are read4 ,at election time they discuss politics2 they take up strikes and labor troubles2 woman suffrage is occasionally touched upon2 and they are even asked to suggest methods of making a given wage cover family needs4 ,the widespread introduction of domestic science and elementary manual training renders any special discussion of them unnecessary4 ,in some instances1 however1 they are developed to a high degree4 ,in ,gary1 ,indianapolis and ,cincinnati1 seventh and eighth grade girls make their own garments1 cook and serve meals to teachers or to other classes2 while in the advanced grades the boys make furniture1 sleds1 derricks1 bridges and telegraph instruments4 ,chair caning1 weaving and clay modeling are also widely used in the hand work of both boys and girls4 ,fitchburg1 ,mass41 has developed a ,practical ,arts ,school1 paralleling the seventh and eighth grades in the grammar school4 ,the school includes a ,commercial ,course1 a ,practical ,arts ,course1 a ,household ,arts ,course and a ,literary ,course4 ,the regular literature1 composition1 spelling1 mathematics1 geography1 history and science of the seventh and eighth grades is supplemented by social dancing1 physical training and music in all of these courses2 and in addition for the ,commercial ,course by typewriting1 shorthand1 bookkeeping1 business arithmetic and designing2 for the ,practical ,arts ,course1 by drawing1 designing1 printing1 making and repairing2 for the ,household ,arts ,course1 by cooking1 sewing1 homekeeping and household arts2 and for the ,literary ,course1 by half-time in modern language and the other half in manual training and household arts4 ,at the end of the sixth year 7at about twelve years of age7 children in ,fitchburg may elect to take this school of ,practical ,arts instead of the regular grammar school course4 ,the results of this election are extraordinary4 ,the practical course was planned for the children who expected to leave school at fourteen1 or at the end of the eighth grade4 ,curiously enough1 all types of children have flocked into it4 ,sons of doctors1 lawyers and well-to-do business men2 boys and girls preparing for college1 and children who must stop school in a year or two are all clamoring for admission4 ,in spite of the fact that pupils are kept in these schools six hours a day instead of five1 as in the other schools1 the attendance at the end of two years has outrun the accommodations4 ,the children who leave this applied work and enter the high school are apparently not a whit less able to do the high school work than those children who have come up through the regular grades4 ,the new education is broader than the old1 because it accepts and adopts any study which seems likely to meet the needs or wants of any class of children or of any individual child4 ,the storehouse of the mind is to-day unlocked with educational keys of which educators in past generations scarcely dreamed4 ,,xi ,school and ,shop ,for the present1 at least1 there are a great number of children who must leave school at fourteen1 whether they have completed the grammar grades or not4 ,with them1 the problem of education shapes itself into this question3 ,shall they be well or badly prepared for their work8 ,the boys enter the shops and mills2 the girls marry and make homes4 ,are they to be efficient workers and housekeepers8 ,the answer rests largely with the schools4 ,ohio has provided1 for the solution of the problem1 a continuation school law1 modeled on the more extensive plans of the ,german ,continuation ,school system4 ,the law reads3 ,in case the board of education of any school district establishes part-time day schools for the instruction of youths over fourteen years of age who are engaged in regular employment1 such board of education is authorized to require all youths who have not satisfactorily completed the eighth grade of the elementary schools to continue their schooling until they are sixteen years of age2 provided1 however1 that such youths1 if they have been granted ,age and ,schooling ,certificates and are regularly employed1 shall be required to attend school not to exceed eight hours a week between the hours of #h3jj ,a4 ,m4 to #e3jj ,p4 ,m4 during the school term4 ,cleveland and ,cincinnati1 acting under this authority1 have established continuation schools4 ,in ,cleveland they are voluntary2 in ,cincinnati they are compulsory4 ,in both cities1 children between fourteen and sixteen may attend school1 during factory time1 for four hours each week4 ,little enough1 you protest4 ,yes1 but it is a beginning4 ,the child in such a continuation school may choose between academic work1 art1 drawing and designing1 shop-work1 millinery1 dressmaking and domestic science4 ,in some cases a continuation course is possible4 ,thus far the system has worked admirably4 ,equally significant are the ,massachusetts ,vocational ,schools1 which are intended to provide a technical training for the boys who wish to pass directly from the grammar school into industry4 ,under the ,massachusetts law1 the state pays half of the running expenses of any vocational school which is organized with the approval of the ,state ,director of ,vocational ,training4 ,the ,springfield school1 under the supervision of ,e4 ,e4 ,mac,nary1 is housed on one floor of a factory building4 ,the boys may not come at an earlier age than fourteen and ,mr4 ,mac,nary insists1 where possible1 that they complete the regular seventh grade work before coming to him4 ,his school1 which includes pattern making1 cabinet work1 carpentry and machine shop work1 is run on the job plan4 ,that is1 a boy is assigned to a job such as making a head-stock for a lathe4 ,the boy makes his drawings1 writes his specifications1 orders his material and tools1 estimates the cost of the job1 makes the head-stock and then figures up his actual costs and compares them with the estimated cost4 ,not until he has gone through all of the operations1 may he turn to a new piece of work4 ,we tried the half-day and half-day in shop plan1 ,mr4 ,mac,nary explains1 but it was not a success4 ,it disturbed the boys too much4 ,so we hit on the plan of letting each boy divide his time as he needed to4 ,when he has drawing and estimating to do1 he does that and when the time for lathe work comes1 he turns to that4 ,it breaks up any system in your school1 but it gives the best chance to the individual boy4 ,one day a week all of the boys meet the teachers in conference to discuss their work and to make and receive general suggestions4 ,the boys who come to ,mr4 ,mac,nary's school are boys who would probably leave the regular school at fourteen4 ,many boys come because they are discouraged with the grade work1 and of these grade failures1 many succeed admirably in the new school4 ,during the two years of this shop-work1 the boys get a training which enables them to take and hold good positions in the trades4 ,as one foreman said1 ,a boy gets more training in the two years of that school than he gets in three years of any shop4 ,these are but an index of the myriad of attempts which cities are making to bring school and shop together1 to train for usefulness1 to start boys in life4 ,,xii ,half a ,chance to ,study ,there are other ways in which the school may help4 ,for example1 in the case of homework4 ,on the one hand1 homework for the sake of homework may be eliminated4 ,on the other hand1 children may be given half a chance to read and study4 ,one day in a squalid back street ,i glanced through the window of a corner house4 ,the front of the house was a grocery store4 ,the room into which ,i happened to look was a general dwelling room4 ,on one side stood the kitchen stove2 the floor was littered with children and rubbish1 and just under the window a child sat1 her book before her on the supper-covered dining table1 doing multiplication examples--her homework4 ,the well-to-do child1 less than ten squares away1 who bent over her problems in a quiet room1 could scarcely appreciate the difficulties attached to homework1 when the family lives in three rooms and does everything possible to reduce the bill for kerosene4 ,there is just one place in every neighborhood where the child can find light1 air and quiet--that place is the school4 ,why then should the school not be open for the child8 ,why1 indeed1 asked the schoolmen of ,newark1 ,n4 ,j4 ,passing from thought to deed1 they opened schools in the crowded neighborhoods four nights a week from #g to #i4 ,into these evening study classes1 in charge of advisory teachers1 any child might come at all4 ,the city librarian1 generous in co-operation1 lent library books in batches of forty1 for two months at a time4 ,evening after evening1 the boys and girls assemble and with text-books or library books1 do those things in the school which are impossible in the home4 ,for what other purpose should the school exist8 ,,xiii ,thwarting ,satan in the ,summer ,time ,another project1 equally effective1 involves the opening of schools during the summer time4 ,the farmer needed his boy for the harvest1 so summer vacations became the established rule1 but the city street needs neither the boy nor the girl at any time of the year4 ,idleness and mischief link hands with street children and dance away toward delinquency4 ,then why not have school in the summer time8 ,why not8 ,the answer takes the form of vacation schools4 ,in most cases the work of the vacation school is designed primarily to interest the child4 ,games1 stories1 gardening1 manual work of various sorts1 excursions and similar devices are relied upon to maintain interest4 ,a few cities1 like ,indianapolis1 ,worcester and ,gary1 on the other hand1 have established vacation schools in which children may make up back work1 or pursue studies in which they are especially interested4 ,as a means of bringing below-grade children up to the standard of affording an opportunity for the able children to advance more rapidly in school1 and1 in general1 as a means of keeping city children usefully occupied during the summer months1 the vacation school has won its place4 ,newark1 making an even more radical departure from tradition1 runs some schools twelve months in the year4 ,edgar ,g4 ,pitkin1 principal of a school in an immigrant district1 first put the idea into practice4 ,at the end of the regular session in ,june1 he announced to his children that school would start again on the following ,monday4 ,fearfully he approached the building4 ,the streets about the school seemed unusually deserted that ,monday morning4 ,suppose no one should be there6 ,when the gong sounded1 however1 more than seven-tenths of the two thousand children belonging in the school were in their places4 ,the attendance that summer was ninety-two per cent1 and the promotion ninety-five per cent4 ,during the three summer months there were exactly two cases of discipline4 ,you see what happened1 ,mr4 ,pitkin explained4 ,all of the bright ambitious children came back and the loafers stayed away4 ,from that picked crowd nothing but good work could be expected4 ,there was no attendance officer on duty1 but the children were regular4 ,order was so good that on hot days we put up the sashes between rooms1 and on the second floor1 where four class-rooms were thrown into one1 four classes worked industriously under four teachers without the least friction4 ,this school has been organized on a year schedule4 ,if the children come four terms each year instead of three1 they will reduce the time between the first and eighth grades by one-third1 which means a saving to them and to the school4 ,since it is the able children who come1 the twelve months' school affords them an opportunity to go quickly through work on which the slower classmates must hold a more moderate pace4 ,,xiv ,sending the ,whole ,child to ,school ,it is a long step from the school of-- ,reading1 and writing and 'rithmetic1 ,taught to the tune of the hickory stick1 to the school which aims at the education of the whole child2 yet that step has been attempted in ,gary1 ,indiana4 ,there1 perhaps more consistently than anywhere else in the ,united ,states1 the school authorities are providing for the whole child in their schools4 ,many schools have manual training and domestic science2 many schools have school gardens and playgrounds2 many schools have nature work in the parks and squares2 but in no school that ,i have visited did ,i find a more conscious effort to unite mental and physical1 hand and head1 and vocation and recreation1 in one complete system4 ,this result1 which to some may sound unbelievably like the impossible1 is accomplished first1 by engaging experts to teach such special subjects as botany and physical training2 second1 by abolishing grade promotions and permitting each child to advance in his subject when he is ready to do so2 third1 by keeping the school open morning1 afternoon and evening during practically the entire year2 fourth1 by making the work of interest to each individual child4 ,perhaps this matter of interest sums up better than any other the spirit of the ,gary schools4 ,the system aims to make the school so attractive that children will prefer to be there rather than to be anywhere else4 ,how is this done8 ,take the case of ,john ,frena1 who occupies a place of no particular distinction in the fifth year of the ,gary schools4 ,john's school day 7from #h3cj ,a4 ,m4 to #d3jj ,p4 ,m47 is divided equally between regular work 7reading1 writing1 geography1 etc47 and special work 7play1 nature study1 manual training and the like74 ,a day of ,john's school life reads like this3 ,first period--,playground1 games1 sports and gymnastics1 under the direction of an expert4 ,second period--,nature study1 elementary science and physical geography4 ,third and fourth periods--,reading1 writing1 spelling and language4 ,lunch hour4 ,fifth period--,playground 7as before74 ,sixth period--,drawing and manual training4 ,seventh and eighth periods--,history1 political geography and arithmetic4 ,during his school day1 ,john has played1 used his head and his hands1 and alternated the work in such a way that no one part of it ever became irksome4 ,next week1 music and literature will be substituted on ,john's program for drawing2 the following week manual training will replace one period of play4 ,the four special subjects 7drawing and manual training1 music and literature1 nature study and science1 and plays and games7 rotate regularly4 ,each day1 however1 includes four periods of this special work and four periods of regular work4 ,such a plan sounds complicated4 ,in reality1 it is very easy4 ,the gymnasium teacher stays in the gymnasium1 the drawing teacher in the drawing room4 ,in the regular work1 there are forty children in each class4 ,for science and manual training these classes split in two4 ,at the end of each period1 or of each two periods1 depending on the subject1 the children pass from one room to another4 ,while this system brings them under several teachers each day1 it enables them to take a subject like art with one teacher for twelve years4 ,meanwhile our little friend ,john has shown himself bright in language1 but slow in arithmetic4 ,immediately he is advanced in language1 and perhaps placed in a lower arithmetic class4 ,he may even be transferred to another teacher for special arithmetic work4 ,the system permits this flexibility because it allows each teacher1 an expert in her own field1 to shape her work to suit her pupils4 ,better still1 if ,john cannot master his arithmetic in the regular classes1 he may attend voluntary classes on ,saturday1 at night1 or during the summer months4 ,the schools afford him every chance to keep up in every subject1 and if he cannot make his way in this subject or in that1 he works in the fields which are open to him1 doing what he can to make his course a success4 ,john1 in the schools of ,gary1 is ,john ,frena1 with all of ,john ,frena's limitations and possibilities4 ,the ,gary school seeks to bridge the limitations1 expand the possibilities1 and give ,john ,frena a thousand and one reasons for believing that if there is any place in the world where he can grow into a complete man1 that place is the ,gary school4 ,,xv ,smashing the ,school ,machine ,one of the oft-repeated complaints against the old education arose from the iron-clad system of promotion which once in each year1 with automatic precision1 separated the sheep from the goats1 saying to the sheep1 go higher1 and to the goats1 repeat the grade4 ,for the sheep1 the system worked fairly well1 at least that once2 but for the goats1 it was a tragedy4 ,the child who had failed in one out of six branches1 side by side with the child failing in six out of six1 repeated the year4 ,the new education affords several remedies for this situation4 ,of these the most generally known is promotion twice yearly4 ,while this affords considerable relief1 it is greatly improved upon in ,springfield1 ,mass41 by the division of each grade into three divisions--advanced1 normal and backward4 ,these divisions the teacher handles separately so that when promotion time comes the children who have shown special aptitude are prepared to go into the next grade4 ,meantime the children have been constantly changing from one division in the class to another4 ,perhaps the most generally practicable plan for relieving the mechanical features of promotion is found in ,indianapolis1 and even more intensely in ,gary1 where children are promoted by subjects rather than by grades4 ,in ,indianapolis1 the child entering the sixth grade1 takes all ,english with one teacher from that time until the end of the eighth grade4 ,if the child is strong in ,english1 he advances rapidly4 ,if he is weak in ,english1 the teacher gives him special attention4 ,learning each pupil's capabilities in her particular branch1 the teacher is able to give the individual child1 over a series of years1 the help which his special case requires4 ,in ,gary the departmental idea is carried through the entire school system4 ,in the ,emerson ,school1 for instance1 children may take eighth grade work in ,english and high school work in nature study or history4 ,the departmental work is strengthened in ,gary1 in ,indianapolis1 and in a number of other cities1 by afternoon work1 ,saturday classes and vacation schools4 ,here1 a child interested in any phase of the school work or desiring to make up work in which he is deficient1 may spend his spare time to his heart's content4 ,an even greater individuation of children exists in ,fitchburg and ,newton1 ,mass41 and in ,providence1 ,r4 ,i4 ,children from the country and foreign children who have difficulty with their ,english1 together with any other children who do not fit into any grade1 are placed in an ungraded class4 ,a typical ungraded class of fifty pupils contained ,germans1 ,russians1 ,greeks1 ,french1 ,italians and ,polish children1 who were unable to speak ,english on entering the school4 ,the ages of these children varied from eight to fifteen4 ,as soon as the ungraded children appear to be fitted for any special grade1 they are transferred4 ,this ungraded work is supplemented by floating teachers1 who are located in each school for the purpose of dealing with special cases4 ,the case of any child who1 for this reason or that1 cannot keep up with the work in a particular subject1 is handed over to these teachers4 ,thus individual attention is secured in individual cases4 ,,xvi ,all ,hands ,around for ,an ,elementary ,school ,these progressive educational steps are not isolated instances of success in new lines1 nor are they incompatible with good work4 ,they may be welded into a unified system1 aglow with the real interests of real life4 ,it is possible to correlate the old standard courses and the new fields in such a way that the child will gain in interest and in life experience4 ,nowhere is this possibility better illustrated than in the elementary schools of ,indianapolis4 ,take as an example ,school ,no4 #eb1 which is located in an average district4 ,the children1 neither very rich nor very poor1 possess the advantages and disadvantages of that great mass known as common people4 ,the children in grades one to three1 inclusive1 in addition to studying the three ,r's1 spend thirty minutes each day learning to measure1 fold1 cut and weave paper4 ,in grades four and five1 an hour and a half per week is devoted to simple weaving1 knife-work1 raffia work1 sewing and basketry4 ,grade six has four and a half hours of similar work each week1 while in grades seven and eight1 the pupils are occupied for one-third of their entire school time in art work1 book-binding1 pottery work1 weaving 7blankets and rugs71 chair caning1 cooking1 sewing and printing4 ,but how is it possible8 queries the defender of the old system4 ,how can the necessary subjects be taught in two-thirds of the time now devoted to them8 ,are we not already crowded to death8 ,yes1 crowded with dead work1 the proof of which lies in the fact that the children who devote a third of the time to apply their knowledge get as good or better marks in the academic work than the three-thirds children4 ,that1 however1 is not the really important point4 ,this course of study is valuable because it gives a rounded1 unified training4 ,this is how the course is organized4 ,the school life is a unit1 into which each department fits and in which it works4 ,the spelling lesson is covered in the classroom and set in type in the print shop4 ,the grammar lesson consists in revising compositions with regulation proofreaders' corrections4 ,the art department designs clothes which are made in the sewing classes4 ,the drawing room furnishes plans for the wood and iron work and designs for basketry and pottery4 ,in the ,english classes1 the problems of caning and weaving are written and discussed4 ,the mathematical problems are problems of the school4 ,children in the sixth year keep careful accounts of personal receipts and expenditures--accounts which are balanced semi-weekly4 ,the boy in one woodworking class makes out an order for materials4 ,a boy in another class makes the necessary computations and fills the order4 ,all costs of dressmaking and cooking materials are carefully kept and dealt with as arithmetic problems4 ,for the older boys1 shop-cards are kept1 showing the amount and price of materials used and the time devoted to a given operation4 ,these again form a basis for mathematical work4 ,the whole is knit together in a civics class1 which deals with the industrial1 political and social questions1 in their relations to the child and to the community4 ,best of all1 the things which the children talk and figure about1 plan and make1 have value4 ,the seventh and eighth year girls make clothes which they are proud to show and wear2 they cook lunch for which some of the teachers pay a cost price4 ,the baskets are taken home4 ,eighty chairs are caned by the children each year4 ,the bindery binds magazines1 songs and special literature4 ,the boys make sleds and carts1 hall stands1 umbrella racks1 center tables and stools4 ,they make cupboards and shelves for the school1 quilting-frames on which the girls do patchwork4 ,rags are woven into rag carpets and sold4 ,the print shop prints all of the stationery for the school4 ,each can of preserves1 in the ample stock put up by the girls1 is labeled thus3 ,,preserved ,,peaches with labels printed by the boys4 ,june1 #aiab1 witnessed a triumph for the entire school4 ,the children in the upper class had taken up the study of book-making4 ,they even went to a bindery and saw a book bound and lettered4 ,then1 to show what they had learned1 they composed1 set up and printed-- ,a ,,book ,,about ,,books by ,june #h ,a ,class4 ,this book of twenty-eight pages1 tastefully covered and decorated1 contained three half-tone cuts which the children paid for by means of entertainments2 an essay by ,hazel ,almas on ,the ,history of ,books1 one by ,adele ,wise on ,the ,printing of a ,book1 and one by ,ruth ,kingelman on ,the ,art of ,bookbinding2 the program of the commencement exercises1 and a collection of poems and wise sayings4 ,the children went further and invited ,mr4 ,charles ,bookwalter1 the owner of the bookbindery where they had learned their lesson1 to come and talk to them on ,commencement ,day4 ,he came1 made a splendid address and went away filled with wonder before these achievements of fourteen-year-old grammar school children4 ,each grade has a special subject of study4 ,this year the boys in the ,eighth ,a are studying saws2 the boys in ,eighth ,b1 lumbering2 the girls in ,eighth ,a are investigating wool and silk2 while in ,eighth ,b the girls are studying cotton and flax4 ,this study means much4 ,not only do the children discuss the topics1 write about them1 read books on them1 and do problems concerning them1 but they visit the factories and study the processes from beginning to end4 ,when the problem of pins came up1 the teacher desired several copies of a description of pin-making1 so she asked the class to write out a letter to the manufacturers4 ,the class1 left to select1 decided to send this letter3 ,,school ,,no4 #eb1 ,indianapolis1 ,ind41 ,oct4 #aa1 #aiab4 ,,american ,,pin ,,company1 ,waterbury1 ,conn4 ,dear ,sirs3 ,on seeing the pamphlet on pins you have been kind enough to send us1 ,i have decided to write and ask you if you would kindly send us about twenty of your pamphlets on the making of pins4 ,we are in the eighth grade1 and expect to go out into the world in ,january1 and your process of making pins will be spread abroad to the whole world4 ,we are very anxious to know more about the making of pins1 and we are very much interested in your process4 ,yours sincerely1 ,,ruth ,,harrison4 ,need ,i say that the ,american ,pin ,company sent immediately twenty duplicates of the desired pamphlet8 ,the work in this school where thought and activity go hand in hand1 is done by the regular grade teachers--done1 and done well4 ,they are as enthusiastic as the pupils4 ,four years' trial has convinced them4 ,on the day that ,i visited the school1 ,i walked into a classroom where twenty girls were busy sewing4 ,the order was perfect4 ,every one was busy4 ,the teacher was nowhere in evidence4 ,that teacher1 explained the principal to me later1 is off at a teachers' meeting4 ,she left these girls on their honor to work4 ,you see the result4 ,i saw and marveled4 ,yet why marvel8 ,was not this a typical product of the system which knits thought and activity into such a harmonious1 fascinating whole as the most fortunate adults find in later life8 ,out of such a school may we not well develop harmony and keen life8 ,never yet have men gathered grapes from thistles1 but often and often have they plucked from fig trees the figs which they craved and sought4 ,,xvii ,from a ,blazed ,trail to a ,paved ,highway ,pages might be filled with descriptions of similar successes1 yet ,i think that my point is already sufficiently established4 ,how can we disagree regarding so plain a matter8 ,the path of educational progress has led away from the three ,r's along a trail1 blazed at first by a few men and women who dreamed and stepped forward hesitatingly4 ,often they retraced their steps1 discouraged1 and gave over the little they had gained4 ,by degrees1 however1 the trail was blazed4 ,the way became clearer4 ,after all it was possible to connect education with life4 ,slowly the light of this truth dawned upon men's minds4 ,gradually the way opened before them4 ,one by one they trod the path1 bridging the worst defiles1 straightening the road1 cutting out the thickets and filling in the morasses1 until at last1 behold the way1 explored by hesitating1 derided pioneers1 no longer a trail1 but a broad highway4 ,others have gone--their name is legion--and have succeeded4 ,the three ,r's are but the beginning of an adequate elementary curriculum4 ,you1 in your own city1 with your own teachers1 can vitalize your elementary schools4 ,you can teach the children to use their heads and hands together1 and thus show them the way to a deeper interest in your schools1 and a larger outlook on their work in life4 ,,chapter ,v ,,keeping ,,the ,,high ,,school ,,in ,,step ,,with ,,life ,i ,the ,responsibility of the ,high ,school ,every pupil of high school maturity should be in high school atmosphere whether he has completed the work of the grammar grades or not1 insists ,dr4 ,f4 ,e4 ,spaulding4 ,perhaps the high school course of study is not adapted to the needs of such children4 ,well1 so much the worse for the course of study4 ,the sooner the high school suits its work to the needs of fourteen and fifteen-year-old boys and girls1 the sooner it will be filling its true place in the community4 ,such opinions1 voiced in this case by a man whose national reputation is founded on his splendid work as superintendent of the school system of ,newton ,mass41 bespeak the attitude of the most progressive ,american high schools4 ,the high school is not a training ground for colleges1 nor is it a repository of classical lore4 ,as an advanced school it differs no more from the elementary school than the six cylinder automobile differs from the four cylinder car4 ,though its work is more complex1 like the elementary school it exists for the sole purpose of helping children to live wholesome1 efficient lives4 ,,ii ,an ,experiment in ,futures ,children who get stranded in the seventh or eighth grades may have failed in one subject or in several4 ,over age and out of place1 they lose interest1 become discouraged and at fourteen drop out of school to work or to idle4 ,in ,newton1 as in every other town1 there were a number of just such children whom ,mr4 ,spaulding decided to get into the high school4 ,there they will be among children of their own age1 he explained4 ,they may take a new line of work and acquire a real interest4 ,but they will fail in their high school work as they have failed in their grade work1 protested the doubters4 ,mr4 ,spaulding1 smiling his quiet1 genial smile1 tried his experiment all the same4 ,from the seventh and eighth grades of the ,newton schools he picked the boys and girls who were fifteen or more at their next birthdays4 ,these pupils1 seventy in all--forty girls and thirty boys--were transferred1 without examination1 into the high school4 ,these youngsters were going to drop out of school for good in one year1 or two at the outside1 explained ,mr4 ,spaulding1 so ,i made up my mind that during that year at least they should have some high school training4 ,they went to the regular high school teachers for their hand-work2 but for their studies1 ,i put them in charge of three capable grade teachers1 who were responsible for seeing that each child was making good4 ,i put it to the grade teachers this way3 ',here are a lot of children who have got the failure habit by failing all through their school course4 ,unless we want to send them out of our school to make similar failures in life1 we must teach them to succeed4 ,take each child on his own merits1 give him work that he can do and let him learn success4' ,we gave these boys and girls twenty hours a week of technical work 7drawing1 designing1 shop-work1 cooking and sewing7 and ten hours a week of academic work 7,english1 mathematics1 civics and hygiene74 ,shop costs1 buying of materials and simple accounting covered their mathematics4 ,those were the things which would probably be most needful in life4 ,the boys got deeply interested in civics1 and we let them go as far and as fast as they pleased4 ,with the girls we discussed hygiene1 dressing and a lot of other things in which they were interested4 ,when those children entered the school they were boisterous and rough4 ,the girls dressed gaudily1 reveling in cheap finery4 ,by ,christmas1 to all appearances1 their classes differed in no way from the other high school classes4 ,they all brushed their hair4 ,the boys were neater and the girls were becomingly dressed4 ,most of the seventy children stayed through the year4 ,twenty-seven of the forty girls and seventeen of the thirty boys entered the regular high school course the next fall4 ,they were thus put into competition with their former seventh and eighth grade comrades1 although they had had only two-fifths as much academic work as the regular eighth grade pupils4 ,there was the test4 ,could these derelicts1 after one year of special care1 take their places in the regular freshman high school work8 ,after the end of the first quarter1 a study made of the #hjj children in the high school showed that on the average there were fifty-four hundredths of one failure for each scholar4 ,among the twenty-seven girls from the special classes1 however1 there was but seventeen-hundredths of a failure for each girl1 or one-third as many failures as in the whole school4 ,the boys made an even better showing4 ,of the entire seventeen1 only one boy failed1 and in only one subject4 ,,iii ,the ,success ,habit ,we had given them something they liked and could do1 ,mr4 ,spaulding concluded4 ,they succeeded a few times1 got the success habit1 learned to like school1 went into the regular high school course and succeeded there4 ,as an illustration of the way in which the new plan works1 take the case of ,james ,rawley4 ,james was in a serious predicament4 ,time after time the court had overlooked his truancy and misdoings1 but ,james had taken the pitcher once too often to the well1 and the open doors of the ,state ,reform ,school stared him grimly in the face4 ,it will be best for him in the long run1 commented the judge4 ,each month of this wild life makes him a little less fit to keep his place in the community4 ,he has had his last chance4 ,yet there was one ray of hope1 for ,james lived in and out of ,boston1 a city located near the ,newton ,technical ,high ,school4 ,this fact led ,james's custodians to propose to the judge that he give ,james one more trial1 this time in the ,newton ,technical ,high ,school4 ,the judge1 also of the initiated1 agreed to the suggestion1 and ,james1 a dismal eighth grade failure1 entered the ,newton ,technical ,high ,school in one of the special transfer classes4 ,just a word about ,james4 ,he began life badly4 ,his mother died when he was young2 and his father1 a rather indifferent man1 boarded the boy out during his early years with an aunt1 who first spoiled him through indulgence1 and then1 inconsistently enough1 hated him because he was spoiled4 ,growing up in this uncongenial atmosphere1 ,james became entirely uncontrollable4 ,he was disagreeable in the extreme1 wild and unmanageable4 ,the people with whom ,james was boarding grew tired of his continued truancy and he was placed on a farm near ,boston4 ,there1 too1 he was discontented1 dissatisfied and disobedient4 ,time after time he ran away to ,boston4 ,he went on from bad to worse1 falling in with vagrants1 learning their talk and their ways1 acquiring a love for wandering and a distaste for regularity and direction4 ,taken into custody by the ,juvenile ,court1 and placed on probation with a family outside of ,boston1 ,james again ran away to mingle with a crowd of his old associates in ,boston4 ,it was at this point that the court decided to send him to the ,reform ,school4 ,it was likewise at this time that some friendly people took him in charge1 found him a home in ,newton1 and started his life anew in the ,newton ,technical ,high ,school1 which ,james entered with a special transfer class4 ,promoted to the regular freshman class on trial1 ,james has renewed his interest in education and bids fair to make his way through the high school4 ,james is doing well in the ,newton ,technical ,high ,school4 ,though he does not like all of the regular high school work1 he has a full course1 and is working at it persistently4 ,heretofore school has never appealed to him--in fact1 he hated it cordially--but the school at ,newton offered him such a variety of subjects that he was able to find some which were attractive4 ,since then he has been working on those subjects4 ,there are many cities in which every school door would have been closed to ,james1 because he did not fit into the school system1 but the superintendent of the ,newton schools believes in making the school fit the needs of the boy4 ,a fantastic theory8 ,well1 perhaps a trifle1 from one viewpoint2 nevertheless1 it is the soul of education4 ,,iv ,the ,help-,out ,spirit ,as a result of this special promotion policy1 there are practically no over-age pupils in the grammar schools of ,newton4 ,instead of square pegs in round holes1 the ,newton ,high ,school can boast of sixty or seventy children who come1 each year1 in search of a new opening for which they are technically not ready1 but into which they may grow4 ,after coming to the high school1 two-thirds of them find an incentive sufficient to lead them to continue with an education of which they had already wearied4 ,the ,newton ,high ,school1 recognizing its obligation to serve the people1 strains every nerve to enable boys and girls to take high school work4 ,the printing teacher pointed to his class of twenty4 ,only three of them do not work on ,saturdays and after school4 ,they couldn't come here if they didn't work4 ,hiney1 there1 was in a bakeshop all day at three and a half a week4 ,we got him a job afternoons and ,saturdays that pays him three dollars4 ,that tall fellow will send himself through high school on the six dollars a week that he gets from a drug store where he works outside of school hours4 ,we aim1 added ,mr4 ,spaulding1 to do everything in our power to make it possible for the boys to come here4 ,if their parents cannot afford to send them1 we find work for them to do outside of school hours4 ,that is virile work1 is it not8 ,and the result8 ,during the past eight years the number of pupils in the ,newton schools who are over fourteen has increased three times as fast as the number of pupils who are under fourteen4 ,the school authorities have searched the highways and byways of the educational world until one-quarter of the school children of ,newton are in the high schools4 ,v ,joining ,hands with the ,elementary ,schools ,the same result which is attained informally at ,newton is accomplished more formally by the organization of the junior high schools which have sprung up in ,berkeley and ,los ,angeles1 ,california2 ,evansville1 ,indiana2 ,dayton1 ,ohio1 and a number of other progressive educational centers4 ,the child's school life under this plan is divided into three parts--the elementary grades 7years one to six71 the junior high school 7years seven to nine7 and the high school proper 7years ten to twelve74 ,the break1 if break there must be1 between the elementary and the high school1 thus comes at age twelve and at age fifteen1 instead of1 as formerly1 coming at age fourteen1 when the temptation to leave school is so strong4 ,then1 too1 the sharp transition from work by grades to work by departments is made easier because the junior high school combines the two1 leading the pupil gradually over from the grade method to the department method4 ,though the junior high school has so great a popularity1 its work is eclipsed by the still more revolutionary program of those educators who advocate the complete abolition of any line between the elementary and the high school1 and the establishment of a public school of twelve school years4 ,this plan1 coupled with promotion by subjects rather than by grades1 replaces the machine method of promotion and the gap between elementary and high schools by an easy1 natural progression adaptable to the needs of any student1 from the end of the kindergarten to the beginning of the university4 ,superintendent ,wirt of ,gary1 ,indiana1 has established such a twelve-year course in the ,emerson ,school4 ,the grades1 numbered from one to twelve1 are so arranged that a girl may take half of her subjects in school year eight 7last grammar grade7 and the other half in school year nine 7first high school grade74 ,in order to make the harmony more complete1 ,mr4 ,wirt places the elementary rooms1 containing the second grade pupils1 next door to the rooms which shelter high school seniors4 ,on this side of the hall is a kindergarten2 directly across from it is a class in high school geometry4 ,the same plan1 on a larger scale1 has been adopted by ,i4 ,b4 ,gilbert1 principal of the ,union ,high ,school1 ,grand ,rapids1 ,michigan1 which houses twelve hundred students4 ,we have obliterated the sharp line of distinction between the grades1 declared ,mr4 ,gilbert4 ,the school1 which is a new one1 has a very complete equipment--physical1 chemical1 and biological laboratories1 two cooking rooms1 dressmaking and millinery rooms1 an art department1 a woodworking shop1 a forge room and a machine shop2 the print shop1 though not yet installed1 is to be put in this year4 ,by bringing children of all grades to the school1 we place at the disposal of grade pupils apparatus ordinarily reserved for high school pupils only4 ,at the same time1 our equipment is in constant use and the cost of establishing a separate industrial department or school for the grades is eliminated4 ,these are merely the surface advantages1 however4 ,the real gain to the students is in other and most significant directions4 ,first1 the abolishing of rigid grading allows each child to follow his own bent4 ,at the beginning of the adolescent period1 when the old interests begin to lag1 some new ideas must be furnished if the child is to be kept in school4 ,we provide that new stimulus by beginning departmental work with the seventh year 7at twelve or thirteen74 ,then1 if the child shows any particular preference for any line of work1 he may pursue it4 ,from the seventh grade up1 promotion is by subjects entirely1 and not by grades4 ,if a student elects art1 she may follow up her art work for the next six years2 similarly1 a boy may follow shop-work1 or a girl domestic science or millinery4 ,in order to fit the school more quickly to the pupils' need1 we make a division at the beginning of the eighth grade of those pupils desiring to take academic work and those desiring to take industrial work in the high school4 ,the latter group does extra sewing or shop-work twice each week4 ,again1 we take all over-age and over-size pupils from the schools in this section of the city1 and by placing them in ungraded classes1 permit them to take the work which they can do4 ,here is a boy who cannot master grammar4 ,that is no reason why he should not design jewelry1 so we give him fourth year language1 and take him into the tenth year class in jewelry design4 ,yes1 and he makes good1 doing excellent craft work and gradually pulling up in his language4 ,by this means we make our twelve grade school fit the needs of any and every pupil who may come to it4 ,we have a natural educational progress for twelve years1 concluded ,mr4 ,gilbert4 ,there is no break anywhere4 ,instead of making it hard to step from grade eight to grade nine1 we interrelate them so intimately that the student scarcely feels the change from one to the other4 ,the result8 ,last ,june there were #aeb pupils in our eighth grade4 ,of that number #aah1 or more than three-quarters of them reported in the ninth grade this fall4 ,we have cancelled the invitation to quit school at the end of the eighth grade and our children stay with us4 ,,vi ,the ,abolition of ,mass ,play ,thus the dark narrow passage-way from the elementary to the higher schools is being widened1 lighted1 paved and sign-posted4 ,in some school systems it has disappeared altogether1 leaving the promotion from the eighth year to the first year high school as easy as the step from the seventh to the eighth grade4 ,after the children have reached the high school1 however1 the task is only begun4 ,first they must be individualized1 second socialized1 and third taught4 ,the trouble with the girls1 complained ,wm4 ,mc,andrew1 in discussing his four thousand ,washington ,irvingites1 is that they have always been taught mass play4 ,take singing1 for instance4 ,a class started off will sing beautifully all together1 but get one girl on her feet and she is afraid to utter a note4 ,the grade instruction has taught them group acting and group thinking4 ,i step into a class of ,freshmen with a ',good morning1 girls'4 ',good morning1' they chorus4 ',are you glad to see me1 girls8' ',yes sir1' again in chorus4 ',do you wished ,i was hanged8' ',yes sir1' generally1-- ',oh1 no sir1' cries one girl who has begun to cerebrate4 ,the idea catches all over the class1 and again the chorus comes1-- ',oh1 no sir1 no sir4' ,so it goes4 ,the bright girl takes her cue from the teacher and the class takes the cue from the bright girl4 ,they must be taught to think and do for themselves4 ,everyone interested in school children should visit the ,washington ,irving ,school 7,new ,york7 and watch the truly wonderful ,mc,andrew system of individualization4 ,in the office1 you are cordially greeted4 ,you wish to see the school8 ,by all means6 ,but no teacher is detailed to serve you4 ,instead1 a messenger goes in search of the ,reception ,committee4 ,two of the school girls1 after a formal introduction1 start your tour of inspection1 if you are fortunate enough to be there at nine1 with a visit to one of the assembly rooms1 where1 in groups of three or four hundred1 the girls enjoy three-quarters of an hour each morning4 ,the word enjoy is used advisedly1 for1 unlike the ordinary assembly1 this one is conducted entirely by the girls4 ,each morning a different chairman and secretary is selected1 so that in the course of the year every girl has had her turn4 ,the chairman1 after calling the meeting to order and appointing two critics for the day1 reads her own scripture selection1 and then calls upon some girl to lead the salute to the flag4 ,the minutes of the previous day's meeting are then read1 discussed and accepted4 ,after fifteen minutes of singing--singing of everything from ,faust to ,rags--the chairman calls on the two critics for their criticism of the conduct of that day's meeting4 ,some special event is then in order4 ,on one ,monday in ,december ,miss ,sage1 head of the ,biology ,department1 described the ,biological ,laboratory in the new school building4 ,after she had finished1 the chairman rose4 ,will anyone volunteer to tell in a few words the principal points which ,miss ,sage made8 ,three girls were promptly on their feet1 giving1 in clear1 collected language1 an analysis of the talk4 ,after you1 as a guest1 have been conducted to the platform1 introduced to the chairman1 and given a seat of honor1 the chairman turns to the assembly1 with the announcement1-- ,girls1 ,i wish to introduce to you our guest of this morning4 ,instantly the whole assembly rises1 singing blithely1 ,good morning1 honored guest1 we the girls of the ,washington ,irving ,high ,school are glad to welcome you4 ,the proceedings having come to an end1 the chairman declares the meeting adjourned and you look about1 realizing with a start that the girls--freshmen1 sophomores1 juniors1 and seniors--have spent three-quarters of an hour in charge of themselves1 and have done it with interest1 and with striking efficiency4 ,continuing your journey1 you find the process of individualization everywhere present4 ,here a girl is in front of a class1 directing the calisthenics which precede each class hour4 ,there a girl is standing at the front of the room1 leading singing or quizzing in geometry4 ,yes1 it was a wrench1 ,mr4 ,mc,andrew admits4 ,you see1 the teachers hated to give up4 ,they had been despots during all of their teaching lives1 and the idea of handing the discipline and a lot of the responsibility of the school over to the girls hurt them dreadfully1 but they have tried it and found that it works4 ,,vii ,experimental ,democracy ,the high school pupil1 after discovering himself1 must next determine his relation to the community4 ,it is one thing to break down what ,mr4 ,mc,andrew calls the ,w4 ,i4 7,wooden ,indian7 attitude4 ,it is quite another to relate pupils to the community in which they live4 ,yet this1 too1 can be done4 ,the school is a society--incomplete in certain respects1 yet in its broad outline similar to the city and the state4 ,the social work of the school consists in showing the citizens of the school-community how to enjoy the privileges and act up to the responsibilities of citizenship4 ,the ,emerson ,school at ,gary and the ,union ,high ,school at ,grand ,rapids1 organized into complete schools from the first grade to the end of the high school1 are miniature working models of the composite world in which all of the children will live4 ,particularly effective work has been done on the social side of high school organization at the ,william ,penn ,high ,school 7,philadelphia71 where ,mr4 ,lewis has turned the conduct of student affairs over to a ,student ,government ,association1 directed by a ,board of ,governors of eighteen1 on which the faculty1 represented by five members1 holds an advisory position only4 ,the ,association gives some annual event1 like a ,may day fete1 in which all of the girls take part4 ,it assumes charge of the corridors1 elevators1 and lunch rooms2 grants charters to clubs and student societies1 and assumes a general direction of student affairs4 ,it really doesn't take much time1 ,irene ,litchman1 the first term 7#aiab-ac7 ,president1 explained4 ,we like it and we're proud to do it4 ,we used to have teachers everywhere taking charge of things4 ,now we do it all ourselves4 ,true enough1 ,madame ,president1 and it is well done1 as any casual observer may see4 ,similar testimony is to be had from the sick girls who have received letters and flowers1 from the children whose ,christmas has been brightened by ,association-dressed dolls1 and from the girls whose misunderstandings with members of the faculty have been settled by the ,student ,association4 ,each class in the ,washington ,irving ,high ,school 7,new ,york7 gives one reception a term to one of the other classes4 ,in addition1 an annual reception and play are given by the entire school4 ,the plays for these occasions are written1 costumed and staged by the students4 ,last year the reception was given to ,mrs4 ,dix1 wife of the ,governor of ,new ,york1 and the play ,rip ,van ,winkle was acted by eighteen hundred girls4 ,such organizations and activities lead high school students to feel social relationships1 and to assume responsibilities as members of the social group4 ,,viii ,breaching the ,chinese ,wall of ,high ,school ,classicism ,a high school education is included1 by progressive communities1 in the birthright of every child4 ,since only a small part of these children are preparing for college1 the school must offer more than the traditional high school course4 ,the principal of a great ,western high school which housed nearly two thousand children1 pointed to one room in which a tiny class bent over their books4 ,that is probably the last class in ,greek that we shall ever have in the school1 he said4 ,they are sophomores4 ,only two freshmen elected ,greek this fall1 and we decided not to form the class4 ,time was when ,greek was one of the pillars of the high school course of study4 ,in this particular school1 splendidly equipped laboratories1 sewing rooms1 and shops have claimed the children4 ,the classics are still popular with a small minority1 but the vast majority come to learn some lesson which will direct their steps along the pathway of life4 ,everywhere the technical high school courses are gaining by leaps and bounds4 ,the ,william ,penn ,high ,school 7,philadelphia71 established in #aiji1 is to-day enrolling four-fifths of the girls who enter ,philadelphia high schools4 ,in some cities1 technical work and classical work are done in the same building2 in other cities1 they are sheltered separately1 but everywhere the high school is opening its doors to that great group of school children who1 at seventeen or eighteen1 must and will enter the arena of life4 ,the technical high school has not gained its prestige easily1 however4 ,the bitter contests between the old and the new are well portrayed by one dramatic episode from the history of the ,los ,angeles ,high ,school4 ,mr4 ,john ,h4 ,francis1 now superintendent of the schools of ,los ,angeles1 was head of the ,commercial ,department in the ,los ,angeles ,high ,school4 ,despite opposition and ridicule the department grew until it finally emerged as a full-fledged technical high school1 claiming a building of its own1--a building which ,mr4 ,francis insisted should contain accommodations for two thousand students4 ,the authorities protested1--,two thousand technical students8 ,why1 ,los ,angeles is not a metropolis4 ,mr4 ,francis gained his point1 however1 and the building was erected to accommodate two thousand children4 ,when the time for opening arrived it was discovered1 to the astonishment of the doubters1 that more students wanted to come into the school than the school would hold4 ,when ,mr4 ,francis announced that students up to two thousand would be admitted in order of application1 excitement in school circles ran high1 and on the day before ,registration ,day a line began to form which grew in length as the day wore on1 until by nightfall it extended for squares from the school4 ,all that night the boys and girls camped in their places1 waiting for the morning which would bring an opportunity to attend the technical high school4 ,though less dramatic in form1 the rush toward technical high school courses is equally significant4 ,it is not that the old high school has lost1 but that the new high school is drawing in thousands of boys and girls who1 from lack of interest in classical education1 would have gone directly from the grammar school into the mill or the office4 ,,ix ,an ,up-to-,date ,high ,school ,the modern high school is housed in a building which contains1 in addition to the regular class rooms1 gymnasiums1 a swimming tank1 physics1 and chemical laboratories2 cooking1 sewing1 and millinery rooms2 wood-working1 forge1 and machine shops2 drawing rooms2 a music room2 a room devoted to arts and crafts2 and an assembly room4 ,this arrangement of rooms presupposes ,mr4 ,gilbert's plan of making the high school1 like the community1 an aggregation of every sort of people1 doing every sort of work4 ,physical training in the high school has not yet come into its own1 though it is on the road to recognition4 ,all of the newer high schools have gymnasiums1 but the children do not use them for more than thirty1 forty1 or fifty minutes a week4 ,sometimes the work is optional4 ,the ,west ,technical of ,cleveland1 with its outdoor basket ball court1 its athletic grounds and grandstand1 in addition to the indoor gymnasium1 offers a good example of effective preparation for physical training4 ,william ,d4 ,lewis of the ,william ,penn ,high ,school sends all students who have physical defects to the gymnasium three1 four1 or even five times a week1 until the defects are corrected4 ,these exceptions merely serve to emphasize the fact that we have not yet learned that high school children have bodies which are as much in need of development and training as the minds which the bodies support4 ,several real attempts are being made to teach high school boys and girls to care for their bodies1 as they would for any other precious thing4 ,hygiene is taught1 positively1--the old time don'ts being replaced by a series of do's4 ,in many schools1 careful efforts are being made to give a sound sex education4 ,the program at ,william ,penn1 in addition to the earlier work in biology and in personal and community hygiene1 includes a senior course1 extending through the year1 in ,domestic ,sanitation and ,eugenics4 ,the course1 given by the women in charge of ,physical ,training1 deals frankly with the domestic and personal problems which the girls must face4 ,the time is ripe for other schools to fall in line behind these much-needed pioneers4 ,the course of study in the modern high school is a broad one4 ,latin may always be taken1 and sometimes there is ,greek4 ,french1 ,german and ,spanish1 ,mathematics1 ,history1 ,physics1 ,chemistry1 ,biology1 and ,civics are almost universally offered on the cultural side of the curriculum4 ,in addition1 girls may take dress designing1 sewing1 millinery and home economics2 boys may take wood-working1 forge work1 machine-tool work1 electricity1 printing1 and house designing2 and both boys and girls have an opportunity to elect art1 arts and crafts work and music4 ,in some schools the combination of subjects group themselves into definite courses1 as in the ,newton ,high ,school1 which offers1-- ,the ,classical ,course4 ,the ,scientific ,course4 ,the ,general ,course4 ,the ,technical ,course4 ,the ,technology-,college ,course4 ,the ,extra ,technical ,course4 ,the ,fine ,arts ,course4 ,the ,business ,course4 ,other schools1 like the ,indianapolis ,manual ,training ,school1 permit the pupil1 with the advice of the principal1 to make his own combination of subjects4 ,whether prepared by the school or by the pupil1 however1 the courses lead to college1 to normal schools1 to advanced technical schools1 or to some definite vocation4 ,on one subject1 progressive high schools are in absolute agreement1--the course of study must furnish both culture and technical training in a form which meets the needs of high school children4 ,x ,from ,school to ,shop and ,back ,again ,the tendency toward vocational training finds its extreme expression in the so-called ,industrial ,co-operative ,course in which boys and girls spend part of their time in school and part in the factory4 ,note this legal document4 ,the party of the second part agrees to place1 as far as possible1 the facilities of his establishment at the disposal of the ,school ,committee for general educational purposes along industrial lines4 ,in these words1 the individual manufacturers of ,providence1 ,rhode ,island1 who are co-operating with the school board for the establishment of the industrial co-operative course in the ,technical ,high ,school1 place their mills and factories at the disposal of the school authorities4 ,the plan instituted at the suggestion of the manufacturers themselves has won the approval of all parties during the two years of its operation4 ,the ,providence experiment differs from those of ,cincinnati and ,fitchburg1 ,mass41 in two respects1--in the first place1 the school authorities have a written contract with the manufacturers4 ,in the second place1 they may decide what the character of the shop-work shall be4 ,the boy who elects to take the industrial co-operative course in ,providence spends ten weeks in a shop at the end of his freshman year4 ,apprenticeship papers are signed1 the boy gives a bond1 which is forfeited if he drops the course without a satisfactory reason1 and for three years he spends #bi weeks in the shop and #bj weeks in school1 alternating1 one week in the shop1 the next in the school4 ,for their shop-work the boys receive ten cents1 twelve cents1 and fourteen cents an hour during the first1 second1 and third years1 respectively4 ,though this wage is not high1 it is sufficient to enable the boys to earn enough during the year 7#age to #bej7 to pay for their keep at home during their high school course4 ,at the present time sixty-two ,providence boys are working part time in machine shops1 in drafting rooms1 in machine tool construction1 in pattern making and in jewelry making4 ,in order to keep the scheme elastic1 the school offers to form a class in any trade for which sixteen or more boys will apply4 ,the part-time course is primarily educational and secondarily vocational4 ,since it may determine the character of the shop-work1 the school is in a position to insure its educational value4 ,again1 the academic training is still received in the school1 while the technical work1 heretofore done in school rooms1 is carried on in the fields of real industry4 ,as a supplement of the old time system of apprenticeship1 the part-time school is an undoubted success1 because it adds to shop apprentice work all of the essential elements of a high school education4 ,,xi ,fitting the ,high ,school ,graduate ,into ,life ,the high school has not done its full duty when it has educated the child1--it must go a step farther and educate him for something2 then it must go a step beyond that and help him to find himself in his chosen profession4 ,this vocational guidance which is filling so large a place in public discussions1 may mean guidance to a job or it may include guidance in the job4 ,in either case children must be led to decide upon the kind of work for which they are fitted before they leave the school4 ,jesse ,b4 ,davis1 ,principal of the ,central ,high ,school at ,grand ,rapids1 furnishes a brilliant example of this vocational directing4 ,mr4 ,davis begins his work through the theme writing and oral composition of the seventh and eighth grades4 ,the purpose of the pupils' reading and discussion is to arouse their vocational ambition and to lead them to appreciate the value of further education and training for life4 ,this study upon the part of the pupil is supplemented by talks given by ,mr4 ,davis1 prominent business and professional men and high school boys who have come back to finish their education after a few years of battle with the world4 ,the high school classes in ,english are small--never more than twenty-five1 and the work is so arranged that the teacher may get a good idea of the capability of each student4 ,to facilitate this1 the ,english ,department has prepared a series of essay subjects in the writing of which the pupil gives the teacher a very definite idea of himself4 ,beginning with ,my ,three ,wishes2 the pupil next writes a story about his ancestry2 an essay on ,my ,church1 which explains his belief2 an essay on ,the ,part ,i'd ,like to ,play in ,high ,school2 a study of ,my ,best ,friend1 and finally an essay on ,the ,work of ,my ,early ,school ,days1 which shows the pupil's likes and dislikes4 ,in addition to this1 the teacher notes any physical defects--eyesight1 hearing1 and the like--which might incapacitate the pupil for particular vocations4 ,this data1 together with reports from all departments on neatness1 sincerity1 ambition and other qualities is filed in the office4 ,during the second term of the freshman year papers are written on approved biographies1 dealing in each case with the qualities1 opportunities and education of the great one4 ,these essays1 read in class1 form the basis for a compilation of the elements necessary for success in life4 ,the work of the sophomore year begins with the preparation of a class list of professions1 semi-professions and trades1--a list which is checked with the permanent list kept by the department4 ,succeeding classes thus discover the breadth of the vocational field1 besides adding to the knowledge accumulated by their predecessors4 ,after completing this list1 the pupils write a letter to the teacher1 choosing a vocation and assigning reasons for the choice4 ,when the pupil cannot decide1 the teacher assigns the vocation apparently best suited to the pupil's capacity4 ,an essay on his vocation is then prepared by each pupil1 showing first1 what kind of activity and what responsibilities the vocation involves2 second1 its social1 intellectual and financial advantages2 third1 the corresponding disadvantages2 fourth1 the qualifications and traits necessary to success in the vocation2 and fifth1 the reasons for choosing the vocation4 ,then1 under the advice of the teacher1 the pupil writes to some man well known in the profession of his choice--some lawyer1 mining engineer1 doctor or contractor--explaining what he is doing1 and asking for advice4 ,the generous responses given by men in all walks of life do much to confirm the pupil in his faith1 or to make him see that his choice is an unwise one4 ,at the beginning of the junior year those pupils preparing for college send for the catalogues of the colleges which stand highest in the line of work in which they are interested1 and write an essay1 giving the comparative value of the courses offered by the various institutions4 ,by this means judgment takes the place of sentiment in the selection of a college4 ,while the college preparatory pupils are engaged in writing on their college courses1 pupils who are going directly from the high school into business write an elaborate essay on the kind of preparation necessary for their vocation1 the qualities requisite for success in it1 and the best place and means of entering it4 ,studies of the proper relations between employer and employed occupy the second half of the junior year4 ,the work of the senior year deals1 in the first half1 with the relation between a citizen and his city2 the second half1 with the relation between a citizen and the state4 ,the pupil has thus passed from the narrower to the broader aspects of his work in life4 ,the effectiveness of the work is enhanced by the organization of the high school boys into a ,junior ,association of ,commerce 7in an exact imitation of the ,grand ,rapids ,association of ,commerce71 which meets in the rooms of the latter on ,saturday morning2 transacts business2 listens to an address by a specialist1 and then visits his works1 if he is engaged in a local industry4 ,on the ,saturday before ,thanksgiving 7#aiab71 for example1 ,mr4 ,van,wallen1 of the ,van,wallen ,tannery ,co41 gave the boys a talk on the tanning industry1 then took them through his tannery1 where they saw the processes of manufacture4 ,the business men of ,grand ,rapids1 who are highly pleased with this practical turn in education1 co-operate heartily in every way4 ,the boys are urged1 during the summer months1 to take a position in the work which they have chosen1 start at the bottom and find out whether their beliefs regarding the industry are true4 ,then1 too1 the ,free ,library makes a point of collecting books and articles on various professions and vocations1 and placing them prominently before the students4 ,the ,english ,department 7with five periods a week7 does other work1 but none so vital to the pupils' lives as this of directing them in the thing which they hope to do when they leave school4 ,the school may do more than direct the pupils in the choice of their occupations1 by actually securing positions for them4 ,the head of the ,commercial ,department in the ,newton 7,massachusetts7 ,high ,school has a card for every student1 giving on one side a record of class work for four years1 and on the other side a statement of positions and pay of the graduate4 ,new pupils are placed2 old pupils are offered better opportunities4 ,employers are interviewed in attempts to have them promote graduates4 ,through this system1 ,mr4 ,maxim keeps in constant touch with the labor market and with graduates of his school4 ,certainly the high school must prepare students for life4 ,whether1 in addition1 it shall constitute itself a ,public ,employment ,bureau1 finding positions for students1 keeping in touch with their careers1 and assisting in their advancement1 is a matter yet to be determined4 ,,xii ,the ,high ,school as a ,public ,servant ,will the high school retain its present form8 ,probably not4 ,if the ,berkeley-,los ,angeles plan prevails1 there will be three steps in the public schools1--from elementary to junior high1 to high school4 ,if the ,gary plan wins1 there will be twelve years of schooling1 following one another as consecutively as day follows night4 ,whether the ,los ,angeles or the ,gary plan is adopted1 one thing seems reasonably certain1--the high school will keep in close touch with life4 ,the high school is securing a surer grip on the world with each passing day4 ,it is reaching out toward the grades1 calling the pupils to come2 it is reaching out into the world1 making places there for them to occupy4 ,the modern high school has ceased to be an adjunct to the college4 ,instead1 it is a distinctive unit in educational life1 taking boys and girls between the ages of fourteen and nineteen and relating them to the world in which they must live4 ,the era of the high school course is being succeeded by the era of the high school boy and the high school girl4 ,first1 last1 now and always1 the boys and girls1 not the course1 deserve primary consideration4 ,whatever their needs1 the high school must supply them if it is to become a public servant1 responsible for training children of high school age in the noble art of living4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,higher ,,education ,,at ,,lowville#bj ,i ,lowville and the ,neighborhood ,away off in northwestern ,new ,york ,state1 where the sun shines fiercely in the summer mid-day1 where the ice forms thick on the lakes1 and the snow lies on the north side of the hills from ,thanksgiving well on to ,easter1 there is a town of some three thousand inhabitants1 called ,lowville4 ,the comfortable homes1 brick stores1 wide tree-bordered streets1 smiling hills and giddy children look very much the same at ,lowville as they do in any one of a thousand similar towns east of the ,mississippi4 ,situated far back from the line of ordinary travel1 the town is typical of a great class4 ,stretching in all directions about ,lowville is a fertile1 prosperous1 agricultural region1 farmed by good farmers1 who are intelligently awake to the problem of scientific agriculture in its multiple phases4 ,these farmers grow fruits1 raise general farm produce1 breed a little stock1 cut some timber1 besides all of the time-honored occupations of the professional farmer4 ,the boys and girls growing up in the town or the neighboring countryside1 blessed with good air1 and a cheap supply of wholesome food1 look pleasantly forward toward life as something worth living4 ,so much for the good side of ,lowville4 ,sad indeed is it to recall that there is another side4 ,anyone who has been in close contact with country life can readily imagine the ignorance1 bigotry1 prejudice1 unfairness and unsociableness of the population2 the tendency to cling to the past no matter what its shortcomings2 the unwillingness to venture into even the rosiest future which involves change4 ,lowville is blessed a great deal and cursed a very little4 ,the blessings are being augmented and the curses minimized by means of the local high school4 ,,ii ,lowville ,academy ,lowville ,academy is an ancient private school whose usefulness was immensely enhanced when it was converted into a public high school4 ,when ,mr4 ,w4 ,f4 ,h4 ,breeze took over the principalship he made no particular objection to the old class rooms and wooden stairs1 but he was very insistent upon discovering1 first1 what the community needed1 and second1 whether or not the school was meeting the need4 ,more than half 7at the present time sixty-five per cent47 of the pupils at the school came from outside of the village4 ,that is1 they come from the farms4 ,as farmers' boys1 many of them have been brought up to all of the unscientific crudities which have been handed down in ,american agriculture since the early settlers took the land from the ,indians in grateful recognition of their instructions in fertilization4 ,while many agricultural anachronisms may be laid to the door of the redskins1 planting by the moon and several equally absurd customs are traceable to the higher civilization of ,western ,europe4 ,saturated with traditional agricultural lore--some better and some worse--the boys and girls from outside of ,lowville1 sixty-five in each hundred high school students1 were growing up to become the owners of promising ,new ,york farms4 ,they needed1 first of all1 an education which should equip them with all of the culture of our schools1 beside giving them a knowledge of the sciences of agriculture and of mechanics4 ,those boys and girls who were planning to go to college required an advance course in those purgatorial topics which1 for some inexplicable reason1 are still regarded as necessary preliminaries to a college education4 ,most of the girls in ,lowville and the immediate vicinity hope to marry sooner or later1 and to preside over wholesome1 clean homes4 ,for home-making1 also1 there were certain possible educational provisions4 ,as prospective farmers1 mechanics1 college students1 business men and women1 as prospective fathers and mothers1 the boys and girls of ,lowville were looking to the schools--high as well as elementary--for an education which should enable them to do successfully and efficiently those things which life was holding before them4 ,furthermore1 ,lowville had no spot around which community interests and civic ideas could center4 ,there was intelligent interest in ,lowville1 its streets1 schools1 trees1 houses1 and business interests2 there was1 too1 an interest1 expressed among the neighboring farmers1 in the wonderful strides of agriculture2 furthermore1 men and women were anxious to discuss political and social happenings in other parts of the world4 ,what more natural than that the school be converted into a center of interest and education for ,lowville and the surrounding territory4 ,adults1 as well as young folks1 needed school help4 ,adults as well as young folks should then be accommodated in the ,lowville schools4 ,,iii ,the ,school's ,opportunity ,there was a peculiar opportunity1 said ,mr4 ,breeze1 in his crisp direct way4 ,the place needed organizing in educational lines4 ,people were anxious to have it done4 ,they wanted the advantage of a modern educational institution1 but no one had provided it1 so ,i made up my mind that my business was to do it4 ,mr4 ,breeze made his first innovation in the course of study1 supplementing the old course by domestic science1 several phases of agriculture and mechanics4 ,then he correlated the various branches in such a way that the subjects all harmonized with the work which any particular student was doing4 ,we made up our minds1 ,mr4 ,breeze explained1 that if we were to hold the children and to educate them usefully1 we must make our course fit the things which they had to do in life4 ,the work must come down to earth4 ,it had to be practical--that is1 applicable to everyday affairs4 ,some people confuse practical with pecuniary4 ,there is no relation between the two words4 ,practical means usable4 ,we set out to make a usable education4 ,no education is usable which has frills1 ,mr4 ,breeze insists4 ,frills are nice for looks1 but you can't put on frills until you have a garment to which they may be attached4 ,our school is providing the garment--we will leave the frills to some one else4 ,with this idea in mind1 the applied courses in the school were organized4 ,wood-alcohol cook stoves1 such as those used in the village1 ordinary sewing machines1 typewriters for the commercial course1 and the simplest tools for the machine shop1 made up the equipment4 ,these boys have but a few tools at home1 ,mr4 ,breeze says4 ,when they go on the farm they will be compelled to use these tools4 ,why1 then1 should they be taught mechanics with tools which they cannot duplicate on their farms without an unjustifiable extravagance8 ,,iv ,field ,work as ,education ,pursuant to such philosophy1 the boys began their shop-work by equipping the shop1 building benches1 tool-chests1 cabinets1 and saw horses2 putting lath and plaster on the ceiling2 setting up the simple tools and putting the shop in running order4 ,meanwhile1 the agricultural students set up two cream separators and a milk-tester1 and arranged their laboratory4 ,then the school was ready for applied work1 or rather1 the students having graduated from a course in shop equipment1 were ready for shop practice4 ,the entire class in agriculture makes inspection of nearby farms--here to see a well-managed orchard1 there a new type of cow-barn or silo4 ,again they inspect the soil of a district1 going carefully over it1 picking samples and testing them on return to the school4 ,in fruit-packing season1 the students visit the packing houses1 or else1 in the case of some of the boys1 they take a week of employment with a good fruit packer4 ,in season they practice tree pruning1 grafting1 budding1 transplanting and spraying4 ,whenever possible1 the applied work of the school is done in connection with the real applied work of life4 ,the physics and chemistry are both related to the agriculture and the mechanics courses in the most intimate manner4 ,from the earliest lessons in physics through analyses of heat1 light and the principles of mechanics1 the theories are constantly interpreted in practical problems which arise in the daily work of the ,lowville farmer4 ,the physics teacher1 enthusiastic over his students and his work1 builds machines and testing devices1 which the boys and girls use in solving the problems which they bring from their homes4 ,no less close to the life of the place is the chemical laboratory1 which offers opportunity for the analysis of soil1 the chemistry of fertilizers1 experiments in testing food and milk1 and a number of other matters pertaining to agriculture and domestic life4 ,the mechanical courses are closely related to the work in agriculture1 since most of the boys who take up the mechanical work are to go on the farms4 ,the course in mechanics passes quickly over the elements of the work--most boys have learned to use saw1 plane1 chisel1 auger1 and hammer years before4 ,the smithing work of tempering1 annealing1 welding1 soldering and removing rust1 all leads up to the real work of the shops1--the making of products4 ,the boys make pruning knives1 squares and drawing boards1 grafting hooks1 nail boxes1 apple-boxing devices 7for this is an apple country71 cement rollers1 mallets1 whiffle-trees1 bob-sleds1 holders for saw filing1 bag-holders1 chicken-coops1 poultry exhibit boxes1 hammer handles1 greenhouse flats4 ,besides1 they have exercises in belt-lacing1 in cement work1 and reinforced concrete4 ,then1 too1 they make models of barns and bridges1 computing strains1 lumber-costs1 labor-costs1 floor spacing and arrangement4 ,the agricultural course deals1 in some detail1 with fruit-growing1 animal husbandry1 grain-growing1 and related topics4 ,though the scope of such a course is necessarily limited in a high school1 it forms an invaluable addition to the knowledge of the boy who cannot go to an agricultural college before he begins his life on the farm4 ,taught by an agricultural expert1 the work assumes real importance to the prospective farmer4 ,nor are the girls of ,lowville neglected4 ,v ,real ,domestic ,science ,the domestic science department1 in charge of an expert1 takes up household economics1 sewing1 dietetics and cooking4 ,the work throughout is practical1 the girls learning the principles of sanitation1 and their application to the household2 domestic art and home decoration2 lighting1 heating and ventilation4 ,the sewing classes cover the usual exercises in simple hemming and darning1 making towels1 hemming napkins1 and the like2 then underclothes1 and later dresses are made4 ,in the cooking laboratory the girls learn food values and food combinations1 the cooking of simple dishes1 the preparation of entire meals4 ,the girl who finishes the domestic science course in the ,lowville ,academy is competent to organize a home1 cook1 sew1 keep house and make as efficient use of her opportunities as does her brother who has been trained in mechanics or agriculture4 ,it is not in the applied courses alone that an extraordinary amount of co-operation has been attained4 ,the academic branches1 likewise1 are so adjusted as to bear directly upon the work of the remaining courses4 ,the ,academic co-ordination is particularly noticeable in the ,english work1 which is required of everyone during the entire high school course4 ,english composition is made to serve as a connecting1 co-ordinating study--related to all of the other courses in the school4 ,the student in agriculture writes reports on various phases of agricultural work1 collecting them in a folder and arranging them in order1 according to subject4 ,chemistry reports1 history reports1 all are made a legitimate part of the work in ,english4 ,the results of this system have been more than satisfactory to ,mr4 ,breeze and his staff of co-workers4 ,students who would have left at the end of the grammar school1 are attracted by the high school program1 and saved by a high school course4 ,the appeal of the school is a wide one4 ,there are no class of boys and girls in ,lowville who cannot find something worth while in the high school4 ,often a student otherwise not brilliant will succeed remarkably in a particular line4 ,of one such boy in particular ,mr4 ,breeze spoke4 ,,vi ,one ,instance of ,success ,he had no taste for ,greek1 but his reports and analysis in agriculture and mechanics were brilliant4 ,the excellent drawing and sketching and the careful work showed how much appeal the applied course had made to his mind2 yet but for the agricultural course he would never have come to high school4 ,a farmer's son with little taste for the ordinary academic studies was inspired by the idea of improved1 scientific farming and was getting a thorough insight into the principles of agriculture1 chemistry1 physics1 and mechanics1 which will be of the greatest service to him when he takes up farming4 ,such topics as judging the age of cows1 breed of cattle1 cost of milk production1 the cost of cow-barn construction1 grain1 hay1 cattle rations1 silage1 and nutrition will all bear directly on the work of the farm in which he is so deeply interested4 ,so much for the contribution of the ,lowville ,high ,school to the students who have gone out of its class-rooms and class excursions1 stronger in body and more alert of mind4 ,no less remarkable has been its service to the community4 ,at the suggestion of the school authorities acting in co-operation with the ,grange1 the ,state1 and several other agencies1 ,lowville has secured an agricultural specialist1 whose business it is to travel through the countryside1 advising farmers1 discussing their problems and suggesting better methods of operating the farms1 or of experimenting in new directions4 ,each winter for one week1 a school for adults is held1 with courses in agriculture for the men and courses in domestic science for the women4 ,the teachers1--experts from the ,cornell ,school of ,agriculture1--are exceptionally well prepared to deal with the problems of ,new ,york ,state farmers4 ,higher education at ,lowville is education for everyone in ,lowville and vicinity who wants it4 ,with one eye on community needs and the other on the best means of supplying them1 the ,lowville ,academy is giving to the citizens of ,lowville a twentieth century higher education4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #bj3 ,much of the material in this chapter appeared originally in the ,journal of ,education4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,a ,,great ,,city ,,school ,,system#ba ,i ,co-operation and ,progressivism ,if any two words in the ,english language can express the spirit of the ,cincinnati schools1 they are co-operation and progressivism4 ,the people of ,cincinnati1 high and low1 have banded themselves together in an endeavor to make good schools4 ,cincinnati schools are not a monument to any individual or group of individuals1 rather they are the handiwork of the citizenship4 ,in their eagerness for educational progress1 the people are not hypnotized by every cry of lo here6 lo there6 nor do they live in terror of new educational ideas4 ,their one aim1 the education of ,cincinnati's children1 takes precedence over every other consideration4 ,perhaps that fact explains both the co-operation and the progressivism4 ,co-operation in the educational work of ,cincinnati has been developed to a remarkable degree4 ,there is not a civic society in the whole town which is not working with the schools1 says former ,superintendent ,dyer4 ,mr4 ,dyer might have left out the word civic and still have been very close to the truth4 ,mr4 ,frederick ,a4 ,geier1 a leader among the manufacturers who have made possible the half time in shop1 half time in school system1 says of his activity in co-operating with the school authorities3 ,as a citizen of ,cincinnati1 ,i am interested in the schools for two reasons3 first1 because good schools will bring under their influence the maximum number of pupils and parents1 and it is the best agency ,i can conceive of for producing a high quality of citizenship2 second1 as a manufacturer ,i feel that the material prosperity of a community is directly related to the mental and manual equipment of its people4 ,showing his faith by his works1 ,mr4 ,geier has labored in season and out of season to make the schools of ,cincinnati the most progressive in the country4 ,speaking as a woman and mother1 ,mrs4 ,isabella ,c4 ,pendleton1 of the ,civic ,league1 which has played an active part in building up school sentiment1 says3 ,i consider that the most important features of our school system are the manual training for boys and the domestic science for girls4 ,i am happy to say that to-day a girl on graduating from our schools is capable of taking care of a home4 ,as public schools go1 that is not an insignificant achievement4 ,no wonder ,mrs4 ,pendleton1 a woman and mother1 is interested in schools which accomplish such vital results4 ,from what extraordinary sources do the schools in ,cincinnati secure their support6 ,all of the local dentists have been brought into close contact with the school system by the efforts of the ,dental ,society to introduce mouth hygiene into the schools1 says ,dr4 ,sidney ,g4 ,rauh4 ,we dentists1 adds ,dr4 ,rauh1 are firm believers in general co-operation4 ,no less cordial is the ,board of ,health in its endorsement of the schools1 and in its efforts to raise the health standard of school children4 ,i do not believe there is any city in the ,united ,states which offers as good an example of the spirit of co-operation as ,cincinnati does1 affirms ,carl ,dehoney1 of the ,chamber of ,commerce4 ,why are we so active in co-operating with the schools8 ,simply because we realize that good schools1 and especially practical schools1 which will fit young men and women for their real life work1 have a tremendous bearing upon the efficiency of the people of the city4 ,mr4 ,w4 ,c4 ,cauldius1 also of the ,chamber of ,commerce1 says3 ,our school development is the result of a few years of public support and sympathy4 ,in similar enthusiastic words the leaders of every phase of ,cincinnati life express their interest in educational progress4 ,,ii ,an ,educational ,creed ,let no one infer from what has been said that the people of ,cincinnati are agreed upon all of the details of educational policy1 nor upon the fundamentals either1 for that matter1 but they have adopted an educational creed which runs about as follows3 #a4 ,i believe in making the schools provide for the educational necessities of every child4 #b4 ,i believe that this can be done when all work together4 #c4 ,i believe that new ideas are the life-blood of educational advance4 ,that simple creed adopted by teachers1 principals1 mothers1 manufacturers1 dentists and trade unionists has become a great motive force in the upbuilding of the ,cincinnati schools4 ,the most evident thing about the ,cincinnati school organization is its democracy4 ,the feudal spirit of lordship and serfdom existing in many schools between superintendents and principals on the one hand1 and teachers on the other1 is nowhere evident in the ,cincinnati schools2 instead1 each teacher1 thrown upon her own initiative1 is a creative artist1 solving her particular problem as she believes that it should be solved1 and abiding by the consequence of her failure or success4 ,early in his work ,mr4 ,dyer made it clear that he would not tolerate a mechanical system of education4 ,up here on the hill1 in a wealthy suburban district1 is a grammar school4 ,its organization1 administration and course of study must necessarily differ from that other school1 located in the heart of the factory district4 ,the principal of each of these schools has a problem to face--each will succeed in proportion as he grasps the significance of his own problem and the readiest means for its solution4 ,is not that a refreshing sentiment from a superintendent of city schools8 ,note this other delightful touch3 ,my teachers soon learned that ,i regard the teacher who works exactly like another teacher as pretty poor stuff4 ,before the axe of such incisive radicalism1 how the antiquated structure of the old school machinery came crashing to the ground1 to be replaced by a system which recognized each teacher as an individual builder of manhood and womanhood1 working to meet the needs of individual children4 ,it is not an idle boast which the ,english make when they glory in the absence of a curriculum2 for even the best curriculum1 if mismanaged1 is speedily converted into a noose1 the knot of which adjusts itself mechanically under the left ear of teacher and child alike4 ,the school authorities of ,cincinnati destroyed both knot and rope by giving to their teachers and principals this injunction3 ,make your school fit the needs of your children and your community4 ,the old-time1 machine-minded school superintendent1 filled with the spirit of co-operative coercion1 assembles his teachers4 ,now let's all work together1 he exclaims1 ,here1 ,susie ,smith1 this is what you are to teach your pupils1 and this is the way in which you are to do it4 ,it was in quite a different spirit that ,mr4 ,dyer said to each one of his teachers3 ,you do your work1 ,i'll do mine1 and together we will make the schools go4 ,it was in this spirit that the teachers were called together to confer on the reorganization of the course of study4 ,each teacher in each grade had her say in the matter4 ,if the most insignificant teacher in ,cincinnati said to ,mr4 ,dyer3 ,i have an idea that ,i think would improve the work in my grade1 his invariable reply was3 ,then try it4 ,there is no way to determine the value of ideas except to try them4 ,by that policy ,mr4 ,dyer surrounded himself with a group of vitally interested people1 each one suited to the task in which he believed implicitly1 and each one fully convinced that the success or failure of that part of the ,cincinnati school system with which he was immediately concerned1 depended directly upon his efforts4 ,no wonder the schools succeeded6 ,,iii ,vitalizing the ,kindergarten ,the kindergartens are at the basis of the educational system of ,cincinnati1 and they are in charge of a woman who believes in herself and in her work4 ,perhaps the people of ,cincinnati are not justified in believing that their kindergartens are the very best in the whole ,united ,states1 but ,miss ,julia ,bothwell1 who directs them1 says1 modestly enough1 that she has visited kindergartens in many cities1 adopting their schemes and improving in response to their suggestions1 until she is convinced that no other city in the land can show a better kindergarten system than that of ,cincinnati4 ,in truth1 her plan is ordinarily referred to as the ,cincinnati idea4 ,cincinnati children begin their kindergarten work at four and a half or five1 entering the first grade at six4 ,while in the kindergarten they play the games and sing the songs that all kindergartens play and sing1 but with this difference3 their plays and songs are built around the things that they do4 ,the yellow ,october leaves of ,cincinnati's parks half shadow the activity of the busy classes of little kindergarten folks who go there to work and to learn4 ,the ,park ,commissioners1 like every one else in ,cincinnati1 are in thorough sympathy with the work of the schools1 so they allot to each kindergarten class a plot in the park1 in which the children--using all of the tools themselves--plant tulip bulbs under the direction of the park gardeners4 ,tulips are the first thing up in the spring1 ,miss ,both well explained1 so we have decided to use them4 ,for years we tried gardens1 but children of kindergarten age are not willing to give gardens as much attention as they require2 then1 too1 the gardens ran wild during the summer1 so we have settled on the tulip4 ,after the children have planted the bulbs they sing and talk about their work4 ,then1 early in the spring1 they begin to visit their plots1 watching the first shoots of green as they appear1 looking eagerly for the buds1 and then1 at last1 as the reward of their interest1 picking the flowers and taking them home4 ,thus1 each child1 during his kindergarten course1 sees the complete cycle from bulb to flower4 ,besides this flower-culture in the park1 the children grow hyacinths in the school rooms1 visit the woods to collect autumn leaves and spring flowers1 make excursions to the country1 where they may see animals and crops1 and always1 for a few days after an excursion1 talk about the things which they saw1 draw them1 sing about them and play games about them4 ,in order to facilitate the work the ,board of ,education leases a farm1 to which the kindergartens go in succession4 ,by these means the life of the city kindergarten child is thoroughly linked with nature4 ,these things are not new in kindergartening1 however4 ,they have merely taken firm root in the fertile soil of ,cincinnati's educational enthusiasm4 ,the real excellence of ,miss ,bothwell's experiment consists in connecting the kindergarten with the early elementary grades on the one hand and with the community on the other4 ,the first grade children of ,cincinnati come back to the kindergarten teachers for an hour's kindergartening once each week1 in order to clinch the kindergarten influence on the lives of the first graders4 ,the first grade teachers meet the director of kindergartening once each week1 for a discussion of kindergarten methods1 and an initiation into the kindergarten spirit4 ,thus the lump of first grade abstraction is leavened with the leaven of kindergarten concretes1 and the grade teachers get the spirit of kindergarten work4 ,in the near future ,miss ,bothwell hopes to have the kindergarten work extend to the second grade1 in order that the spirit1 rhythm1 harmony and joy of the kindergarten may thoroughly permeate the roots of the ,cincinnati school system4 ,even more significant--if anything could be more significant than the breakdown of the ironclad1 first grade traditions--is the grip which the kindergartens of ,cincinnati have secured on the people4 ,the ,cincinnati kindergartener is more than a teacher--she serves many masters4 ,in the morning she holds kindergarten classes4 ,on two afternoons a week she does kindergarten work with first grade children2 on one afternoon she holds a conference with the supervisor2 on a fourth afternoon she visits the classes of first grade teachers or confers with mothers' clubs1 and on her remaining afternoon she visits her children in their homes4 ,out of these varied duties has come3 first1 a group spirit among the kindergarteners1 built upon frequent interchange of plans and ideas2 second1 an understanding of the relation between the problems of the kindergarten and the problems of the grades2 third1 a sympathetic grasp of the home conditions surrounding the life of many a difficult child2 and fourth1 sixty-one mothers' clubs1 one organized in connection with each kindergarten1 which furnish a social gathering-place for mothers1 an opportunity to influence parental ideas1 and a body of invaluable public sentiment4 ,the idea of a kindergarten1 usually regarded as a small part of the school program1 has been evolved until1 in this one city1 it is a potent influence1 working on children1 teachers1 parents and public opinion4 ,,iv ,regenerating the ,grades ,the kindergarten is not alone in its appeal to the child and in its affiliation with the community4 ,traditional grade education has likewise been modified and rehabilitated until it makes an appeal to parent and child alike4 ,in the first place1 a consistent effort has been made to provide accommodations for the physical education in the grades of the fifty-seven elementary schools4 ,twenty-five now have fully equipped gymnasiums in which children have two or three periods of exercise each week4 ,in the schools not so equipped the physical work is confined to calisthenics4 ,each year the ,board of ,education appropriates five hundred dollars for the ,public ,school ,athletic ,league1 which organizes meets and games1 open to all public school pupils free of charge4 ,besides field days1 baseball1 soccer and football there is an athletic badge awarded to all pupils who pass an efficiency test in athletic activities4 ,the academic work of the grades is alive with enthusiasm4 ,history1 so often made a mass of dead names and dates1 is taught in terms of life4 ,the children learn that history is in reality a record of the things which people did1 and of the forces which were at work in their lives2 furthermore1 that the commonplace acts of to-day will be the history of to-morrow4 ,translated into ideas and social changes1 history stimulates thought1 turning the child's mind from the purely personal side of life to the social activities of which history is made4 ,arithmetic and geography begin at home1 in the things which the children know and do4 ,both are taught in terms of child experience4 ,both call to the child mind the things of daily life4 ,english1 too1 which is so important an element in education1 is made to reflect child experiences4 ,teaching the reading lesson of ,eyes and ,no ,eyes one teacher asked her class3 ,well1 children1 what did you see on your way to school this morning8 ,what did you see1 ,elmer8 ,well1 ,i saw--,i saw-- and ,elmer sat down4 ,i saw that it had been raining in the night by the mud in the streets1 said ,alice2 while ,john had seen trolley cars1 and remembered that the number on one of them was #fdg4 ,a seventh grade girl had read the ,psalm beginning1 ,who shall ascend unto the hill of the ,lord1 or who shall stand in ,his holy place8 ,after asking what a psalm was1 and who wrote the ,psalms1 the teacher asked3 ,who was ,david8 ,he was the king of ,palestine1 replied one boy promptly4 ,after straightening out the history the teacher next asked3 ,for what was ,david noted8 ,for being ,solomon's father1 ventured one little girl4 ,oh1 no1 protested a boy1 ,he was the fighter4 ,sure enough1 said the teacher1 would the fact that he was a warrior naturally influence his thoughts8 ,after an affirmative answer from the class3 ,where do we find any evidence of that in this ,psalm1 ,george8 asked the teacher4 ,george considered the reading a moment4 ,oh1 ,i see1 it's where he says1 ',the ,lord mighty in battle4' ,after an elaboration of this idea the teacher went on to ask why ,david wrote1 ,lift up your heads1 oh ye gates1 and the ,king of ,glory shall come in4 ,by careful questioning the class was led to see that cities had walls and gates2 that ,david1 who had won many victories1 was accustomed to have the gates thrown wide to receive him1 and that his triumphal entries had made a deep impression on his thoughts4 ,after some more discussion the ,psalm was read again1 this time with surprising intelligence and feeling4 ,one eighth grade class in ,english was engaged in preparing a catalog of all of the pictures in the school1 looking up the painters1 their lives1 their principal works1 and the circumstances connected with the painting of the pictures which hung on the school wall4 ,in the same room a girl had written a description of a sunset1 in which she had said3 ,the western sky is illuminated with a fiery red1 and the edges of the clouds are also tinted with a silvery hue4 ,what would ,corot say about that8 asked the teacher4 ,the girl thought a moment4 ,i guess he would say that there was too much color4 ,yes1 smiled the teacher1 he would say1 ',let's go home and wait for a few moments4' ,the essay work in the upper grades is linked with all of the other school work4 ,the children write about civics1 architecture1 localities1 books and pictures4 ,one girl of thirteen wrote on ,the ,reaper--,as ,i enter my bedroom one picture especially catches my gaze4 ,it hangs on the eastern wall4 ,it is the picture of a large city by moonlight4 ,the moon is bright and the stars are out4 ,a beautiful lake borders the far end of the city1 and the moon makes the lake look like a mirror4 ,the church steeple stands out clear against the sky4 ,it is a beautiful summer night1 and while the city sleeps an angel descends and bears a little child to the heavens above4 ,some mother must have given up one of her beloved flowers4 ,no less valuable are the essays describing an ideal kitchen1 a location for a house1 a home1 school life1 and the various other things with which the child comes in contact4 ,last among the academic branches1 there is a carefully organized eighth grade course in civics1 which1 beginning with the geography and early history of ,cincinnati1 covers family relations and the tenement problem2 the protection of public health--street cleaning1 sewage1 water1 smoke abatement1 and the activities of the ,board of ,health in providing for sanitation and the suppression of disease2 the protection of life and property2 the business life of the community--relation of the citizen to business life1 the growth of commerce and industry in ,cincinnati2 ,cincinnati as a manufacturing center1 the labor problem1 and the regulation of business by the government2 the necessity for civic beauty2 the educational forces of the community2 the care of dependents and delinquents2 the functions of government2 and the collection and expenditure of city funds4 ,in this way the child1 before he leaves the elementary school1 is given an idea of the real meaning of citizenship4 ,beginning in the kindergarten1 the art work extends through the high school1 including in the lower elementary grades1 paper-cutting and pasting related to school work1 the seasons and the holidays4 ,from the third grade on1 the children make real products--trays1 boxes1 blotter pads1 calendars1 booklets and folios--work which is supplemented by object and constructive drawing and designing4 ,shop-work is given to boys1 and domestic science to girls1 in all of the schools4 ,the point at which these subjects are introduced and the amount of time devoted to them depends upon--what do you think8 ,the regulations prescribed in the course of study8 ,not a bit of it6 ,it depends upon the needs of the community and of the child4 ,schools which are located in the poorer districts begin manual training and domestic science with the second grade1 though ordinarily they are not introduced until the sixth4 ,normally the children are given one and one-half or two hours a week of such work1 but over-age1 backward and defective children may spend as much as half of their time upon it4 ,for some of the girls a five-room flat has been rented1 in which they are taught housekeeping in all of its phases4 ,otherwise the domestic science consists of hand and machine sewing1 the designing and making of simple garments1 the planning and preparation of food1 and the organization and care of a household4 ,wherever possible1 the boys make useful products in their shop-work1 instead of constructing show pieces which have no value4 ,from top to bottom the grades are shaped to meet the needs of children4 ,each class and each school is built around this central idea4 ,the school system1 instead of taking the usual form of a cumbrous machine1 is a delicate mechanism adjusted to the wants of ,cincinnati children4 ,v ,popularizing ,high ,school ,education ,not content with making the grades interesting1 the school authorities of ,cincinnati have made the high schools so profitable and popular that ninety-five out of each one hundred children who complete the eighth grade go to the ,cincinnati high schools4 ,furthermore1 during the past six years the high school attendance in ,cincinnati has doubled4 ,these two noteworthy conditions are the product of carefully matured and efficiently executed plans1 and of infinite labor4 ,yet the results have more than repaid the labor which they cost4 ,our first task1 explained ,dr4 ,e4 ,d4 ,lyon1 principal of the ,hughes ,high ,school1 was to persuade the community that it needed high school training4 ,next we secured two fine new high school buildings4 ,then those of us who are engaged in high school work faced the supreme task4 ,we had to prove to the people that their expenditures on high schools were worth while1 by providing a high school education that would mean something to the pupils and to the community4 ,note the spirit of social obligation--a feeling prevalent throughout the ,cincinnati schools4 ,most parents fail to see the importance of the high school problem1 said ,assistant ,superintendent ,roberts1 because they never make consistent efforts to have their children choose their vocations intelligently4 ,we began our work right there1 at the bottom1 by telling the parents of grade children about the high school courses1 and what they meant4 ,eighth grade teachers1 under the guidance of ,mr4 ,f4 ,p4 ,goodwin1 are expected to talk to their classes regularly on the vocational opportunities in ,cincinnati and elsewhere1 and to help the children get started right in high school careers4 ,besides that1 we take the grade children on trips to the high schools1 showing them on each trip some striking feature of high school work4 ,parents' meetings are held1 in which the high schools are explained and discussed1 and we send circulars to the parents of sixth1 seventh and eighth grade pupils1 explaining the high school work as simply as may be4 ,after arousing such expectations1 the high school cannot fulfill its obligations in any way other than by the provision of a thorough course of study adapted to the needs of all types of pupils4 ,the preparation for this in ,cincinnati has been made with consummate skill4 ,the pupil1 on entering the high school1 may select any one of the nine general courses1 in which there are twenty-three possible combinations of subjects4 ,four of the courses--,general1 ,classical1 ,domestic ,science and ,manual ,training--prepare for various colleges and technical schools4 ,the other five courses--,commercial1 ,technical ,co-operative ,course for ,boys2 ,technical ,co-operative ,course for ,girls2 ,art and ,music1 lead to vocations4 ,housed in the same high school building is this range of work1 which permits boys and girls to select a course which will bear directly on almost any line of work that they may care to follow in later life4 ,each course is shaped to give the children who select it a definite training in the line of their interest4 ,the ,general ,course prepares pupils for college2 the ,domestic ,science ,course shows girls how to make and keep a home2 the ,commercial ,course turns out bookkeepers2 the ,technical ,co-operative ,courses1 enabling boys and girls to spend part of their time in the school and part in the factory1 are arranged in co-operation with the principal industries of ,cincinnati4 ,the ,art and ,music ,courses1 like the other special work1 are in the hands of experts who are competent to give a practical direction to the activity of their pupils4 ,in passing1 it is interesting to note that the people of ,cincinnati are getting the best possible use out of their splendid high school equipment4 ,in addition to the regular classes which fill the ,woodward ,high ,school from #h3cj to #c3jj1 the pupils in the continuation courses occupy the building every afternoon and all day ,saturday4 ,five nights a week it is filled by an enthusiastic night school1 three thousand strong1 and during six weeks of the summer vacation a summer school holds its sessions there4 ,it would be difficult to find a school plant which comes nearer to being used one hundred per cent of its time4 ,to be sure1 such things were not done in father's time1 but then the people of ,cincinnati have a theory that while a good thing is worth all it costs1 it does not pay to let even the best of things decay for lack of use4 ,that is why the school system tingles from end to end with vigor and enthusiasm4 ,,vi ,a ,city ,university ,besides the kindergarten1 elementary schools1 and high schools1 the city of ,cincinnati has a university1 which1 like all of the other educational forces of the city1 is tied up with the general educational program4 ,those graduates of the ,cincinnati high schools who desire to go to college1 may pass from the high school of ,cincinnati into the ,university of ,cincinnati without a break in the continuity of their education4 ,the ,university of ,cincinnati is a municipal university4 ,the city appropriates one-half of one mill on the general assessment1 for university purposes4 ,the board of education appropriates ten thousand dollars a year toward the maintenance of the ,teachers' ,college1 the school in which the city teachers are trained4 ,the training school for kindergarteners is affiliated with the university1 having the same entrance requirements as the other university courses4 ,in explanation of this close connection between the city and the university1 ,president ,dabney begins his #aiaa report to the board of directors by saying3 ,an effort has been made in this report to explain the service of the university to the city and people of ,cincinnati4 ,it is therefore not only an official report to the directors1 but is also a statement for the information of all citizens4 ,begun in this spirit of public obligation1 the report details the services of the ,teachers' ,college in supplying teachers2 of the ,school of ,economics and ,political ,science in supplying municipal experts2 and of the ,engineering ,school for its inauguration of the widely-known industrial co-operative courses--for be it known to the uninitiated that the five hundred students of the ,university ,engineering ,school spend alternately two weeks in the school and two weeks in a shop4 ,more than that1 the ,engineering ,school furnishes experts for municipal engineering work4 ,that the students of the ,university may feel the interest of the city in their work1 preference is given to the ,university graduates in appointments of teachers1 of municipal engineers1 and of employees on such municipal work as testing food1 inspecting construction1 and the like4 ,university students may thus occupy their spare time in practical municipal work4 ,the ,university should lead the progressive thought of the community1 says ,president ,dabney1 and by way of making good his proposition he avails himself of every opportunity to turn his students into municipal activities1 or to co-operate in any way with the forces that are making for a greater ,cincinnati4 ,,vii ,special ,schools for ,special ,classes ,there are children in ,cincinnati1 as in every other city1 who cannot afford to go to the high school4 ,the easiest answer to such children is1 ,well1 then1 don't4 ,the fairest answer is a system of schools which will enable them to secure an education even though they are at work4 ,cincinnati in selecting the latter course has opened a school for the education of every important group unable to attend the high schools who wish to avail themselves of advanced educational opportunities4 ,first there is the night school work1 which1 in addition to the ordinary academic courses1 offers special opportunities in machine shop practice1 blacksmithing1 mechanical and architectural drawing1 and domestic science4 ,as these courses are carried forward in the ,woodward ,high ,school building the students have all of the advantages of high school equipment4 ,night school1 coming after a day's exertion1 is so trying that only the most robust can profit by it4 ,no small importance therefore attaches to the operation of the compulsory continuation schools under the ,ohio law1 which empowers cities to compel working children between fourteen and sixteen years of age to attend school for not more than eight hours a week between the hours of #h3jj ,a4 ,m4 and #e3jj ,p4 ,m4--hours which will presumably be subtracted from shop time4 ,by means of this adaptation of the ,german system even those children who must leave school at fourteen are guaranteed school work for the next two years at least4 ,although this is but a minimum requirement1 it represents a beginning in the right direction4 ,no less significant than this compulsory system are the voluntary continuation schools for those over sixteen years of age1 which have been established for machinists' apprentices1 for printers' apprentices1 for saleswomen1 and for housewives4 ,the first two courses are conducted under the direction of a genius named ,renshaw1 who takes from the machine shop boys of every age1 nationality and experience1 fits them somewhere into his four-year course2 gives them a numbered time check from his time board2 teaches them reading1 writing1 arithmetic1 mechanical drawing1 geometry1 algebra and trigonometry by means of an ingenious series of blueprints1 which constitute their sole text-book2 visits them in their shops1 giving suggestions and advice about the shop work1 and finally sends them out finished craftsmen1 with an excellent foundation in the theoretical side of the trades4 ,the work is entirely voluntary1 yet so excellent is it that a number of ,cincinnati manufacturers send their apprentices to ,mr4 ,renshaw1 paying them regular wages for the four hours of credit which the said ,renshaw registers weekly on the boys' time-cards4 ,one firm sends sixty boys here each week1 commented ,mr4 ,renshaw's assistant4 ,that makes two hundred and forty hours of school work each week for which they pay regular wages4 ,well1 sir1 the superintendent there told me that they didn't so much as notice the loss4 ,i tried to explain my system to one superintendent1 said ,mr4 ,renshaw1 but he wouldn't even listen4 ',it makes no difference how you do it1' he grumbled1 ',i don't care about that4 ,i know that the boys are neater1 more careful1 more accurate1 and better all-around workmen after they have been with you for a while4 ,that's enough explanation for me4' ,acting on such sentiments the manufacturer peremptorily dismisses the boy who does not do his school tasks satisfactorily4 ,the responsibility is in the school1 whose growing enrollment and influence tell their own story4 ,firms send their boys to the school with the comment that the hours of school time1 for which they are paid1 do not add to the cost of shop management1 but do add to the value of the boys to the shop4 ,increased efficiency pays4 ,a school of salesmanship for women has met with a like success4 ,the leading stores1 glad of an opportunity to raise the standard of their employees1 grant the saleswomen a half day each week1 without loss of pay1 during which they take the salesmanship course4 ,the course has the hearty backing of the best ,cincinnati merchants1 who see in it an opportunity1 as ,mr4 ,dyer put it1 to make their employees the most skilled and intelligent1 the most obliging and trustworthy1 the best treated and best paid--in short1 the very best type of saleswomen in the country4 ,that this work may keep pace with the demand for it the school authorities offer industrial instruction in any pursuit for which a class of twenty-five can be organized4 ,a large number of women were born too soon to get the advantage of the courses in domestic science now being offered in our high schools1 comments ,mr4 ,dyer in his dry way4 ,scores of such women anxious to learn all that was known about domestic arts constituted a class for which the school was well equipped to provide4 ,then suppose we give them what they need1 said ,mr4 ,dyer4 ,just fancy--a continuous course in domestic science6 ,yet there it is1 in ,cincinnati1 with an enrollment of more than eleven hundred women1 attending the public schools to learn domestic arts4 ,what could be more rational than this ,cincinnati system of making a school--even though it be a continuation school--to fit the educational needs of ,cincinnati people--grown-ups and children alike8 ,,viii ,special ,schools for ,special ,children ,the ,cincinnati schools provide for special children as well as for special classes of people4 ,first there are the unusually bright children1 who mark-time in the ordinary classes4 ,these children were placed in rapidly moving classes4 ,while omitting none of the work1 they were allowed to go as fast as their mental development would allow them1 instead of as slowly as the other members of the class made it necessary to move4 ,at the beginning the teacher found these exceptionally able children lacking in effort and attention1 qualities which they had not needed to keep their place in the grades4 ,the extra work and responsibility stimulated their mental activity1 increased their power of attention1 fostered thoroughness and accuracy1 developed resourcefulness and initiative1 and those other qualities necessary for leadership4 ,why should it not be so8 ,why should not the specially able child be taught as thoroughly as the defective one8 ,yet ,mr4 ,dyer1 speaking from experience1 remarks3 ,strange to say1 it is harder to establish such classes than defective and retarded ones4 ,strange indeed6 ,for the sub-normal or retarded children ,cincinnati has made ample provision4 ,spending from a quarter to a half of their time in manual work1 the children are no longer tortured with the doing of things beyond their powers4 ,the overgrown boys have instruction in shop work4 ,the overgrown girls have a furnished flat in which they learn the arts of home-making at first hand4 ,there are in all over four hundred children in these schools4 ,similar accommodations are provided for other special groups4 ,the anaemic and tubercular children are taught in two open-air schools2 six teachers are detailed to instruct the deaf children2 one teacher devotes her time to the blind children1 and ten teachers are employed to take charge of those children who are mentally defective4 ,thus1 by adjusting the schools to the needs of special groups of people1 and of special individuals1 ,cincinnati is providing an education which reaches the individual members of the community4 ,,ix ,playground and ,summer ,schools ,the vacation school is planned to meet the needs of the children in the crowded districts during the hot summer months4 ,for that reason1 says ,mr4 ,dyer1 it provides industrial work of all kinds unassociated with book instruction1 but mingled with a great amount of recreational activity--excursions1 stories1 folk-dancing1 and a wide variety of games4 ,the field of industrial activity is a broad one1 including cooking1 nursing1 housekeeping1 sewing1 knitting1 crocheting1 weaving and basketry2 drawing and color work1 brush and plastic work2 bench work with tools1 making useful articles2 sports and games1 including folk-dancing for girls and ball for boys4 ,the primary and kindergarten classes offer a delightful round of song1 story1 games1 excursions1 paper work and other forms of construction4 ,for the girls who have to take care of babies there are special classes4 ,the boys make useful articles in the shops1 and the girls1 in sewing-room and cooking laboratory1 learn to do the things around which the interests of the home always center4 ,by co-operation with the park commissioners1 the playgrounds were made an integral part of the summer school work4 ,besides the recreational summer school ,cincinnati has maintained for the past five years an academic summer school1 in which children might make up back work in school1 or do special work in any line which was of particular interest to them4 ,in these schools the very best instructors that can be secured are employed1 and their recommendations are accepted by the school principals when the fall term opens4 ,this school is one of the means taken to deal with the problem of repeaters in our schools1 says ,mr4 ,dyer4 ,instead of requiring children who are behind to fall back a year1 they may1 if they are not hopeless failures1 but only deficient in a few studies1 remove their deficiencies in the summer school and go on with their class4 ,we have followed up these pupils1 ,mr4 ,dyer adds1 and found that a normal percentage keep up with the class in succeeding years4 ,x ,mr4 ,dyer and the ,men ,who ,stood ,with ,him ,a spirit of comradeship and hearty co-operation breathes from every nook and cranny of the ,cincinnati schools4 ,principals and teachers alike sense the fact4 ,alike they aim toward the upbuilding of the schools4 ,never in my life have ,i found such a spirit of mutual helpfulness1 says ,assistant ,superintendent ,roberts4 ,every teacher has felt that she had a part to play1 that she counted1 that her suggestions were worth while1 and she has worked earnestly toward this end4 ,everywhere ,i encounter the same willingness to co-operate with the schools1 said ,superintendent ,condon1 after spending three months in the place that ,mr4 ,dyer vacated when he became superintendent of the ,boston schools4 ,there is a heartiness in it1 too1 that grips a man4 ,there is always the jolliest good-fellowship in the ,schoolman's ,club1 exclaimed a grammar school principal4 ,it's always ',roberts' and ',lyon' and ',dyer' there4 ,they're as good as the rest1 no better4 ,we all go there to work1 and to work hard for the schools4 ,on such a spirit is the school system of ,cincinnati founded4 ,from its point of vantage1 set upon its high hill of ministry to child needs1 it flashes like a searchlight through the storm of nineteenth century pedagogical obscurity4 ,the optimist sings a new1 glad song2 the pessimist is confounded2 the searcher after educational truth uncovers reverently before this masterpiece of educational organization1 this practical demonstration of the wonders that may be accomplished where head and heart work together through the schools1 for the children4 ,such is the triumph1 but whose the glory8 ,it is not mine1 protests ,mr4 ,dyer1 ,i did only my part4 ,nor mine1 ,nor mine1 echo his assistants4 ,truly1 wisely1 bravely spoken4 ,the glory is not to ,mr4 ,dyer1 nor to any other one man or woman--the glory is to ,mr4 ,dyer and the men and women who worked with him for the ,cincinnati schools4 ,my predecessor was an able organizer1 explained ,mr4 ,dyer4 ,he left things in splendid condition1 and we took up his work4 ,there were five things which marked great epochs in the upbuilding of the ,cincinnati schools3 ,first1 we established the merit system for the appointment of teachers4 ,second1 we improved the school buildings and equipment4 ,third1 we organized special courses for children who were not able to profit by the regular work4 ,fourth1 by putting applied work in the grades we gave the children a chance to use their hands as well as their heads4 ,fifth1 we enlarged the school system by adding buildings and courses until there was a place in the schools for every boy and girl1 man and woman in ,cincinnati who wanted an education4 ,that was the sum total of our work4 ,it was a long and difficult task4 ,mr4 ,dyer's tall form straightened a trifle4 ,his earnest1 determined face relaxed4 ,from under his bushy eyebrows flashed a gleam of triumph--the triumph of a strong1 purposeful1 successful man4 ,but when it was all over1 he concluded1 and when the things for which we had striven were accomplished we knew that they were worth while4 ,when ,mr4 ,dyer left his position in ,cincinnati to become ,superintendent of the ,boston schools1 there was1 on every hand1 a feeling of loss and of uncertainty among those most interested in the city's educational problems4 ,during those months which elapsed between ,mr4 ,dyer's departure for ,boston and the election of his successor there was a feeling that1 after all1 perhaps he was not replaceable4 ,then the successor came1--a quiet man1 with a constructive imagination that enabled him to grasp1 readily and completely1 ,cincinnati's educational need4 ,there had been an era of radical educational adjustment in the city4 ,the school system had been changed1--artfully changed1 it is true--but changed1 nevertheless1 in all of the essential elements of its being4 ,some of the changes had been made with such rapidity that their foundations had not been fully completed4 ,the brilliant school policy which ,mr4 ,dyer had inaugurated needed rounding out for fulfilment and completion4 ,randall ,j4 ,condon saw these things2 and he saw1 furthermore1 that in a community so awakened as ,cincinnati1 almost any educational program was feasible1 so long as it remained reasonable4 ,the ,cincinnati school people who went to ,providence for the purpose of inviting ,mr4 ,condon to take charge of the ,cincinnati schools1 felt the constructive power of his leadership4 ,providence had been educationally transformed1 and ,mr4 ,condon was the man responsible for the transformation4 ,the people of ,cincinnati have every cause to congratulate themselves upon the new school head4 ,at the outset ,mr4 ,condon said1--,i purpose1 to the best of my ability1 to live up to and follow out the policies inaugurated by ,mr4 ,dyer4 ,with the utmost fidelity he has kept his word4 ,there is far more in ,mr4 ,condon's administration than a mere follow-up policy4 ,everywhere he is building4 ,in the face of a difficult financial situation which compels a serious curtailment of expenses for the time being1 he is insisting upon additional kindergartens1 extended high school accommodations1 a more intimate correlation of the elementary and high school system1 and an extensive system of recreation and social centers4 ,it is upon the latter point that ,mr4 ,condon is laying the greatest emphasis at the outset of his administration4 ,the ,cincinnati policy which ,mr4 ,condon has inaugurated with regard to civic centers is admirably summed up in his statement of the case4 ,a larger use of the school house for social1 recreational and civic purposes should be encouraged4 ,the school house belongs to all of the people1 and should be open to all the people upon equal terms1--as civic centers for the free discussion of all matters relating to local and city government1 and for the non-partisan consideration of all civic questions2 as recreational centers1 especially for the younger members of the community1 to include the use of the baths and gymnasiums for games and sports1 and other physical recreations1 the use of class-rooms and halls for music1 dramatics1 and other recreational activities1 and for more distinct social purposes2 as educational centers in which the more specific educational facilities and equipment may be used by classes or groups of younger or older people1 in any direction which makes for increased intelligence1 and for greater economic and educational efficiency2 as social centers in which the community may undertake a larger social service in behalf of its members1--stations from which groups and organizations of social workers may prosecute any non-partisan and non-sectarian work for the improvement of the social and economic conditions of the neighborhood1 rendering any service which may help to improve the condition of the homes1 giving assistance to the needy1 disseminating information1 helping to employment1 and in general affording the community in its organized capacity an opportunity to serve in a larger measure the needs of the individual members4 ,here is1 indeed1 a broad-gauge social school policy1 to which the administrative authorities of the ,cincinnati schools are fully committed4 ,the movement for social centers in the schools is to be under the direction of a social secretary appointed by the superintendent4 ,until the organization is more highly perfected1 principals are free1 under certain restrictions1 to open their schools for classes1 groups1 and all other legitimate community activities4 ,mr4 ,condon's activities in the direction of socialized school buildings finds a ready response4 ,there was already a large use of a number of the schools for community meetings--for welfare associations1 for boys' and girls' study clubs1 and for musical and social gatherings4 ,the program is a program of extension1 rather than of innovation4 ,it has already won the approval of the citizenship4 ,spontaneity must be the soul of such a movement4 ,it was my strong conviction that the development of such a social movement should come from the people themselves1 not that a ready-made program or plan should be given them1 but that they should develop their own4 ,one by one centers are being formed4 ,the ,board of ,education furnishes the building1 the local social center organization pays the immediate expenses which its activities incur4 ,the movement has been started right4 ,i am a great believer in democracy1 ,mr4 ,condon says4 ,the people can be trusted to settle social questions as they should be settled1 provided all sides can be fully presented and time taken for deliberation4 ,the school house affords the one opportunity where all can meet on common ground as ,american citizens and as good neighbors1 where the question of wealth and position may be forgotten1 and where what a man is in himself1 and what he is willing to do for the common good1 counts most4 ,such is the spirit in which ,mr4 ,dyer1 the men and women who worked with him1 and the men and women who succeeded him1 have striven for the advancement of education2 such the spirit of co-operation and progressiveism which dominates this great city school system4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #ba3 ,much of this material appeared originally in ,educational ,foundations4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,the ,,oyler ,,school ,,of ,,cincinnati ,i ,an ,experiment in ,social ,education ,on the west side of ,cincinnati1 separated from the main part of the town by railroad yards1 waste land and stagnant water1 surrounded by factories and a myriad of little homes1 stands the ,oyler ,school4 ,can any good thing come out of ,nazareth8 queried a doubter4 ,answers1 in bell tones1 the philosopher1 ,if a man can build a better house or make a better mousetrap than his neighbor1 though he fix his home in the woods1 the world will find a path to his door4 ,because ,oyler has built a better school in a better community the world sits at ,oyler's feet to learn of its experiment in social education4 ,the first time that ,i went to the ,oyler ,school ,i encountered a ,committee of ,manufacturers4 ,a ,committee of ,manufacturers in a public school during business hours6 ,these men had met to talk with the school principal over the location of a library1 which the entire community had worked to secure4 ,when the time came to go before the ,park ,board over in the center of the city1 to secure a playground near the ,oyler ,school1 the local bank furnished automobiles1 and dozens of business men1 leaving their offices1 took the opportunity to endorse the work of the school1 and to second its demands that play space be given to ,west ,end children4 ,the manufacturers have become interested because in less than a decade the ,oyler ,school has changed the face of the community1 creating harmony out of discord1 and order out of chaos4 ,the struggle of ,oyler is the story of a man1 a delivered message1 a thriving1 enthusiastic school and a reborn neighborhood4 ,many years ago--about twenty to be exact--a young man named ,voorhes was made first assistant in a ,west ,end school4 ,like other young men who go into school work he applied himself earnestly to his tasks1 but unlike most of them he did some hard thinking at the same time4 ,among other things he thought about the relation between the school and the community1 wondering why the two were so completely divorced from one another4 ,then the problem was focused on one concrete example--a boy named ,john1 nearly sixteen years old1 who had succeeded in getting only as far as the eighth grade4 ,john1 who had never taken kindly to language or grammar1 began thinking pretty seriously toward the end of his last year in the grammar school4 ,he tried1 he struggled1 but the syntax was too much for him4 ,after all1 it was not his fault1 and he complained bitterly against a punishment in the form of leaving down for something which he could not help4 ,his training was so inadequate that he was entirely unable to pass the high school examinations which1 in those days1 were like the laws of the ,medes and the ,persians4 ,i am safe in saying that he did not know the difference between a verb and a preposition1 said ,mr4 ,voorhes1 but during the grammar lesson he could make a drawing of the face of the teacher that was in no sense a caricature4 ,this phase of his ability gave me a cue to what might be done for him4 ,knowing both the superintendent and the principal of the ,technical ,school1 ,i talked the situation over with them1 begging them1 with all the persuasive power at my command1 to take the boy1 forgetting his shortcomings1 and magnifying his peculiar talents1 which ,i felt sure were considerable along mechanical lines4 ,they acceded to my request1 giving ,john a place in the school1 to which he walked three miles back and forth daily for three years4 ,for many years ,john has been superintendent of the lighting plant of a large city1 and his experience has always stood out before me as a terrible rebuke to the then dominant educational regime1 which could offer ,john nothing but a sneer4 ,these facts took such a vital hold on me1 seeming to reinforce so fully the thought that the industrial abilities which ,i had acquired back on the farm proved of incalculable value to me1 that the resolution to promote industrial education became a fixed part of my educational creed4 ,the memory of that lesson in educational equity kept the need for industrial training constantly in my mind1 till ,i had opportunity to give it expression in the ,oyler ,school4 ,john bespoke the needs of the community by which ,oyler was surrounded4 ,it was so different from other communities4 ,there were the ugly straggling factory buildings1 the miserable homes1 their squalid tenants1 and worst of all there were the rough1 boisterous1 over-age1 uninterested1 incorrigible boys and girls1 who flitted from school to home1 to street1 to jail1 and then1 gripped by the infirm hand of the law1 in the form of a ,juvenile ,court probation officer1 or a truant officer1 they came back to school unwillingly enough to begin the cycle all over again4 ,as for discipline1 remarked one of the city school officials1 the school hadn't known it for years1 the probation officer couldn't keep the children in school and the ,juvenile ,court couldn't keep them out of jail4 ,even the majesty of the law is lost on children1 you know4 ,the children taunted the police2 the police hated the children2 the home repelled2 the factory called1 grimly2 child labor flourished1 and the school despaired4 ,,ii ,an ,appeal for ,applied ,education ,such were the conditions when ,mr4 ,voorhes became school principal4 ,grinding factories1 wretched homes1 parental ignorance1 social neglect1 educational impotence--few men could enter such a field of battle with a light heart1 but ,mr4 ,voorhes did4 ,what1 think you1 was his first move8 ,he addressed to the heads of all of the factories in the neighborhood a letter1 suggesting the establishment of a manual training department in connection with the grade work of the ,oyler ,school4 ,as ,i become more and more familiar with existing conditions in our school district1 he wrote1 ,i am convinced that a ,manual ,training ,department would be of vital importance to the school and to the general welfare of the community4 ,such departments are being looked upon to-day as necessary adjuncts to modern school equipment4 ,our school is being drained constantly of its life force by the adjacent factory demands1 and if we could send pupils forth with trained hands as well as trained minds they could render a much more useful service1 which1 in time1 would not only show itself in more profitable returns to employers1 but must also tend toward a higher standard of culture in the neighborhood1 and a longer continuance in school by our pupils4 ,i know of no other section of the city where the actual need should make a stronger appeal for support than here4 ,anything you may do will be greatly appreciated4 ,you can imagine my surprise1 says ,mr4 ,voorhes1 when during the next few days my mail brought me a hearty response of checks and pledges amounting to nearly a thousand dollars4 ,manual training was assured6 ,no6 ,not yet4 ,the ,board of ,education reached the conclusion that manual training in the grades was undesirable4 ,with the exception of #he which ,i was told to use as ,i saw fit the checks and pledges were alike returned to the donors4 ,that #he gave a piano to our kindergarten4 ,that failure back in #aijc was the seed-ground of later success4 ,the community was interested to the extent of a thousand dollars at least4 ,the manufacturers were not only interested in education1 but were willing to support it financially4 ,there was a change of administration4 ,mr4 ,f4 ,b4 ,dyer became ,superintendent of ,schools and at once met the situation by establishing a manual training center in the ,oyler ,school4 ,,iii ,solving a ,local ,problem ,the end was not yet1 however4 ,the truant officers and the ,juvenile ,court were still busy keeping ,oyler children out of mischief and in school4 ,the conventional type of manual training--one period per week in the sixth1 seventh and eighth grades--was not holding the pupils4 ,the children were not getting enough manual work to establish either habit or efficiency1 ,mr4 ,voorhes comments1 besides1 this work reached only to the sixth grade4 ,at this time there were in the school fifty boys and girls below the fifth grade who were from two to five years behind their normal classes4 ,that is to say1 they were--most of them--of that unfortunate class that has seen more trouble in a few years than most of us see in a lifetime4 ,i was constantly asking myself3 ',where do these folks come in8' ',what is our school doing to help their function in life8' ',are we really of any assistance to them after all8' ',is it worth their while to come to our school8' ,my sympathy for the pupils was constantly growing1 and ,i went at last in desperation to the superintendent with a plan for a revolution in the organization of my school1 a revolution that ,i was sure would meet the needs of the community and one upon which ,i was willing to stake my reputation if ,i had any4 ,at this point it is worth remembering1 parenthetically1 that ,cincinnati school men have a habit of going about their school problems in very much that spirit1 beginning by sizing up the needs of the community1 continuing by becoming imbued with an idea of the community needs and ending by presenting this idea to the school authorities and getting--within bounds--carte blanche to make their schools serve the locality in which they are situated4 ,this was ,mr4 ,voorhes's experience4 ,he was told to go ahead and make good--a permission of which he availed himself in an astoundingly short space of time by introducing a system of applied education1 aimed to meet the needs of the children who attended the ,oyler ,school4 ,there is a peculiar situation1 said ,mr4 ,dyer1 and it needs peculiar handling4 ,you have only one problem to solve--that of the west end4 ,go ahead6 ,mr4 ,voorhes did go ahead with a plan under which all children in the sixth and seventh grades were given three periods a week in laboratories and shops4 ,subnormal pupils in the third1 fourth and fifth grades were to have four and one-half hours 7one school day7 for applied work each week4 ,in order to give special help to backward pupils they were sent in small groups to the seventh and eighth grade teachers while their classes were doing applied work4 ,below-grade children go to the eighth grade teacher for special work in arithmetic and geography1 and the seventh grade teacher for ,english and history4 ,in this way the backward children from the lower grades have special training by the best equipped teachers in the school4 ,the eighth grade pupils give one-fifth of their time to applied work4 ,during the year the boys have1 in addition to the shop-work1 twenty lessons in preparing and cooking plain1 substantial meals4 ,to make this siss work palatable to the sterner sex much of it takes the form of instruction in camp life--cooking in tin cans and other handy home-made devices4 ,in a community where boys have always been trained to regard home work as menial1 but where the absence of servants makes a lift from the husband or brother such a ,godsend to the wife at odd times1 the value of giving grade boys a taste for cooking can hardly be over-estimated4 ,the boys also receive twenty lessons in the simpler forms of sewing--darning1 hemming1 sewing on buttons4 ,at the same time the girls are taught the use of simple tools4 ,,iv ,domestic ,science ,which ,domesticates ,beginning with the second grade the girls have domestic science while the boys are at manual training4 ,this domestic science has a truer ring to it than most of the teaching which passes under that name4 ,the children at ,oyler have a peculiar need for domestic science1 because in many of the homes mother works out1 and even when she is not away her knowledge of domestic arts is so rudimentary that she can impart little to her daughters4 ,so it comes about that the ,oyler ,school seeks to teach the girls all that they would have under intelligent direction in a normal home4 ,once each week they cook and once they sew1 devoting from one-eighth to one-fifth of their entire time to these activities4 ,by way of preparation for both cooking and sewing they are carefully trained in buying4 ,they must make the dollar go a long way--buying in season the things cheapest at that time and preparing them in a way to yield the maximum of return4 ,for example1 they are called upon in ,january to buy a #ej cent dinner for six persons4 ,laura ,wickersham's cost list is3 ,soup meat #j4bj ,can of tomatoes 4#aj ,spaghetti 4#je ,cheese 4#je ,bread 4#je ,butter1 etc4 4#jh ---- #j4ec ,gus ,potts1 a mere boy1 makes this suggestion3 ,meat #j4bj ,potatoes 4#je ,cabbage 4#je ,bread 4#je ,milk 4#jd ,butter 4#je ,coffee 4#je ---- #j4di ,in their cooking laboratory they learn to cook simple foods1 one thing at a time1 until they reach the upper grades1 where they must prepare entire meals on limited allowances4 ,the sewing is equally practical4 ,the girls learn to patch1 darn1 hem and make underclothing and dresses4 ,then1 going into homes where no intelligent needlework has ever been done--where frequently a darning needle is unknown--they teach the mother and older sisters how to sew1 until whole families1 under the influence of one school child1 improve their wardrobe and reduce their cost for clothing4 ,certain sewing days in school1 called darning days1 are sacred to the renovation of worn-out garments which the girls bring from home4 ,the ,oyler system may not turn out artists in dress design--it has no such aim4 ,the children who come to its class-rooms are ignorant of the simplest devices known to civilization for the making of comfortable homes4 ,the domestic science courses are organized to take care of their children by teaching them to be intelligent home-makers4 ,v ,making ,commercial ,products in the ,grades ,no less practical is the work of the boys in the shops1 since the great majority of them will enter factories4 ,the shop-work is designed to familiarize them with the ideas underlying shop practice4 ,instead of making useless joints and surfaces the boys turn out finished1 marketable products4 ,the eighth grade boys1 with the aid of the instructor1 have built a drill-press from the scraps of machinery which were found lying about4 ,now they are at work on an engine4 ,elaborate products you will say1 for eighth grade boys1 yet these boys are likely interested1 they do their task with zest1 and linger about the shop after school hours are over--anxious to complete the jobs which the day's work has begun4 ,boys in grades two to six made three dozen hammer handles for use in the high school machine shops4 ,of forty-two pieces of rough stock there were produced thirty-six handles1 a record which some commercial shops might envy4 ,these same boys made a book and magazine rack1 of rather elaborate design1 and an umbrella rack for each of the schools in ,cincinnati4 ,these racks1 displayed in the offices of the various principals1 would stand comparison with a high grade factory product4 ,the boys are now engaged in making a desk book-rack 7a scroll saw exercise7 for every school teacher in ,cincinnati4 ,when they have finished there will be more than a thousand4 ,besides these routine class exercises the ,oyler boys are privileged to make anything which appeals to them and for which they can supply the material4 ,the school machines are theirs1 subject to their use at any time4 ,taking advantage of this1 the boys sharpen the home knives and hatchets1 make axe handles1 umbrella racks1 hall stands1 stools1 sleds1 cane chairs1 and repair or make any product which fancy or home necessity may dictate4 ,,vi ,a ,real ,interest in ,school ,let no one infer that the academic branches are neglected at ,oyler4 ,far from it1 they are taught with consummate skill by a corps of teachers who enjoy the work because they find the children interested4 ,strange to relate1 an interest in school came in at the front door with ,mr4 ,voorhes' new plan for applied education4 ,the wild boys and dishevelled girls of the ,west ,end1 who had erstwhile hated school1 came now to participate in school activities with an interest seldom surpassed in public or private schools4 ,you see1 ,mr4 ,voorhes remarked1 a day a week in the shop or laboratories is just about enough to keep down the high spirits of the older ones1 and at the same time give them an applied education of which they feel the value4 ,that one day of practical work did the trick4 ,it made the other four days of academic work taste just as good as pie4 ,mr4 ,voorhes' plan arrived4 ,it won the interest of the children and later with the assistance of the ,mothers' ,club and the kindergarten it won the sympathy of the community4 ,,vii ,the ,mothers' ,club ,like all of the other school centers in ,cincinnati1 ,oyler has a kindergarten and a ,mothers' ,club1 around which the change in community feeling has centered1 until ,mr4 ,voorhes describes them as the most important influence that ever came into our school4 ,yet the kindergarten here1 as elsewhere1 has had a life and death grapple for existence4 ,in the ,west ,end1 dominated by its conservative1 ,german atmosphere1 the pleas for kindergartens fell on deaf ears4 ,at last1 after much preparation1 a meeting of mothers and children was held for the purpose of forming an organization2 at the meeting there were thirteen children and five mothers1 and all antagonistic1 or at best suspicious4 ,i went around and played with every one of those children1 said ,mr4 ,voorhes1 talking to the mothers1 and trying to persuade them that this was not failure1 but merely the forerunner of success4 ,the next day ,i went into every grade1 saying to the children3 ',what was the matter8 ,mother did not come to the ,mothers' ,meeting yesterday4' ',oh1 she couldn't leave the baby4' ',leave the baby6 ,why1 of course not4 ,no one expected her to leave the baby4 ,tell her to come and bring the baby along4' ,so another meeting was held1 and another to which the babies were brought--some women bringing as many as three1 who were too young to go to school4 ,at one ,mothers' ,meeting1 after the club had been well organized1 there were twenty women1 listening1 discussing and nursing babies1 all at once4 ,if the beginnings of the experiment were discouraging the results have more than offset the original disappointment4 ,at the last meeting 7in ,january7 seventy of the eighty-five paid up members were present1 intelligent1 eager1 interested1 participating heartily in the discussions4 ,it has cost years of labor1 but these mothers have reached the point where they can talk intelligently about the children and their needs4 ,only yesterday1 said ,miss ,phelps1 ,kindergarten ,director1 one mother said to me3 ',i used to be the most impatient woman with my children--,i simply couldn't stand it when they refused to do what ,i told them4 ,the other day my mother said to me1 ,you're about the most patient woman ,i ever saw4 ,what's done it8 ,and ,i said to her3 ,well1 mother1 ,i do not know of anything except those folks at the kindergarten1 which all helped me to look at children in a very different way4' ,through the ,mothers' ,meetings the mothers have come to feel that they are co-operating with the teacher and the school4 ,those mothers who have children in the upper grades as well as in the kindergarten go to the grade teachers too1 seeking advice1 or making suggestions4 ,they have learned to feel that they are an essential part of the educational plan1 and their enthusiastic interest tells of the advantages gained by this co-operation4 ,the ,oyler ,mothers' ,club has been the center of the movement to clear up the community4 ,through them and through the grades refuse has been cleaned and kept from the streets4 ,the club maintains1 out of its fund1 a medicine chest at the school1 which is used by the visiting nurse4 ,it has cleaned up the children1 and that is no small item4 ,back in #aijd1 says ,mr4 ,voorhes1 ,i had five hundred of the children vaccinated in my office1 and such dirt and vermin ,i never saw6 ,nearly every child had the high water mark on his wrist1 and their clothes and bodies were filthy4 ,they didn't know a bathtub from a horse trough2 they don't now for the matter of that1 because there are scarcely a dozen houses in this section that have bathtubs1 but the children are clean4 ,each year the old members of the ,mothers' ,club bring in the new mothers1 saying to ,miss ,phelps3 ,this is my mother1 ,i brought her1 ,this is mine6 with a delighted satisfaction in having added something to the club4 ,the kindergarten1 filling two rooms1 is thriving1 and the kindergarten teachers1 visiting and advising in the home1 are cordially welcomed everywhere4 ,,viii ,the ,disappearance of ,discipline ,discipline1 smiled ,mr4 ,voorhes1 no1 we don't mention the word any more4 ,five years ago the discipline problem in this school was more serious than in any school in town4 ,we couldn't handle it1 not even with a club4 ,to-day the discipline looks after itself4 ,the disciplining of an undisciplined school may sound like an immensely difficult task4 ,wrongly essayed it would be4 ,rightly directed it becomes the merest child's play4 ,the teachers have disciplined the school--disciplined it through kindness--and here1 again1 the inspiration may be traced to the ,mothers' ,club and the kindergarten1 for it was in the kindergarten that the first real attempt was made to bring this school into closer relations with the home by home visiting4 ,little by little the example told on the grade teachers1 who went to see the children when they were absent2 nor was it long before a custom grew up in the school1 by virtue of which a teacher who wished to visit one absent child1 might pick her own time to make her visit4 ,if perchance the psychological moment was during school hours1 she went then1 while another teacher or the principal took her place4 ,among the many illustrations of the efficiency of this system one stands out strongly4 ,a boy had been away for a week1 sick with rheumatism1 when his teacher decided to call and see him4 ,she went hesitatingly1 however1 for this boy had been rough and troublesome all through school1 but particularly to her4 ,at last her mind was made up4 ,she visited the boy and came away radiant1 overjoyed at the cordial reception he had given her4 ,again she went1 and the mother1 opening the door with a glad face1 said3 ,come right in1 ,tom's been looking for you4 ,is he better8 the teacher asked4 ,yes1 pretty much1 but he said that he would get well right quick when you came to see him again4 ,does anyone wonder that the boy should feel so kindly over attentions to which he was not accustomed8 ,is it strange that he should have come back to school with a firm resolve to be decent to his teacher8 ,discipline8 ,there is no longer a problem of discipline4 ,the teachers are enthusiastic over the work1 because they can see its results in the changed homes and lives about them4 ,the children engaged in occupations which they enjoy and sensing the efforts of the school in their behalf1 discipline themselves by being frank and hearty in work or in play4 ,mr4 ,voorhes is not surprised at this transformation4 ,the plan on which he staked his reputation was a simple one1 based on the idea of serving a community which he had studied carefully1 by providing for it an education that met its needs4 ,though revolutionary from an educational viewpoint1 the plan succeeded because it was socially sound--because it linked together the school and the community1 of which the school is a logical part4 ,,ix ,the ,spirit of ,oyler ,oyler has a motto1 a very shibboleth1 ,the school for the community and the community for the school4 ,not only do its principal and teachers believe that the school must center its activities about the needs of the community in which it is located1 but they put their belief into practice1 studying the community diligently and seeking to find an answer for every need which it manifests4 ,out of this spirit of service has grown up a warmth of feeling and interest among the teachers seldom surpassed anywhere4 ,when ,i came to ,oyler ,i felt about it as ,sherman felt about war1 says ,mr4 ,voorhes4 ,now ,i would not trade places with any school man in ,cincinnati4 ,the teachers feel the same way4 ,never yet have we had a teacher who wanted to leave4 ,each one has her class1 that is enough4 ,we have no problem of discipline now4 ,the children and their parents are working for the school4 ,sometimes people get the idea that ,mr4 ,voorhes does not do very much4 ,one visitor spent half a day observing1 and then sitting down in his office she said3 ,mr4 ,voorhes1 ,i have been here half a day and ,i haven't seen you around at all4 ,what do you do8 ,madam1 answered ,mr4 ,voorhes1 ,i am a man of leisure4 ,all ,i do is to sit here at this desk1 ready to get behind any one of my teachers1 with two hundred and fifty pounds from the shoulder1 in order to prevent anybody or anything from getting in the way of her work4 ,small wonder that the teachers like to stay4 ,small wonder that the work which the school does commands the respect of the people of ,cincinnati4 ,in the school1 as well as in the neighborhood1 each person has a task and a fair chance to do it well4 ,from its position as the worst school in ,cincinnati ,oyler has risen1 first in its own esteem1 and then in the esteem of the city1 until it is looked upon everywhere as a factor in the life of the west end1 and an invaluable cog in the educational machinery of the city4 ,its tone has changed1 too4 ,mr4 ,roberts1 who came1 a total stranger1 to assist in the work while ,mr4 ,voorhes was sick1 says1 ,i have never heard a word of discourtesy or a bit of rudeness since ,i came to this school4 ,that is strong testimony for a new man in a new place4 ,splendidly done1 ,oyler6 ,mr4 ,voorhes has not stopped working4 ,on the contrary1 he is at it harder than ever1 shaping his school to the ever-changing community needs4 ,he has stopped disciplining1 though1 and he has stopped wondering about the success of his experiment4 ,time was when ,oyler looked upon high school attendance much as a ,new ,york gunman looks at ,sunday ,school4 ,last year of the thirty-three children in the eighth grade1 eighteen--more than half--went to high school4 ,the tradition against high school has been replaced by a healthy desire for more education4 ,one day a week in the shops1 ,mr4 ,voorhes says1 means interest and enthusiasm4 ,our children compete in high school with the children of grammar schools from the well-to-do sections1 and with the best our boys and girls hold their own4 ,the community is interested4 ,parents and manufacturers alike come to the school1 consult1 advise1 suggest1 co-operate4 ,the school boy is no longer sneered at by the gang4 ,the school has made its place in the community1 and the gang is enthusiastically engaged in school work4 ,the complexion of the neighborhood has changed1 too4 ,it is less rough1 the police have less to do4 ,houses are neater1 children better clothed and cared for4 ,oyler has won the hearts of its people1 improved the food on their tables and the clothes on their backs1 sent the children to high school1 and their mothers to ,mothers' ,clubs2 and the people who once uttered their profanity indiscriminately in every direction now swear by ,oyler4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,vitalizing ,,rural ,,education ,i ,the ,call of the ,country ,there is a call of the land just as there is a call of the city1 though the call of the city has sounded so insistently during the past century that men innumerable1 heeding it1 have cast in their lot with the throngs of city dwellers4 ,yet the city proves so unsatisfying that thousands are turning from its rows of brick houses and lines of paved streets to the fruit trees1 dairy herds1 market gardens and broad acres of the countryside4 ,the call of the city is answered by a call which is becoming equally distinct--the call ,back to the ,land4 ,the ten-acre lot may not be any nearer paradise than the ,great ,white ,way1 but there is about it a breadth of quiet wholesomeness which cannot make its presence felt in the bustle of the clanging cars and the rushing whirl of crowded streets4 ,the unsmoked blue of the sky is over the country1 as are the fragrance of flowers1 woods and mown grass2 the stars are brilliant by night1 and by day the birds sing1 and the cows and barnyard fowls talk philosophically together4 ,the children have room to run and play between their periods of work1 which is very near of kin to blessedness1 because1 aside from being instructive1 it binds the child into the family group in a way that factory work can never do4 ,the country cries health and enthusiasm to the world-weary soul as it does to the barefoot boy4 ,whittier was very near the heart of things when he wrote3 ,blessings on thee1 little man1 ,barefoot boy1 with cheek of tan6 ,with thy turned-up pantaloons1 ,and thy merry whistled tunes2 ,with thy red lips1 redder still ,kissed by strawberries on the hill4 ,despite the loneliness1 isolation and overwork in some country places1 the rural life is1 on the whole1 very rich in-- ,sleep that wakes in laughing day1 ,health that mocks the doctor's rules1 ,knowledge never learned of schools4 ,country life holds a great promise for the future--a promise of vigorous manhood and womanhood1 and of earnest1 sane living4 ,through the rapidly progressing country school1 more perhaps than through any other agency1 this promise may be fulfilled4 ,there are two possibilities in the development of the country school4 ,on the one hand1 several one-room schools may be consolidated into one central graded school1 to which the children are transported at public expense2 on the other hand1 the old-time1 one-room school may be reorganized and vitalized4 ,,ii ,making ,bricks with ,straw ,even the doughtiest son of the soil must needs admit that the farmer of the past1 living secluded in his house or village1 was provincial1 narrow1 bigoted and individualistic4 ,times are rapidly changing1 however1 and out of the old desolation of rural individualism there is arising the spirit of wholesome1 virile co-operation1 which has transformed the face of many a country district almost in the twinkling of an eye4 ,nowhere is this co-operative spirit better expressed than in the consolidated country schools1 which are organized1 like the city school1 by subjects and grades4 ,considered from any viewpoint1 the consolidated school is superior1 as a form of organization1 to the district school4 ,rather1 the consolidated school permits organization1 and the district school does not4 ,wherever it has been tried the testimony in favor of consolidation is overwhelming4 ,comparison1 cried one county superintendent in consternation4 ,comparison6 ,there is no comparison4 ,the old one-room school1 like the one-horse plough1 has seen its day4 ,the farmers in this country1 after figuring it out1 have reached the conclusion that the one-room school is in the same class with a lot of other old-fashioned machinery--good in its day1 but not good enough for them4 ,that is why over eighty per cent of our schools have been consolidated4 ,you see it's this way3 ,the farmers need labor badly1 and rather than see their sons go to a school where they are called on once or twice a day by a sadly overworked teacher they would put them to work on the farm4 ,the consolidated school wins them with its good course of study and the boys stay in school4 ,that is the first1 and perhaps the most vital1 advantage of the consolidated school--it permits the enlargement of the course of study4 ,sewing1 cooking1 agriculture1 manual training1 drawing and music1 have all been introduced1 because the teachers have time for them4 ,high school work has been added1 too4 ,the consolidated school1 in so far as the course of study is concerned1 is very nearly on a par with the graded school of the city4 ,have you ever attended a one-room country school8 ,if you have not you can form but the faintest idea of what it means to the teacher4 ,her day is so split up with little periods of class work that she can never do anything thoroughly4 ,here1 for example1 is an average schedule of work for a one-room class in ,indiana3 ,,daily ,,program ,,forenoon ,time ,class ,grade #h3cj ,opening ,exercises ,all #h3dj ,reading ,primary #h3de ,reading ,first #h3ej ,reading ,second #h3ee ,reading ,third #i3jj ,reading ,sixth #i3aj ,grammar ,fourth #i3bj ,grammar ,fifth #i3cj ,grammar ,sixth #i3dj ,grammar ,seventh #i3ej ,grammar ,eighth #aj3jj ,reading ,fourth #aj3aj ,reading ,seventh #aj3bj ,recess ,all #aj3cj ,reading ,primary #aj3dj ,reading ,first #aj3ej ,numbers ,second #aa3jj ,numbers ,third #aa3je ,arithmetic ,fourth #aa3ae ,arithmetic ,fifth #aa3be ,arithmetic ,seventh #aa3ce ,arithmetic ,eighth #aa3ej ,reading ,fifth ,noon ,noon ,all ,appalling1 do you say8 ,what other word describes it adequately8 ,there are twenty-one teaching periods in the morning2 twenty-four in the afternoon4 ,forty-five times each day that teacher must call up and teach a new class4 ,the college professor is overloaded with fourteen classes a week4 ,this woman had two hundred and twenty-five4 ,will any one be so absurd as to suppose that she can do them or herself justice8 ,consolidation1 among its many advantages1 reduces the number of classes per day1 and increases the time which the teacher may devote to each class4 ,note the contrast between that schedule of a one-room teacher and the teaching schedule of a consolidated school teacher in the same county3 ,,teacher',s ,,daily ,,program ,,forenoon ,time ,class ,grade #h3cj ,opening ,exercises ,all #h3de ,desk #a-;,b #h3ej ,phonetics #a-;,a #i3jj ,phonetics #a-;,b #i3ae ,reading #a-;,a #i3cj ,reading ,second #i3de ,rest ,exercise ,all #aj3jj ,nature ,all #aj3ae ,rest ,all #aj3cj ,words #a-;,b #aj3ej ,words #a-;,a #aa3aj ,numbers ,second #aa3cj ,history #a-;,a ,the district1 or one-room1 schools in ,montgomery ,county1 ,indiana1 have twenty-three pupils per teacher1 scattered over six grades4 ,the consolidated schools in the same county show sixteen pupils per teacher1 in three grades4 ,while the teacher in the district school averages twenty-seven recitations a day1 the teacher in the consolidated school has eleven2 but the time per recitation is3 district1 thirteen minutes2 consolidated1 twenty-nine minutes4 ,the number of minutes which the district teacher may give to each grade is fifty minutes2 the consolidated teacher has one hundred and seventeen minutes per grade4 ,badly sprinkled with figures as that statement is1 it gives some idea of the increased opportunities for effective teaching in the consolidated school4 ,no teacher can do justice to twenty-seven classes per day1 and an average recitation period of thirteen minutes is so short as to be almost unworthy of mention4 ,most consolidated schools1 in addition to the ordinary rooms1 have an assembly room in which lectures1 festivals1 socials1 public meetings1 and farmers' institutes are held4 ,acting as a center for community life1 the consolidated school takes a real place in the instruction of the community4 ,the big brick or stone building1 well constructed and surrounded1 as it usually is1 by well-kept grounds1 furnishes the same kind of local monument that the court house supplies in the county seat4 ,people point proudly to it as their public building4 ,it is an experience of note in traveling across an open farming country to come suddenly upon a splendidly-equipped1 two-story school1 set down1 at a point of vantage1 several miles away from the nearest railroad4 ,the consolidated school at ,linden1 ,montgomery ,county1 ,indiana1 for example1 situated in a town of scarcely three hundred inhabitants1 is equipped with gas from its own gas-plant2 with steam heat2 ample toilet accommodations2 an assembly room2 and halls so broad that the primary children may play some of their games there in bad weather4 ,one of the most widely discussed among consolidated schools is the ,john ,swaney ,consolidated ,school1 of ,putnam ,county1 ,illinois4#bb ,the ,john ,swaney ,school occupies a twenty-four acre campus1 lying a mile and a half from the nearest village1 and ten miles from the nearest town4 ,the agitation for consolidation in ,putnam ,county led ,john ,swaney and his wife to give twenty-four acres as a campus for a local consolidated school4 ,hence the name and much of the success which has attended the work of the school4 ,the school cost #ae1jjj1 equipped4 ,it is of brick with four class-rooms1 two laboratories1 a library1 offices1 a manual training shop1 a domestic science kitchen1 and a basement play-room4 ,the building is lighted1 heated1 and ventilated in the most modern fashion4 ,the ,john ,swaney ,school thus came into existence with an equipment adequate for any school and elaborate for a school situated far from the channels of trade and industry4 ,the course of study organized includes all of the modern specialized work which the effective city school is able to do4 ,securing good teachers and possessing unique facilities1 the school carries boys and girls through a series of years1 in which intellectual1 experimental1 manual1 recreational1 and social activities combine to make the school the center of community life and community influence4 ,the school campus is used as a laboratory and a play ground4 ,the trees provide subject matter for a course in horticulture4 ,the fertile land is turned to agricultural use1 and the broad expanse of twenty-four acres furnishes additional space for games and sports4 ,the social life of this school is no less effective than is its location and equipment4 ,the teachers' cottage1 an old school building converted for this purpose1 furnishes a center for the life of the teaching staff1 and makes a background for the social life of the entire school4 ,there are two strong literary societies1 including all of the pupils in the school4 ,each year plays are presented on the school stage4 ,there are musical organizations1 parents' conferences1 entertainments1 and community gatherings of all descriptions4 ,in every sense1 the ,john ,swaney ,school is a community center4 ,prosperity has followed in the wake of this educational development4 ,the ,john ,swaney ,school is known far and wide1 and consequently farm renters and farm buyers alike seek the locality because of the educational opportunities which the school affords for their children1 and because of the social opportunities which the community around the school affords for them4 ,the movement for school consolidation1 like many another good movement1 originated in ,massachusetts4 ,from that state it has spread extensively to ,indiana1 ,minnesota1 ,iowa1 ,kansas1 ,idaho1 ,washington1 and a number of other states1--,east1 ,west1 and ,south4 ,in every progressive rural community1 wherever prosperous farmers and comfortable farm homes are found1 there the consolidation movement is being discussed1 agitated1 or operated4 ,the movement toward consolidation has been particularly active during the past few years in the ,south4 ,the ,southern ,states are1 for the most part1 largely agricultural communities4 ,the rural population far outnumbers the urban population1 and it is in these districts1 therefore1 that the consolidated school can have its greatest influence4 ,by #aiab1 the state of ,louisiana alone was able to report over #bej consolidated county schools4 ,georgia1 ,florida1 and ,north ,carolina show themselves almost equally active in forwarding this generally accepted progressive educational movement4 ,the difficulties involved in consolidation may be summed up under two heads4 ,there is1 first of all1 the conservatism and prejudice of those people who believe that the things which were good enough for their fathers1 are still good enough for them4 ,secondly1 there are the technical difficulties involved in transporting pupils from distant localities to the school center4 ,roads are bad at certain times of the year4 ,wagons are costly4 ,desirable drivers are difficult to secure4 ,these factors1 taken together1 make the administrative difficulties of the consolidated school far greater than those of the old-time one-room country school4 ,the forces operating to overcome these difficulties are destined ultimately to triumph4 ,the widespread acceptance of an agricultural education that followed upon the work of experiment stations1 universities and high schools1 has convinced even the most reactionary of the old-time group that there are1 at least1 certain things in the new generation which surpass1 in their economic and social value1 the like things of the old4 ,the inroads of scientific agriculture have played havoc with agricultural tradition and conservatism4 ,the obvious merits of the new scheme are destined to overcome the prejudices which the long continuance of the old scheme created4 ,the technical difficulties of transportation are being met in a number of ways4 ,wagon builders in various parts of the country are devoting themselves to the designing and building of wagons which will be cheap and effective4 ,state and local authorities are actively engaged in the improvement of roads4 ,the near future promises a standard of transportation facilities that will far surpass any that the consolidation movement has thus far enjoyed4 ,the details of transportation administration are being worked out variously in different communities1 and always with a view to the particular needs of the community involved4 ,while the disadvantages of consolidation lie mainly in the overcoming of prejudice and the solution of administrative problems1 the advantages of consolidation seem to be primarily educational and social4 ,the consolidated school is the only method thus far devised for giving graded school and high school privileges under adequately paid teachers to the inhabitants of rural communities4 ,again the consolidated school is the only method of securing a school attendance sufficiently large to provide the incentive arising from competition and emulation for pupils of each grade or age4 ,furthermore1 the consolidated school1 standing out as the most distinctive feature of a rural landscape1 is readily converted into a center of rural life and activity where young folks and old folks alike find a common ground for social interests4 ,the advantages of the rural school are thus summed up by ,mabel ,carney1#bc--;,for the complete and satisfying solution of the problem of rural education and for the general reconstruction and redirection of country life1 the consolidated country school is the best agency thus far devised4 ,the reasons for this statement are summed up under seven heads4 ,in the first place1 the consolidated school is a democratic1 public school1 directly in the hands of the people who support it4 ,secondly1 it is at the door of farm houses and is wholly available1 even more available1 when public transportation is provided1 than the present one-teacher school4 ,third1 every child in the farm community is reached by it4 ,all children may attend because of the transportation facilities afforded4 ,fourth1 the cost of the school is reasonable4 ,fifth1 it accommodates all grades1 including the high school4 ,the country high school1 by excluding the younger children1 denies modern educational facilities to any except pupils of high school grade4 ,sixth1 it preserves a balanced course of study4 ,while educating in terms of farm-life experience1 it does not force children prematurely into any vocation1 although it prepares them generally for all vocations4 ,lastly1 the consolidated school is the best social and educational center for the rural community that has been thus far organized4 ,however just may be the judging of a tree by its fruit1 the fruit of the consolidation movement seems uniformly good4 ,first1 because the children get to school2 and second1 because after they get there they are taught something worth while4 ,when the schools of a district are consolidated1 transportation must be furnished for the students4 ,union ,township1 ,montgomery ,county1 ,indiana1 covering one hundred and six square miles1 has replaced thirty-seven district schools with six consolidated schools4 ,some of the children are brought as far as five miles in wagons1 or on the interurban electric cars4 ,the wagon calls at stated hours1 and the children must be ready4 ,tardiness is therefore reduced1 until one county reports ten hundred and ninety-one cases of tardiness in its district schools 7for #aiaj-aa7 and ninety-two cases in consolidated schools1 although in this county there are more children in the consolidated than in the district schools4 ,then1 too1 the children stay later in the consolidated schools4 ,in ,montgomery ,county1 ,indiana1 the children who have not finished the eighth grade and who are staying away from school constitute twenty-nine per cent4 of the population in the consolidated schools1 as against sixty-three per cent4 in the district schools4 ,the ,vernon consolidated school in ,trumbull ,county1 ,ohio1 has enrolled nearly nine-tenths of the children of school age4 ,before the consolidation only three-fifths were in school4 ,theoretically1 the introduction of agriculture1 manual training1 and other applied courses which are found in most consolidated schools1 should have some effect on the lives of the children4 ,in order to show its extent ,superintendent ,hall1 of ,montgomery ,county1 ,indiana1 asked one thousand children 7five hundred in district schools and five hundred in consolidated schools7 what they proposed to do after they left school4 ,arranged according to the kind of school in which the children were1 the answers showed as follows3 ,district ,consolidated ,chosen ,profession ,schools ,schools ,teaching #aea #abb ,business #abc #gc ,farming #ib #abi ,law #ee #ba ,mechanics #dh #hf ,medicine #ac #i ,ministry #ab #d ,stock-breeding #c #da ,miscellaneous #c #ae --- --- ,total #ejj #ejj ,agricultural studies--stock-breeding and farming--and mechanics show up strongly in the consolidated schools1 at the expense of teaching1 business and law in the district schools4 ,while such figures do not prove anything1 they indicate the direction in which the minds of consolidated school children are moving4 ,eli ,m4 ,rapp1 of ,berks ,county1 ,pennsylvania1 voices the spirit of the consolidation movement when he says3 ,the consolidated school furnishes the framework for a well-organized1 rural education4 ,its course of study is broader1 its appeal is stronger1 its service to the community more pronounced1 and1 best of all1 it holds the children4 ,progressive rural communities have wakened up to the fact that unless their children are educated together there is a strong probability that they will be ignorant separately4 ,,iii ,making the ,one-,room ,country ,school ,worth ,while ,the brilliant success of the consolidated schools reveals the possibilities of team-work in rural education1 but it cannot detract from the wonderful work which has been done1 and is still being done1 by the one-room rural school4 ,always there will be districts so sparsely settled that the consolidated school is not feasible4 ,in such localities the one-room school1 transformed as it may be by enlightened effort1 must still be relied upon to provide education4 ,nor is this outcome undesirable4 ,the one-room country school bristles with educational possibilities4 ,under intelligent direction1 even its cumbersome organization may yield a plenteous harvest of useful knowledge and awakened interest4 ,the droning reading lesson and the sing-song multiplication table are heard no more in the progressive country school4 ,in their place are ,english work1 which reflects the spirit of rural things1 and the arithmetic of the farm4 ,here is a boy of thirteen1 in a one-room country school1 writing an essay on ,selecting1 ,sowing and ,testing ,seed ,corn1 an essay amply illustrated by pen and ink drawings of growing corn1 corn in the ear and individual corn kernels4 ,mabel ,gorman asks1 ,does it pay the farmer to protect the birds8 ,after describing the services of birds in destroying weed seeds and dangerous insects and emphasizing their beauty and cheerfulness1 she concludes3 ,the question is1 does it pay the farmer to protect the birds8 ,the only answer is that anything that adds to the attractiveness of the farm is worthy of cultivation4 ,happily a farmer who protects the birds secures a double return--increased profit from his crop and increased pleasure of living4 ,viola ,lawson1 writing on the subject1 ,how to ,dust and ,sweep1 makes some pertinent comments4 ,i think if a house is very dirty1 a carpet sweeper is not a very good thing4 ,a broom is best1 because you can't get around the corners with a sweeper4 ,note this hint to the school board3 ,we spend about one-third of our time in the school house1 so it is very important to keep the dust down4 ,the directors ought to let the school have dustless chalk4 ,if they did there wouldn't be so much throat trouble among teachers and children4 ,then so many children are so careless about cleaning their feet1 boys especially4 ,they go out and curry the horses1 and clean out the stables1 and get their feet all nasty4 ,then they come to school and bring that dust into the schoolroom4 ,isn't that awful8 ,viola is thirteen4 ,over in eastern ,wisconsin ,miss ,ellen ,b4 ,mc,donald1 ,county ,superintendent of ,oconto ,county1 has her children engaged in contests all the year round--growing corn1 sugar beets1 ,alaska peas and potatoes2 the boys making axe handles and the girls weaving rag carpet4 ,during the summer ,miss ,mc,donald writes to the children who are taking part in the contests suggesting methods and urging good work4 ,one of the letters began with the well-known lines3 ,say1 how do you hoe your row1 young man1 ,say1 how do you hoe your row1 ,do you hoe it fair1 do you hoe it square1 ,do you hoe it the best you know8 ,how are you getting along with the contests8 continues the letter4 ,are you taking good care of your beets1 peas1 corn or garden8 ,remember that it will pay you well for all the work you do upon it4 ,in reply one girl writes3 ,my corn is a little over five feet high4 ,my tomatoes have little tomatoes on1 but mamma's are just beginning to blossom4 ,my beets are growing fine4 ,i planted them very late4 ,my lettuce is much better than mamma's4 ,we have been eating it right along4 ,mark the note of exultation over the fact that her crop is ahead of her mother's4 ,sometimes the school child brings from school knowledge which materially helps his father4 ,here is a ,wisconsin ,english lesson1 and a proof of the saying1 ,out of the mouths of babes and sucklings1 all in one4 ,these country boys and girls take an interest in ,english work1 because it deals with the things they know4 ,miss ,ellen ,b4 ,mc,donald1 ,county ,superintendent of ,schools in ,oconto ,county1 ,wisconsin1 publishes a column of school news in each of the three county newspapers4 ,here is one of her contributions1 in the form of an ,english lesson and a counting lesson combined3 7,a rag-baby tester is a device for determining the fertility of seed corn before it is planted47 ,my dear ,miss ,mc,donald3 ,the rag-baby tester is causing a whole lot of excitement4 ,we have tested one lot and this morning started another4 ,we notice one thing in particular1 the corn which was dried by stove heat sprouts perfectly1 while that dried in granaries1 etc41 is not sprouting at all4 ,last fall papa saved his seed corn1 selecting it very carefully1 and hung it up in the granary to dry4 ,i selected several ears from the same field and at the same time1 and dried them on the corn tree at school4 ,upon testing them this spring papa's corn does not sprout at all1 while mine is sprouting just exactly as good as the ,golden ,glow sent out to the school children4 ,this morning ,i am testing some more of papa's1 and if that fails he will have to buy his seed1 a thing he has never had to do before4 ,we tested the corn secured from four of our interested farmers last week and one lot germinated2 the other three did not4 ,this morning pupils from seven different homes brought seed to be tested4 ,we had a package of last year's seed left and tested several kernels of that1 as well as some sent out this year1 and we think last year's seed is testing a little the better4 ,the new arithmetic1 like the new ,english1 deals with the country4 ,it seems a little odd1 just at first1 to see boys and girls standing at the board computing potato yields1 milk yields1 the contents of granaries1 the price of bags and the cost of barns and chicken houses2 yet what more natural than that the country child should figure out his and perhaps his father's problems in the arithmetic class at school8 ,the geography is no less pertinent4 ,soil formation1 drainage1 the location and grouping of farm buildings1 the physical characteristics of the township and of the county are matters of universal interest and concern4 ,every school in ,berks ,county1 ,pennsylvania1 is provided with a fine soil survey map of the county1 made by the ,united ,states ,geological ,survey4 ,what more ideal basis for rural geography8 ,here and there a country school is waking up to the physical needs of country children4 ,country boys are not symmetrically developed1 asserts ,superintendent ,rapp1 of ,berks ,county4 ,they are flat-chested and round-shouldered4 ,that is interesting1 indeed4 ,mr4 ,rapp explains3 ,it is because of the character of their work1 nearly all of which tends to flatten the chest4 ,whether or not that is the explanation1 the fact remains1 and with it the no less evident fact that it is the business of the school to correct the defects4 ,in an effort to do this we have worked out a series of fifty games which the children are taught in the schools4 ,in ,may a great ,field ,day and ,play ,festival is held1 to which the entire county is invited4 ,each school trains and sends in its teams4 ,trolleys1 buggies1 autos and hay wagons contribute their quota1 until five thousand people have gathered in an out-of-the-way spot to help the children enjoy themselves4 ,mr4 ,rapp is a great believer in activity4 ,tireless himself1 he has fifty teacher-farmers--men who teach in the winter and farm in the summer--an excellent setting for country boys and girls4 ,he believes in activity for children1 too4 ,if the school appealed as it ought to the motor energies of children1 instead of having to drive them in1 you would have to drive them out4 ,to prove his point ,mr4 ,rapp cites the instance of one man teacher1 who1 before the days of manual training in the schools1 decided to have manual training in his one-room ,berks ,county school4 ,he did the work himself1 ,mr4 ,rapp says1 dug out the cellar and set up a shop in it4 ,the only help he had was the help of the pupils1 and the work was done in recess time and after school4 ,they made their own tools1 cabinets1 book-cases1 picture-frames1 clock-frames1 and anything else they wanted4 ,and do you know1 when it got dark1 that man would send the children home from the school in order to be rid of them4 ,consolidated schools help4 ,they make rural education broader and easier1 but the one-room country school1 presided over by a live teacher1 may be made worth while4 ,social events1 sports1 contests in farm work and domestic work1 studies couched in terms of the country1 may all prove potent factors in shaping the child and the community4 ,,iv ,repainting the ,little ,red ,schoolhouse ,without1 as well as within1 the little red school-house may be transformed4 ,the course of study may establish a standard in rural thought4 ,the rural school-house may set a standard of rural architecture and landscape gardening4 ,how typical of old-time country schools are the lines3 ,still sits the school-house by the road1 ,a ragged beggar sunning4 ,around it still the sumacs grow1 ,and blackberry vines are running4 ,the unpainted1 rough exterior of the little school vied with the unkempt school grounds4 ,both supplied subjects for artistic treatment4 ,to the consternation of the poet and the romancer1 the modern one-room school is painted1 and the school yard1 instead of being filled with a thicket of blackberry and sumac1 is laid out for playground1 flower-beds and gardens4 ,the up-to-date country school1 while far less picturesque1 is much more architectural and more useful4 ,the ,state ,superintendent of ,education in ,wisconsin furnishes free to local school boards plans of modern one-room schools4 ,with a hall at each end for wraps1 an improved heating and ventilating device1 and all of the light coming from the north side1 where there is one big window from near the floor to the ceiling1 these buildings1 costing from two thousand dollars up1 provide in every way for the health and comfort of the children4 ,the superintendent may go farther than to suggest in ,wisconsin1 however1 for if a school building becomes dilapidated he may condemn it1 and then state aid to local education is refused until suitable buildings are provided4 ,the law has proved an excellent deterrent to educational parsimony4 ,superintendent ,kern1 of ,rockford1 ,illinois1 has done particularly effective work in beautifying his schools4 ,within the schools are tastefully painted and decorated4 ,outside there are flower-beds1 hedges1 individual garden plots1 neatly-cut grass1 and all of the other necessaries for a well-kept yard4 ,no longer crude and unsightly1 the ,rockford school yards are models which any one in the neighborhood may copy with infinite advantage4 ,as the school becomes the center of community life local pride makes more and more demands4 ,could you visit some of the finer school buildings in ,ohio1 ,indiana1 ,wisconsin and ,illinois you would be better able to understand why men boast of ,our ,school in the same tone that they use when boasting of their corn yields4 ,v ,a ,fairyland of ,rural ,education ,you will perhaps be somewhat skeptical--you big folks who have ceased to believe in little people--when you hear that out in western ,iowa there is a county which is an educational fairyland4 ,yet if you had traveled up and down the country1 gone into the wretched country school buildings1 seen the lack-luster teaching and the indifferent scholars1 which are so appallingly numerous2 if you had read in the report of the investigating committee which has just completed its survey of ,wisconsin rural schools the statement that in many districts the hog pens were on a better plane of efficiency than the school houses2 if you had seen the miserable inadequacy of country schools ,north1 ,east1 ,south and ,west1 and had then been transported into the midst of the school system of ,page ,county1 ,iowa1 you would have been sure that you had passed through the looking-glass into the queer world beyond4 ,yet ,page ,county is there--a fairyland presided over by a really1 truly fairy4 ,the schools in ,page ,county1 ,iowa1 which1 by the way1 is one of the best corn counties in ,iowa1 are little republics in which the children have the fun1 do the work and grow up strong and kind4 ,each school has its song1 its social gatherings1 its clubs1 and its teams4 ,how you would have pricked up your ears if you had driven past the ,hawley ,school and heard a score of lusty voices shouting the school song to the tune of ,everybody's ,doing ,it6 ,december was the time of the ,page ,county contests1 when each school sent its exhibits of dressmaking1 cooking1 rope-splicing1 barn-planning1 essay-writing and its corn-judging teams to the county seat1 where they were displayed and judged very much as they would be at a county fair4 ,further1 it was the time when the prizes were to be awarded to the boy having the best acre of alfalfa1 of corn and of potatoes4 7,queer1 isn't it1 but last year a girl got the first prize for the best crop of potatoes47 ,december is a great month in ,page ,county4 ,this year more than three thousand exhibits were sent into ,clarinda1 the county seat4 ,every boy and girl is on tip-toe with expectancy1 and after the awards the successful schools are as proud as turkey cocks4 ,we have never taken the thing seriously here before1 explained a farmer who had left his work in mid-afternoon and come in to teach the boys of a school how to judge seed corn4 ,this year we're going down there to ,clarinda for all that's in it4 ,if he hadn't meant what he said he would scarcely have been spending his hours in the school-room4 ,if the ,hawleyville boys had not been thoroughly in earnest they would not have been there1 after school1 learning how to judge corn4 ,the community around each school is agog with excitement while preparations are being made for the county contest4 ,the men folk advise the boys regarding their corn-judging and their models of farm implements and farm buildings1 while the women give lessons galore in the mysteries of country cooking1 for it is no small matter to be hailed and crowned as the best fourteen-year-old cook in ,page ,county1 ,iowa4 ,one ,page ,county teacher conducts her domestic science work in the evening at the homes of the girls4 ,on a given day of each week the entire class visits the home of one of the girls1 prepares1 cooks and eats a meal4 ,what an opportunity to inculcate lessons in domestic economy at first hand6 ,what a chance to show the behind-the-time housekeeper 7for there are such even in ,page ,county7 how things are being done6 ,because ,page ,county is a great corn county much school time is devoted to corn4 ,in every school hangs a string of seed corn which is brought in by the boys in the fall1 dried during the winter1 and in the spring tested for fertility4 ,a ,babcock milk-tester1 owned by the county1 circulates from school to school1 enabling the children to test the productivity of their cows4 ,teams of boys1 under the direction of the school1 make their own road drags1 and care for stretches of road--from one to five miles4 ,the boys doing the best work are rewarded with substantial prizes4 ,do you begin to suspect the reason for the interest which the big folks take in the doings of ,page ,county's little folks8 ,it is because the little folks go to schools which are a vital part of the community4 ,three times a year there is1 in each school1 a gathering of the friends and parents of the children4 ,sometimes they celebrate ,thanksgiving1 sometimes they have a ,parents' ,day4 ,anyway1 the boys decorate the school1 the girls cook cake and candy1 and the parents come and have a good evening4 ,the children begin with their school song1 sung1 perhaps1 like this ,kile ,school song1 to the tune of ,home1 ,sweet ,home3 #a4 ,what school is the dearest1 ,the neatest and best1 ,what school is more pleasant1 ,more dear than the rest1 ,whose highways and byways ,have charms from each day1 ,whose roads and alfalfa1 ,they have come to stay4 ,chorus4 ,kile1 ,kile1 our own ,kile1 ,we love her1 we'll praise her1 ,we'll all work for ,kile4 #b4 ,whose corn is so mellow1 ,whose cane is so sweet1 ,whose taters are so mellow1 ,whose coal's hard to beat1 ,whose ,ma's and whose ,grandpa's ,are brave1 grand and true1 ,their love for their children ,they never do rue4 ,there follows a program like the program of any other social evening1 except that very often the parents take part as well as the children4 ,the things are interesting1 too1 like this little duet1 sung at the ,thanksgiving entertainment by two of the ,kile girls3 #a4 ,if a body pays the taxes1 ,surely you'll agree1 ,that a body earns a franchise1 ,whether he or she4 ,chorus4 ,every man now has the ballot1 ,none1 you know1 have we1 ,but we have brains and we can use them1 ,just as well as he4 #b4 ,if a city's just a household1 ,as it is1 they say1 ,then every city needs housecleaning1 ,needs it right away4 #c4 ,every city has its fathers1 ,honors them1 ,i we'en1 ,but every city must have mothers1 ,that the house be clean4 #d4 ,man now makes the laws for women1 ,kindly1 too1 at that1 ,but they often seem as funny ,as a man-made hat4 ,the grand event of this fairyland comes in the summer1 when the boys and girls from all of the schools go to the county seat for a summer camp1 where1 between attending classes and lectures1 playing games and reveling in the joys of camp life1 they come to have a very much broader view of the world and a more intense interest in one another4 ,they are only one-room schools out there in ,page ,county1 but they have adapted themselves to the needs of the community1 focusing the attention of parents and children alike on the bigger things in rural life1 and the ways in which a school may help a countryside to appreciate and enjoy them4 ,so the boys and girls of ,page ,county have their fairyland1 and are devoted to the good fairy1 who1 in the shape of a generous1 kindly county superintendent1 helps them to enjoy it4 ,,vi ,the ,task of the ,country ,school ,the teacher of a one-room school in ,berks ,county was quizzing a class about ,columbus4 ,where was he born8 she queried4 ,in ,genoa4 ,and where is ,genoa1 ,ella8 ,on the ,mediterranean ,sea1 replied ,ella promptly4 ,what was his business8 was her next question4 ,he was a sailor1 ventured a bright boy4 ,a sailor1 chorused the class4 ,why was he a sailor1 ,edith8 ,edith shook her head4 ,yes1 ,george4 ,why1 because he lived on the sea4 ,of course4 ,now think a minute4 ,do many of the boys from this country become sailors8 ,no'm1 from the class4 ,what do they become8 ,farmers1 cried the class1 hissing the f and flattening the a4 ,certainly1 the boys in a farming community1 brought up on the farm1 naturally become farmers1 yet in the interim1 between babyhood and farmer life1 they go to school4 ,how absurdly easy the task of the school--to determine that they shall be intelligent1 progressive1 enthusiastic1 up-to-date farmers4 ,the girls1 too1 marry farmers1 keep farmers' homes and raise farmers' sons4 ,how simple is the duty of seeing that they are prepared to do these things well6 ,the task of the city school is complex because of the vast number of businesses1 professions1 industrial occupations and trades which children enter4 ,in comparison the country school has the plainest of plain sailing4 ,what are the ingredients of successful farmers and farmers' wives8 ,what proportion of physical education1 of mental training1 of technical instruction in agriculture1 of suggestions for practical farm work1 of dressmaking1 sewing and cooking1 enter into the making of farmers' boys and farmers' girls who will live up to the traditions of the ,american farm8 ,to what extent must the school be a center for social activity and social enthusiasm8 ,how shall the school make the farm and the small country town better living places for the men and women of to-morrow8 ,the duty of the country school is simple and clear4 ,it must fit country children for country life4 ,first it must know what are the needs of the country2 then1 manned by teachers whose training has prepared them to appreciate country problems1 it will become the power that a country school ought to be in directing the thoughts and lives of the community4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #bb3 ,an extensive reference to this school will be found in ,country ,life and the ,country ,school1 ,mabel ,carney1 ,row1 ,peterson ,company1 ,chicago1 #aiab4 ,footnote #bc3 ,supra1 pp4 #ahj-aha4 ,,chapter ,x ,,out ,,of ,,the ,,mouths ,,of ,,babes ,,and ,,sucklings ,i ,miss ,belle ,the sun shone mildly1 though it was still late ,january1 while the wind1 which occasionally rustled the dry leaves about the fence corners1 had scarcely a suggestion of winter in its soft touch4 ,across the white pike1 and away on either side over the rolling blue grass meadows1 the ,kentucky landscape unfolded itself1 lined with brown and white fences1 and dotted with venerable trees4 ,a buggy1 drawn by a carefully-stepping bay horse1 came over the knoll ahead1 framing itself naturally into the beautiful landscape4 ,surely1 that must be ,joe and ,miss ,belle2 it was so like her1 since she always seemed at home everywhere1 making herself a natural part of her surroundings4 ,another moment and there was no longer any doubt4 ,it was ,miss ,belle with three youngsters crowded into her lap and beside her in the narrow buggy seat1 while a dangling leg in the rear suggested an occupant of the axle4 ,well1 well1 cried ,miss ,belle1 cordially1 as ,joe stopped1 glad of any excuse not to go1 where are you bound for8 ,you didn't come all the way over to ride back with me8 ,no1 indeed1 ,miss ,belle1 ,i laughed back1 no one ever expects to ride with you so near the school-house4 ,i'll walk along ahead until you begin to unload4 ,go along1 now you're casting reflections on ,joe's speed4 ,come1 ,joe1 we'll show him4 ,joe1 who did not leave his accustomed walk at once1 finally yielded to the suggestion of a gentle blow from the whip and broke into a trot4 ,lem'me walk with you1 cried the rider on the springs1 slipping from her perch and stepping out beside the buggy4 ,so we journeyed for half a mile4 ,the horse1 under constant urging1 jogged along1 while the spring rider and ,i trotted side by side over the well-made pike4 ,then ,miss ,belle drew rein in front of a small1 yellow house4 ,now1 out you go1 she exclaimed to her young companions4 ,all out here but one4 ,goodbye1 dearies4 ,all right1 up you get1 and in a moment we were snugly fixed in the buggy for a half hour's ride behind ,joe4 ,you see those two little girls who got off there1 said ,miss ,belle1 pointing to the house we had just left1 well1 they are two of a family of six--two younger than those4 ,their mother died last winter1 so naturally ,i take an interest in them4 ,their father does his best with them1 but it is a big task for a man to handle alone4 ,the last child was unloaded by this time1 and ,miss ,belle1 settling herself back comfortably1 chatted about her work in a one-room country school in the ,blue ,grass belt of ,kentucky4 ,,ii ,going to ,work ,through the ,children ,maybe there are thirty-five families that my school ought to draw from1 she began4 ,six years ago when ,i took this school some of them surely did need help4 ,dearie me6 ,the things they didn't know about comfort and decency would fix up a whole neighborhood for life4 ,they wore stockings till they dropped off4 ,some of the girls put on sweaters in ,october1 wore them till ,christmas1 washed them1 and then wore them till spring4 ,you never saw such utterly wretched homes4 ,there was hardly a window shade in the neighborhood1 nor a curtain either4 ,it wasn't that the women didn't care--they simply didn't know4 ,i saw it all1 said ,miss ,belle1 nodding her head thoughtfully1 and it worried me a great deal at first4 ,i just had to get hold of those people and help them--,i had made up my mind to that4 ,impatience wouldn't do1 though1 so ,i said to myself1 ',now1 my dear1 don't you be in any hurry4 ,you can't do anything with the old folks1 they're too proud4 ,if you succeed at all it's got to be through the children4' ,so ,i just waited1 keeping my eyes open1 and teaching school all of the while1 until1 the first thing ,i knew1 the way opened up--you never would guess how--it was through biscuits4 ,,iii ,beginning on ,muffins ,the folks around here never had seen anything except white bread4 ,there wasn't a piece of cornbread or of graham anywhere4 ,you know what their white bread is1 too--heavy1 sour1 badly made and only half cooked4 ,the old folks were satisfied1 though1 and there didn't seem to be any way to go at it except through the youngsters4 ,day after day ,i saw them take raw white biscuits and sandwiches made of salt-rising white bread out of their baskets1 wondering how they could eat them4 ,still ,i didn't say anything1 but every lunch time ,i ate corn muffins or graham wafers1 with all of the gusto ,i could master4 ,one day a little girl up and asked me3 ',say1 ,miss ,belle1 what may you all be eatin'8' ',corn muffins1' said ,i4 ',ever taste them8' ',nope4' ',well1 wouldn't you like a taste8' ',sure ,i would4' ,she took it1 and a great big one1 too4 ',um1' says she1 smacking her lips1 ',um4' ',like it8' ,i asked4 ',um1' says she again1 like a baby with a full stomach4 ',oh1 ,miss ,belle1' piped up ,annie1 'how do you make 'em8' ,that was the chance ,i had been waiting for4 ',would you like to know8' ,i asked1 and to a chorus of ',sure1' '',deed we would1' ',oh1 yes1' ,i put the recipe on the board1 and it wasn't two days before those girls brought in as good corn muffins as ,i ever tasted4 ,little ,annie is a good cook--never saw a better--and before the week was out she says to me3 ',miss ,belle1 ma's mad with you4' ',what all's the matter8' ,i asked4 ',she says since you taught us to make those corn muffins she'll be eaten out of house and home4 ,the first night ,i made 'em pa ate eleven4 ,he hasn't slackened off a bit since4 ,he must have 'em every day4' ,that made the going pretty easy1 ,miss ,belle went on4 ,the muffins were mighty good1 they were new1 and1 by comparison1 the white biscuits didn't have a show4 ,it wasn't long before ,i had the whole neighborhood making corn muffins1 graham wafers1 black bread1 graham bread and whole-wheat bread4 ,they sure did catch on to the idea quickly4 ,every ,monday ,i put a recipe on the board4 ,these women knew how to cook the fancy things4 ,it was the plain1 simple1 wholesome things that they needed to know about1 so my recipes were always for them4 ,during the week each of the children cooks the thing and brings it to me1 and the one who gets the best result puts a recipe on the board ,friday4 ,you see1 after ,i once got started it wasn't hard to follow up any line ,i liked4 ,by the time ,i was putting a recipe a week on the board the mothers got naturally interested and would come to school to ask about this recipe and that4 ,they wouldn't take any advice1 you understand1 not they6 ,they knew all about cooking1 so they thought1 but they were mighty proud of the things their daughters did1 particularly when they took the prizes at the county fair4 ,besides that1 it made a whole lot of difference at home1 because the things they made helped out a lot and tasted mighty good on the table4 ,miss ,belle's next move was against the cake--soggy1 sticky stuff1 full of butter1 that was very generally eaten by all of the families that could afford it4 ,expensive and fearfully indigestible it made up1 together with bread1 almost the entire contents of most lunch baskets4 ,i couldn't see quite how to go about the cake business1 ,miss ,belle commented1 because they were particularly proud of it4 ,finally1 though1 ,i hit on an idea4 ,one of the women in the neighborhood was sick4 ,she was a good cook and knew good cooking when she saw it1 so ,i got my sister to make an angel cake1 which ,i took around to her4 ,i do believe it was the first light cake she had ever tasted--anyway1 she was tickled to death4 ,it wasn't long after that before every one who could afford to do it was making angel food4 ,of course it's expensive1 but since they were bound to make cake1 that was a lot better than the other4 ,similar tactics gradually replaced the fried meats by roasts and stews4 ,when ,miss ,belle came1 meat swam in fat while it cooked and came from the stove loaded with grease4 ,everybody fried meat1 and when by chance they bought a roast they began by boiling all of the juice out of it before they put it in the oven4 ,miss ,belle's stews and roasts made better eating1 though4 ,the men-folks liked them hugely and the old frying process was doomed4 ,no1 concluded ,miss ,belle1 laughingly1 you can't do a thing with the old folks4 ,why if ,i was to go into a kitchen belonging to one of those women and tell her how to sift flour she would run me out quick1 but when ,annie comes home and makes such muffins that the man of the family eats eleven the first time1 there is no way to answer back4 ,the muffins speak for themselves4 ,,iv ,taking the ,boys in ,hand ,while the girls were making over the diet of the neighborhood ,miss ,belle was working through the boys to improve the strains of corn used by the farmers1 the methods of fertilizing and the quality of the truck patches4 ,a few years ago when the farmer scorned newfangled ideas it was the boys that took home methods for numbering and testing each ear of corn to determine whether or not the kernels on it would sprout when they were planted4 ,the farmer who turns a deaf ear to argument can offer no effective reply to a corn-tester in which only one kernel in three has sprouted4 ,the ears are infertile1 from one cause or another1 and the sooner he replaces them by fertile seed the better for his corn crop4 ,out beside a white limestone pike stands the school in which ,miss ,belle has done her work4 ,one would hardly stop to look at it1 because it differs in no way from thousands of similar country school-houses4 ,modest and unassuming1 like ,miss ,belle1 it holds only one feature of real interest--the faces of the children4 ,bright1 eager1 enthusiastic1 they labor earnestly over their lessons in order that they may get at their busy work1 and linger over their busy work during recess and after school1 because it glides so swiftly from their deft fingers4 ,in this1 as in everything else which she does1 ,miss ,belle has a system4 ,the child whose lessons are not done1 and done up to a certain grade1 is not taught new stitches or new designs4 ,even the youngest responds to the stimulus1 and the little girl in a pink frock1 with pink ribbons on her brown pig-tails1 lays aside the mat she is making to write ,annie ,belle ,lewis on the board1 and to tell you that she is seven2 while ,john ,murphy1 of the mature age of eleven1 stops crocheting ear-mufflers for a moment to tell you what he is doing and why he does it4 ,v ,busy ,work as an ,asset ,you never would guess what a help the 'busy work' is1 smiled ,miss ,belle4 ,you see1 they never can do it until their lessons are finished1 so they are as good at arithmetic as they are at patching4 ,then ,i always teach the little ones patterns and stitches where they have to count1 ',one1 two1 three1 four1 five1 and drop one1' you know1 and in the shortest time they learn their number work4 ,it seems to go so much more quickly when they do it in connection with some pieces that they can see4 ,but you never would guess the best thing the sewing has done--it has stopped gossiping4 ,it's hard to believe1 ,i know1 but it's true4 ,there used to be a lot of trouble in this neighborhood4 ,people told tales1 there was ill feeling1 and folks quarreled a great deal of the time4 ,it wasn't long before ,i found out that it was the girls who did most of the tale-bearing4 ,no wonder1 either6 ,they weren't very busy in school1 and they had nothing much to do at home except to listen and talk4 ,really1 they hadn't any decent interest in life4 ,of course there was no use in saying anything1 but ,i felt that if ,i could get them busy at something they liked they would stop talking4 ,it wasn't enough to start them at dressmaking1 either1 but when ,i started in on hard1 fancy work designs ,i had them4 ,they made pretty clothes1 embroidered them2 made lace and doilies4 ,most of the girls can pick up a new ,irish-lace pattern from a fashion-book as easily as ,i can1 and they are rabid for new patterns4 ,the same girls who did most of the tale-bearing are busy at work1 and ,i find them swapping patterns and recipes instead of stories4 ,while the girls patch1 darn1 crochet1 hem1 knit1 weave baskets1 make garments and do the various kinds of busy work1 the boys clean the school yard1 plant walnut trees--,mrs4 ,faulconer1 the ,county ,superintendent1 is having the school children plant nut trees along all the pikes--and do anything else which is not beneath their dignity4 ,they have no work benches1 lamented ,miss ,belle1 ,i hope they will get them soon1 although there is really no place to put them4 ,indeed1 in a little building packed with fifty children and the school-room furniture the space is narrow4 ,yet this little one-room building at ,locust ,grove has left such a mark on the community that when the ,county ,school ,board recently decided to transfer ,miss ,belle to a larger school the member from her district promptly resigned1 and refused to be placated until every other member of the board had apologized to him and promised to leave ,miss ,belle in his school4 ,we never saw the old gentleman mad before1 said a neighbor4 ,but he certainly was mad then4 ,he had watched ,miss ,belle's work grow1 and knew what it had meant to the children2 so when they proposed to take her away he went right up in the air4 ,,vi ,marguerite ,what wonder8 ,he had seen the magic workings of a hand that felt the pulse1 judged the symptoms1 and prescribed a sure-to-cure remedy for a countryside full of ignorance1 drunkenness1 bitter hatreds and never-ending quarrels4 ,within a stone's throw of his house he had seen the transformation in the life of a little girl named ,marguerite4 ,since her birth she had lived in darkness1 but into her desolate home ,miss ,belle had sent light4 ,you never saw a worse home1 says ,miss ,belle4 ,her mother was woefully ignorant of everything in the way of home-making4 ,the children were wretchedly dressed4 ,the house was barrenness itself--no shades1 no curtains1 no decorations of any kind4 ,it was pathetic4 ,when she came to school neither she nor her mother could sew a stitch4 ,marguerite1 an apt girl with her fingers1 eagerly learned the needlework lessons of the school4 ,she taught her mother to sew1 while she herself made portieres and curtains1 lightening up the old home with a rare new beauty4 ,here again is ,lillie1 who is very slow at needlework and arithmetic1 but who has put the family diet on a wholesome basis by learning to cook some of the most delicious1 nourishing dishes4 ,her bread--the best in ,fayette ,county--is light as a feather4 ,hannah comes back after leaving school to learn how to ply her needle4 ,until a year ago ,christmas she could not sew a stitch2 now her stitches are so neat as to be almost invisible4 ,mrs4 ,hawly1 aroused to enthusiasm by her thirteen-year-old daughter1 has come to school1 learned plain and fancy sewing1 and started to make her own and her daughter's clothes4 ,everywhere are the marks of a teacher's handiwork stamped indelibly on the lives of her scholars and their families4 ,small wonder that the old gentleman on the board was loath to part with ,miss ,belle6 ,,vii ,winning ,over the ,families ,with supreme joy ,miss ,belle tells of her conquest of the fathers of her boys and girls--her family1 as she calls it4 ,the children were very poorly cared for1 she says4 ,the fathers spent the money for whiskey1 and the mothers lacked the means and the knowledge to clothe the children better4 ,sometimes they were pitiful in their poor shoes and thin clothes4 ,well1 sir1 we got up a ,christmas entertainment1 and1 except for one or two1 the children wore the same clothes they had been coming to school in all winter--shabby1 patched and dirty as some of them were4 ,they stood up there1 though1 one and all1 to do their turns and speak their pieces1 and their fathers were ashamed4 ,they saw their children in old clothes1 and the children of some of the neighbors all fixed up1 and they just couldn't stand it4 ,it surely did make a difference the next year4 ,miss ,belle's cheery face broadened with a satisfied smile4 ,the men didn't say a word--you know our men aren't in the habit of saying very much--but they went to town themselves the day before the entertainment and came back with new dresses for the girls and new clothes for the boys4 ,of course some of them were so small they would scarcely go on1 while others were miles big2 but every one had something new and no one felt badly4 ,this ,christmas1 concluded ,miss ,belle1 our entertainment packed the school-house1 and some were turned away4 ,just to show you how crowded it was--there were twenty-four babies there4 ,i was ready for them1 though1 with two pounds of stick candy2 so whenever a baby squalled he got a stick of candy quick4 ,strange1 good things have followed the visits of the mothers to the schools4 ,they would never have come had it not been for the wonderful things which their children were learning with such untoward enthusiasm4 ,one girl1 who had been particularly successful with her needlework1 brought her mother to school--a hard woman who had a standing quarrel with seven of her neighbors at that particular time4 ,it took a little tact1 but when the right moment arrived ,miss ,belle suggested that she pay a visit to a sick neighbor and offer to help4 ,the woman went at last1 found that it was a very pleasant thing on the whole to be friendly1 and carried the glad tidings into her life1 substituting kindness for her previous rule of incivility4 ,to her surprise her enemies have all disappeared4 ,the mothers1 coming to school to talk over the work of their children1 have for the first time seen one another at their best4 ,sitting over a friendly cup of tea1 chatting about ,jane's dress or ,willie's lessons1 they have learned the art of social intercourse4 ,slowly the lesson has come to them1 until to-day there is not a woman in the neighborhood who is not on speaking terms with every one else1 a situation undreamed of five years ago4 ,nine months in each year ,miss ,belle ,mc,cubbing holds her classes in the ,locust ,grove ,school1 which stands on the ,military ,pike1 seven miles outside of ,lexington1 ,kentucky4 ,angels watch over that school1 says ,mrs4 ,faulconer4 ,doubtless these angels are the good angels of the community1 for in six years the bitterness of neighborhood gossip and controversy has been replaced by a spirit of neighborly helpfulness4 ,boys and girls1 doing ,miss ,belle's busy work1 fathers and mothers learning from their children1 have heaped upon ,miss ,belle's deserving head the peerless praise of a community come to itself--regenerated in thought and act1 turned from the wretchedness and desolation of the past to the light and civilization of the future1 saved and blessed by the lives of a teacher and her children4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,wide-,,awake ,,sleepy ,,eye ,i ,fitting ,schools to ,needs ,this is the story of a school that was built to fit a town1 and it begins with a hypothetical case4 ,suppose that there was a town--a prosperous town of some #b1bdg souls1 set down in the middle of a well-to-do farming district4 ,as for business1 the town has a few industries and some stores2 the countryside is engaged in general farming4 ,suppose that the school board of such a town should come to you and say3 ,we are looking for a school superintendent4 ,are you the one8 ,suppose you said1 ,yes4 ,how would you prove your point8 ,out in ,minnesota there is a town named ,sleepy ,eye1 set down in a well-to-do farming district4 ,at the head of the ,sleepy ,eye schools there is ,j4 ,a4 ,cederstrom4 ,mr4 ,cederstrom has proved by a very practical demonstration that he is the one4 ,when ,mr4 ,cederstrom took charge of the ,sleepy ,eye schools he found an excellent school plant1 an intelligent community and a school system that was like the school system of every other up-to-date two-thousand-inhabitant town in the ,middle ,west4 ,before ,mr4 ,cederstrom there lay a choice4 ,he could continue the work exactly as it had always been carried on1 improve the school machinery1 and make a creditable showing at examination time4 ,that path looked like the path of least resistance4 ,mr4 ,cederstrom did not take it1 however4 ,instead he made up his mind that after measuring the community and the children he would1 to use his own words1 fit the work to their respective needs4 ,the work offered has been somewhat varied1 ,mr4 ,cederstrom explains4 ,i have not attempted to follow any set course or outline of work made out by some one else who is not familiar with our conditions and needs4 ,where does there exist a more admirable statement of the principle underlying the new education8 ,this man1 when given charge of a school plant1 deliberately chose to make the school fit the needs of the community upon which the school was dependent for support4 ,oblivious of tradition he set about remodeling the school in the interest of its constituency4 ,sleepy ,eye is located in a farming district4 ,many of the boys who come to the ,sleepy ,eye ,school will manage farms when they are grown men1 and many of the ,sleepy ,eye girls will marry farmers and manage them4 ,here were farmer men and farmer women in the making4 ,what more natural than to organize a ,department of ,agriculture8 ,a ,department of ,agriculture in a school8 ,yes1 truly2 and a short winter course for farm boys and girls who could not come the year round1 and a school experiment station with school farms for the children1 and a live farmers' institute that met in the school and was fed and cared for by the ,department of ,domestic ,science1 and all sorts of courses built up around the needs of the children and of the community4 ,,ii ,getting the ,janitor in ,line ,as a result of this method of course-making the school janitor found himself on the instruction staff of the school4 ,one day a couple of the short course boys were in the engine-room while the janitor was repairing a defective pipe in the heating plant4 ,the boys lent a hand in the work2 and one of them1 having a practical turn of mind1 suggested that he would like to learn more about pipe-fitting in order to install a water system on the farm at home4 ,the janitor repeated the remark to ,mr4 ,cederstrom1 who called the boys out and had a talk with them regarding the possibilities of the plan4 ,the outlook for the course was not bright4 ,every instructor in the mechanical department was working on full time4 ,only one way out remained and that way led to the janitor4 ,the janitor was a busy man during the day1 but his evenings were comparatively free4 ,after some parleying he agreed to give a course in elementary plumbing and steam-fitting on ,tuesday and ,thursday evenings at seven-thirty4 ,so the boys came to school in the evening1 and under the direction of the school janitor learned how to install a water system in their homes4 ,their work for the year consisted in making a model water system for a house1 a barn and the other farm buildings4 ,the materials for this course were picked up from the school's scrap-heap4 ,perhaps some people will not understand the spirit of it--getting the janitor in line to give a course in steam-fitting from the odds and ends that are found on the scrap-heap4 ,such a proceeding is unconventional in the extreme4 ,but1 on the other hand1 here were boys who wished to know how they might go back and improve their homes4 ,who shall say that the imparting of such knowledge is not the business of a real school8 ,,iii ,the ,department of ,agriculture ,let us go back for a moment to the organization of the ,department of ,agriculture4 ,the school at ,sleepy ,eye have available what every other school should have--five acres of tillable ground4 ,this tract at ,sleepy ,eye is devoted to tests and experimental work1 to flower gardens and to individual school gardens--one for each child who applies4 ,the experimental work and tests are carried on exactly as they would be at a state experiment station4 ,in the section of ,minnesota surrounding ,sleepy ,eye1 corn is the great staple crop4 ,therefore on the demonstration grounds of the ,department of ,agriculture1 ,independent ,school ,district ,no4 #bd1 ,sleepy ,eye1 ,minnesota1 they are growing a number of plots of corn1 each plot variously planted1 fertilized1 cultivated1 and cared for1 so that the children may learn at first-hand scientific methods of discovering the best kinds of crop1 and the best ways of handling a crop in their own locality4 ,the allotment of the school gardens carried with it instruction in engineering and in civics at the same time that the bonds between home and school were cemented4 ,the part of the school land that was to be devoted to school gardens was turned over to the older boys1 who surveyed it in exactly the same way that the ,united ,states government surveyed the homestead tracts4 ,the plot was laid out in towns and ranges4 ,the sections were staked and numbered4 ,then the children who wished to take up plots went into the newly surveyed territory1 picked their plots1 and filed an application with the land commissioner for a plot1 stating the section1 town and range4 ,after that a line formed and the plots 7#bjx#bj feet7 were allotted4 ,no child was permitted to take up an allotment unless he had the endorsement of a parent or guardian4 ,the form on which this endorsement was secured was as follows3 ,name ,grade ,sec ,town ,range ,,application ,,for ,,land ,,in ,,public ,,school ,,garden1 ,,dept4 ,,of ,,agr41 ,,sleepy ,,eye ,,high ,,school ,it is assumed that the parent or guardian who endorses this application will co-operate with the school authorities and have the applicant care for and weed said land during the growing season1 and devote at least two and a half hours each week this summer to the agricultural work as may be directed or required by the ,director of the ,department of ,agriculture1 ,mr4 ,haw4 ,i hereby apply for444444 ,sec444444 ,town4444444 ,range444444 in the ,public ,school ,garden of ,sleepy ,eye ,high ,school1 and will cultivate and care for same as may be directed by the proper authorities1 and will keep a careful record of the returns therefrom and report same on or before ,oct4 #bj1 #aiaa4 ,i will do the additional agricultural work that may be directed as indicated above4 444444444444444444444444444444444 ,applicant4 ,endorsed by 444444444444444444444444 ,parent or ,guardian4 ,the form carried on its opposite side statements showing the character of crop and its value1 the amount paid for seeds and an itemized statement of the returns4 ,the school gardens proved an admirable success4 ,the children had learned the details of a great historical event in their own state--the giving out of free land2 the boys had conducted a miniature survey2 rivalry had been developed in the competition over plots2 the gardens1 laid out side by side1 served as a splendid object lesson in quality of work2 no boy or girl could allege a teacher's unfairness from an untilled1 weedy plot2 the parents were made to feel that the school was doing something practical for their children2 the children were taught a simple form of accounting and cost-keeping2 and1 best of all1 they were made to feel their citizenship in the school4 ,the ,department of ,agriculture has1 in addition to its experimental farm1 a well-equipped laboratory1 in which tests and experiments are carried on4 ,sleepy ,eye is located in a dairy section2 therefore one of the chief functions of this laboratory has been the testing of milk4 ,any farmer may bring milk samples and have the ,babcock test applied to determine the percentage of butter fat which an individual cow is yielding4 ,,iv ,a ,short ,course for ,busy ,people ,in the neighborhood of ,sleepy ,eye1 as in many other places1 there are many boys and girls who cannot attend school throughout the year1 but who would welcome a chance to go to school in the winter months4 ,agricultural colleges have recognized this need by the organization of short courses during the winter months4 ,only a few children can go to college1 however4 ,lack of preparation and lack of funds compel them to remain at home4 ,it was for them that the school at ,sleepy ,eye organized a short course like that given in the agricultural colleges1 extending from the end of ,november to the middle of ,march4 ,of the pupils attending this course1 some of the boys are as old as thirty-seven1 and some of the girls as young as fifteen2 yet all come1 eager to find out some of the things which the school has to teach them4 ,the agricultural work of the short course centered around the agricultural problems of the ,brown ,county ,farm4 ,planting1 milk and cream testing1 work in seed testing and germination1 and treatment of seeds for fungus growths1 corn judging1 and similar topics covered the work of the term4 ,the short course boys had already learned many lessons in the practical school of farm work4 ,the school at ,sleepy ,eye offered them in addition the knowledge which science has recently accumulated regarding the work of the farm4 ,as the successful farmer must be a trained mechanic1 the short course laid great stress on manual training4 ,the boys were taught how to handle and care for tools1 how to frame a building1 how to make eveners1 hayracks1 watering troughs1 wagon boxes1 and similar useful farm articles4 ,in the blacksmith shop the simpler problems in forging were covered1 including the making of hooks1 clevises1 cold chisels and other small tools4 ,while the boys were engaged in agricultural and mechanical work the girls took domestic science4 ,in addition to the elementary work in cooking and sewing there were advanced courses in dress designing1 so planned as to prepare a girl to work out her own patterns and make up her own materials4 ,let no one suppose that the short course neglected academic work4 ,indeed1 it was originally intended to enable boys and girls who felt too big for the local school1 or who had no time to take the entire term there1 to review common school subjects4 ,the courses in industrial work1 in agriculture and in domestic science were offered in addition to these regular school studies4 ,the proof of the pudding is in the eating4 ,the boys and girls who take the short course for the first year come back in considerable numbers to take a second and a third year of work during the winter months4 ,the short course is a success1 because it gives the boys and girls who take it training and knowledge which they would not otherwise acquire4 ,v ,letting the ,boys ,do ,it ,the school at ,sleepy ,eye needed a farm building on the school farm4 ,the short course boys and some of the older boys in the school were anxious to learn4 ,what more natural procedure than for the school to buy the lumber and have the boys do the work8 ,exactly this proceeding was followed1 and the pupils erected the building which they needed to carry on the applied work of the school4 ,the mechanical work of the school is splendidly organized4 ,first of all1 the pupils built a large part of the equipment themselves4 ,five simple forges1 made by the students of pineboards and concrete1 form an excellent shop equipment1 besides giving the boys who did the work an inkling of the ease with which a forge can be erected in connection with the tool-house on the farm4 ,the boys built a turning lathe1 on which the wood turning of the school is done4 ,besides the shop-work there is a well-organized course in mechanical drawing4 ,the whole department is prepared to teach boys1 particularly farm boys1 some of the things which they will most need in the mechanical work on the farms4 ,the mechanical courses are open to the boys in the grades1 as well as to the high school and the short course pupils4 ,the work is graded1 and may be followed through the high school course4 ,,vi ,a ,look at the ,domestic ,science ,while the boys are in the shops the girls are occupied with domestic science4 ,a well-equipped laboratory and sewing-room furnish the basis for some thorough work4 ,the ,domestic ,science ,department is one to which ,mr4 ,cederstrom points with justifiable pride4 ,of all my constructive work since coming here1 he says1 ,i probably take my greatest pride in our ,domestic ,science ,department1 where elementary and advanced work is offered in cooking and in household economy4 ,because the space in the school was small1 and the demand for instruction large1 ,mr4 ,cederstrom planned the domestic science tables himself1 and superintended their building4 ,again the effectiveness of the school's work is shown by its results4 ,with the modest equipment which the funds and space available provided1 the girls in the ,domestic ,science ,department each year serve a dinner to the farmers and farmers' wives attending the annual farmers' institute held in the school in ,february4 ,on one occasion the department baked almost half a cord of bread1 roasted one hundred and forty pounds of beef1 and fed five hundred and seventeen persons at one dinner4 ,the sewing work includes a complete course in dressmaking4 ,students are required to make patterns from pictures selected in fashion magazines4 ,these patterns are then used in cutting out the garments1 which the girls themselves make up4 ,each girl in the ,high ,school is required to take at least one year each of cooking and of sewing4 ,these courses occupy five periods a week4 ,an additional year in each course is optional4 ,most of the girls eagerly elect it4 ,mr4 ,cederstrom takes a very practical view of such educational matters4 ,our girls like the domestic science work1 he says4 ,they take as much pride in bringing to my office a good loaf of bread1 or a well-prepared dish of vegetables or meat as they do in being able to give a perfect demonstration of a theorem in geometry1 or a perfect conjugation or declension of a ,latin word4 ,possibly ten years from now they may have more demand upon their ability to prepare a square meal for a hungry life companion1 or to cut out a dress or apron for a younger member of the family than they will have need of doing some of the other things which ,i have just mentioned4 ,they do not teach domestic science for its own sake out in ,sleepy ,eye2 they see farther ahead than that4 ,mr4 ,cederstrom is making his work practical1 because1 as he says1 ,we are anxious to do what little we can toward making our girls more efficient and capable as housekeepers1 wives1 and possibly as mothers4 ,,vii ,how ,it ,works ,out ,there are two questions that naturally arise3 ,first1 what is the effect of this work on the children8 ,second1 what is its effect on the farmers8 ,both questions must be answered briefly1 though the answers to both might be followed out through pages of illustrative detail4 ,the children like the school at ,sleepy ,eye4 ,the boys and girls come early and stay late4 ,the school doors open at eight o'clock and are not closed until dark4 ,there are always pupils there from the beginning to the end of that period4 ,the children are not interested in the applied work alone4 ,their interest in that has led them very often to an interest in some of the academic studies toward which they had no particular inclination4 ,the homes in ,sleepy ,eye are also interested in the school4 ,as one woman remarked3 ,my girls like to do work about the house now2 they never did before4 ,school work which gives girls a new desire and a new viewpoint on the work in the home is a step1 and a long one1 toward building sounder homes and stronger family ties4 ,there are some ,sleepy ,eye homes in which the interest of the boys in the school shops has led their parents to buy benches and tools which the children may use at home4 ,the school at ,sleepy ,eye has interested the farmers4 ,it has persuaded them that high grade seed is better than mongrel seed4 ,consequently the farmers are shelling more bushels of corn to the acre planted4 ,the school has persuaded the farmers that well-bred cattle are more profitable than mongrel cattle4 ,consequently the farmers are raising the standard of their herds4 ,when the farmers come into ,sleepy ,eye they go to the school4 ,perhaps they have milk to be tested2 perhaps they are looking for suggestions regarding soil or blight2 perhaps they want to know the latest facts about the scale or rust2 perhaps they want some advice about farm implements4 ,in any case they go to the school4 ,the farmers have been led to the school through the children4 ,the boys have gone home to their fathers with suggestions and improvements of inestimable value in the management of the farm4 ,the girls have gone home to their mothers with practical ideas on the running of the household4 ,these demonstrations of school efficiency have done more than argument or persuasion ever could hope to do in convincing the fathers and mothers of the usefulness of the school4 ,,viii ,theoretical and ,practical ,the work in mechanics seems to interfere in no essential particular with the regular academic work of the school4 ,the boys and girls are interested and enthusiastic4 ,that counts for a great deal4 ,then1 too1 boys and girls come to school for the mechanical work who would not come at all if the mechanical work were not there4 ,the academic work which such boys take is clear gain4 ,through the mechanical work many pupils become interested in the school1 and the school means1 for all pupils1 academic as well as applied work4 ,we do not discount those parts of an education that were once the sum total of the work in every high school1 ,mr4 ,cederstrom says4 ,they are all offered and taken by the students4 ,we are trying to give in addition to these academic branches the kind of education which will appeal to the children as being of a common-sense order4 ,there is in the high school a ,latin ,course1 a ,scientific ,course1 beside the ,agricultural ,course and the ,industrial ,course4 ,all of the students are required to take this academic work4 ,many1 in addition1 take the industrial and agricultural work1 even when they do not receive credit in their academic course4 ,each high school student is allowed two periods a day in laboratory work1 shop-work1 or some other form of applied education4 ,in addition to those periods1 the students may work in the shops or laboratory after school1 if they please4 ,many of them get their applied education in that way4 ,how great is the fire that a little spark kindles6 ,it was more than a thousand miles away that ,i first heard of the school at ,sleepy ,eye4 ,it happened in this way4 ,the clock had scarcely announced that it was high noon when a group of men drew their chairs up to a dinner table generously loaded with country hotel fare4 ,there were two school directors in this happen-so party1 a carter1 a salesman1 a lawyer1 a farmer and two teachers1 who talked with a professional twang4 ,the salesman listened impatiently to the educational clap-trap1 watching for an opening between phrases4 ,when at last the loophole appeared3 ,gentlemen1 said he1 you're interested in schools8 ,then you ought to see some real schools4 ,did you ever go to a school to listen to a phonograph8 ,then1 turning to the farmers3 ,did you ever go to school to get your horses shod8 ,you go to school for both in ,sleepy ,eye1 ,minnesota4 ,they're the greatest schools ,i have ever seen4 ,they run from seven in the morning till eight at night1 and accommodate every kid that wants an education4 ,gentlemen1 if you want to see real schools go to ,sleepy ,eye4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,the ,,south ,,for ,,the ,,new ,,education ,i ,a ,dream of ,empire ,a keen ,atlanta business man leaned forward on his chair and spoke eagerly4 ,yes1 sir1 he exclaimed1 the world is ours4 ,we have the biggest1 finest batch of undeveloped resources in the country--perhaps on the planet4 ,iron1 coal1 stone1 timber1 power--our hills are full of them1 so full that we have never even inventoried our treasure-house4 ,our possibilities are beyond the power of words1 and we've got to live up to them4 ,this man knew ,georgia and the ,south4 ,he had helped1 and still is helping to convert the iron1 coal1 timber1 and water-power into ,southern prosperity4 ,he was still unsatisfied4 ,the trouble with us is1 we can't go fast enough1 he admitted4 ,do you know why8 ,do you know the biggest burden we have to carry--the most determined enemy we have to fight8 ,well1 sir1 it's ignorance--the ignorance of the common man about his farm or his trade2 the ignorance of the business man about outside things2 the ignorance of the teachers who are supposed to enlighten us4 ,he leaned forward again4 ,that sounds strong1 doesn't it8 ,but it's gospel4 ,i reminded him of the rapidity with which the ,south was forging ahead in its educational activities4 ,he threw his head back proudly4 ,of course1 he cried1 the experiment stations1 the colleges1 the high schools1 the club movement1 and all that--of course we're going ahead4 ,i'm not speaking of that4 ,my point is that we must wake up to two things4 ,first of all1 we must never make the mistakes that you did in the ,north when you built up your educational system4 ,that means no pedantry1 or classical snobbery4 ,we mustn't go that way4 ,our way is plain though4 ,i see it more clearly every time ,i think the matter over--we must train the intelligence of the ,southern people4 ,he continued1 in his enthusiastic mood4 ,yes1 there is a great future for the ,south4 ,its resources make a future possible2 but unless those resources are intelligently used1 our prosperity will not go very deep1 or reach very far4 ,we must take the people with us4 ,this man's view typifies the educational vision that is sweeping over the ,south4 ,we must take the people with us1 he said4 ,there is nothing novel in the idea2 but coming as it did from a representative business man1 it carried weight and conviction4 ,another thing he said in the same connection enforced his argument4 ,they talk about the race problem in the ,south1 he said4 ,that is1 the old generation does4 ,we younger men are not so much concerned about the race problem as we are concerned about efficiency in industry and in agriculture4 ,the races are here to stay2 we cannot change that if we would4 ,meanwhile1 all of us1 whites as well as blacks1 are slovenly in our farming1 indifferent in our business transactions1 and hopelessly behind in our methods of conducting affairs4 ,from top to bottom we need trained intelligence4 ,that1 more than anything else1 will solve the ,south's problems4 ,,ii ,finding the ,way ,the step is a short one from a vision of trained intelligence to a demand for effective education4 ,throughout the ,south1 the will to progress is everywhere in evidence1 and with unerring accuracy1 one community after another is turning to this as the way4 ,there is no ,southern city in which the agitation for increased educational activity is not being pushed with vigor and intensity4 ,on all hands there appears the result of a conviction that the only means by which the effectiveness of the ,south can be maintained and increased1 lie along the path of increased educational opportunities4 ,the ,south1 if it is to fulfill the greatness of its promise1 must remodel its educational system in the interests of a larger ,south1 as the ,west has remodeled its educational system in the interest of a larger ,west4 ,the notable ,state universities of the ,middle and ,far ,west1 the ,normal ,schools1 the prevalent system of education1 have been felt1 and are now being felt1 in the progressive1 efficient1 ,western population4 ,nothing less than a generally educated public could have made the ,west in the brief years that have elapsed since it was a wilderness4 ,nothing save general education can make the resources of the ,south yield up their greatest advantage to the ,southern people4 ,the time for traditional formalism has passed in the ,south1 as it has passed in every other progressive community4 ,whatever the needs of the community may be1 those needs must be met through some form of public education4 ,in the ,south the most pressing need appears in the demand for intelligent farming4 ,for decades the tenant farmers1 largely negroes1 cultivated their farms as their fathers had cultivated4 ,they raised cotton because the raising of cotton offered the path of least resistance4 ,farm animals were scarce1 because the farm animals only came with surplus cash1 and surplus cash was scarce indeed in districts where the tenant farmers lived through the year on the credit obtained from the prospective cotton crops4 ,there was little corn raised1 because the people did not understand the need for raising corn1 nor did they realize the financial possibilities of the ,southern corn crop4 ,in a word1 the agricultural ,south lacked the knowledge which modern scientific agriculture has brought4 ,the past generation has seen a revolution in ,southern agriculture1 because of the revolution which has occurred in ,southern agricultural education4 ,led by the experiment stations and universities1 the ,south has undertaken to reorganize its system of living from the land4 ,the ,atlanta banker fully realized the need for culture4 ,he was himself a cultured gentleman2 but he also saw that before the people of the ,south could have culture1 they must have an economic system directed with sufficient intelligence to supply the necessaries of life1 which must always be taken for granted before the possibilities of culture are realized4 ,cultural education comes after1 and not before1 education for intelligent and direct vocational activity4 ,during the educational revolution of the past twenty-five years1 no section of the country has thrown itself into the foreground of educational progress with more vigor and with greater earnestness and zeal than that displayed in the ,south4 ,in certain directions the ,south has proved a leader in the inauguration and administration of new activities4 ,in other directions the ,southern ,states have followed actively and energetically4 ,a traveler through the ,new ,south stumbles unavoidably upon countless illustrations of the part which modern education is playing in ,southern life4 ,individuals1 families1 communities1 are being re-made by the new education4 ,,iii ,jem's ,father ,jem wasn't a good boy1 but he was interested in his school4 ,he was one of those fortunate boys who lived in a county that had been possessed by the corn club idea1 and the corn club was the thing which had given ,jem his school interest4 ,jem never took to studies4 ,each year he had told his mother that there weren't no use in goin' back to that there school again4 ,persistently she had sent him back1 until one year when ,jem found a reason for going4 ,a new teacher came to ,jem's school--a young man fresh from normal school1 full of enthusiasm1 energy1 and new ideas4 ,the boys felt from the start that he was their friend1 and before many weeks had elapsed1 the community began to feel his presence4 ,this new teacher was particularly enthusiastic over the club idea4 ,we must get the boys and girls doing something together he kept saying to his classes4 ,the year wore on1 but interest in the school did not flag1 because all through the winter months there were entertainments1 parents' meetings1 literary meetings1 spelling bees1 reading hours1 and other evening activities4 ,in fact1 the time came when there was a light in the school-house three or four nights in each week4 ,toward spring the new teacher began to push the club idea4 ,he started with the boys1 and1 as luck would have it1 picked out ,jem4 ,jem1 he said one day1 ,i want you to stay after school1 ,i want to speak to you a minute4 ,jem stayed1 not knowing exactly what was coming4 ,when the rest of the pupils had tumbled out of the school door1 and disappeared along the muddy road1 the teacher and ,jem sat down together4 ,jem1 said the teacher1 we ought to have a corn club in this school4 ,jem looked up doggedly1 but gave no sign of interest or enthusiasm4 ,you see1 the teacher said1 it's this way4 ,farming isn't all that it might be around here4 ,people raise things the way they have always been raised4 ,our county superintendent has an idea4 ,he proposes to teach the farmers in this county how to raise corn4 ,jem looked skeptical4 ,are you to do the teaching8 he asked4 ,no1 was the answer1 you are4 ,i8 said ,jem4 ,yes1 said the teacher1 you and the other boys in the school4 ,jem scratched his head4 ,i ain't never taught no one nothing in my life1 he commented4 ,it's this way1 the teacher went on4 ,up at ,washington and out at the ,state ,college they have been doing a lot of thinking and working with corn4 ,they found1 for instance1 that if you pick seed corn carefully1 you get a better crop than if you are careless in seed selection4 ,they have also found that if you follow certain rules about planting and cultivation you get a better crop4 ,for years the men at the ,experiment ,station and at ,washington talked about these things in ,farmers' ,bulletins4 ,they established experiment farms1 and demonstration farms1 too4 ,lately they have been doing something more1 and something which ,i think is better than anything so far--they have decided to have the boys teach their fathers how to raise corn4 ,do you mean to say1 asked ,jem1 that ,i could teach ,dad anything about corn-raisin'8 ,yes1 said the teacher1 you can1 and1 what is more1 you will1 won't you8 ,well1 said ,jem1 ,i dunno4 ,here is what we have to do1 said the teacher4 ,this year the county superintendent is going to offer prizes for the boy with the best acre of corn4 ,he sends out rules4 ,you have to plough a certain way1 plant a certain way1 and cultivate a certain way4 ,if you do not follow the rules you are not allowed to stay in the contest4 ,now ,i'll tell you what ,i want to do4 ,the boys in this school are as smart1 if not smarter1 than the boys in any other school in the country2 so ,i guess it is up to us to get some of those prizes right here at home4 ,jem was visibly interested4 ,money prizes8 he asked4 ,yes1 money prizes1 said the teacher4 ,the first prize will be fifty dollars4 ,jem's eyes opened wide4 ,i'm in for that1 he said with conviction4 ,that night1 when ,jem sat down to supper1 he broached the corn proposition to his father4 ,shucks1 his father exclaimed4 ,you raise an acre of corn8 ,why you wouldn't get twenty-five bushels6 ,twenty-five1 said ,jem1 contemptuously4 ,i'd get a hundred4 ,a hundred1 said his father4 ,here1 look here1 boy1 ,i have been farming this land for thirty odd years1 and the best ,i ever done on an acre of corn was seventy bushels4 ,i'll tell you what1 though1 he added conclusively1 this here talk about corn clubs makes me tired4 ,you and your hundred bushels6 ,i was looking over the paper when it came in this noon1 and ,i saw a piece about a chap over by ,southport with over a hundred bushels to the acre4 ,do you know what ,i'm goin' to do tonight8 ,i'm goin' to write that editor a letter1 and tell him that any paper that publishes lies like that ain't fit for my family to see4 ,this year's subscription ain't run out1 but they don't need to send me the rest4 ,i'll get a paper somewhere else4 ,despite home opposition1 ,jem persisted and prevailed4 ,his father gave him an acre grudgingly1 but it was a good acre4 ,and when1 following the rules which he and the other boys who had agreed to enter the contest read over with the teacher1 he disked his land and ploughed his narrow1 deep furrows1 he listened1 not without misgivings1 to the remarks which his elder brother passed at his expense4 ,say1 ,jem1 this brother remarked1 you have spent three times as much time on that acre as any acre of corn raised in this county was ever worth4 ,are you diggin' graves for 'possums8 ,when1 later in the season1 ,jem cultivated with persistent regularity1 he was forced to listen to similar comments4 ,jem wasn't good at repartee2 so he said nothing2 but1 sustained by the encouragement of the new teacher1 who came to see his acre every week1 ,jem followed the rules to the letter4 ,he had his reward at harvest time4 ,when the ears first set it became apparent that ,jem had a good crop4 ,as they developed1 the goodness of the crop became more manifest2 but when the acre had been harvested1 put through the sheller and bagged1 and ,jem had stowed in his pocket a certificate of ninety-six bushels on one acre1 it was time for some explanations4 ,jem1 said his father at the supper table on the evening of that memorable day when ,jem's corn went through the sheller1 and his certificate showed ninety-six bushels1 ,i wrote a letter to that editor1 and sent him next year's subscription in advance4 ,,iv ,club ,life ,militant ,the experience of ,jem's father has been duplicated many times by parents and communities during the past ten years of club growth in the ,south4 ,the school1 working through the children1 has educated fathers1 mothers1 villages1 and whole counties4 ,all of the agencies of government1--local1 ,state1 and national1--have cooperated to make the children's clubs one of the leading agencies in developing that trained intelligence which is so great an asset in the prosperity of any community4 ,thanks to the tireless efforts of men like ,william ,h4 ,smith1 the children's clubs have become one of the most aggressive factors in educating rural communities to higher standards of efficiency4 ,there are many kinds of clubs--corn clubs1 potato clubs1 tomato clubs1 pig clubs4 ,anything which the children can raise is a legitimate object of club activity4 ,the work in the ,south started with corn clubs4 ,the corn-club idea in ,mississippi grew out of an educational experience of ,professor ,william ,h4 ,smith4#bd ,for years ,professor ,smith had taught1 in a mildly progressive way1 the time-honored subjects which were included in the study-course of the rural school4 ,two of ,professor ,smith's students1 a boy of twenty and a girl of seventeen1 left school2 and they left1 as the boy told ,professor ,smith very frankly1 because the school taught them very little that would be of use later on in the work which they would be called upon to do4 ,this boy expected to grow cotton2 the girl expected to marry the boy1 manage his domestic affairs and attend to the many duties which fall to the lot of women on a farm4 ,when he left school1 the boy put it to ,professor ,smith in this way3 ,i am goin' to be a farmer4 ,i ain't fitted to be nothing else1 and book learnin' ain't helpin' me none4 ,it's just a waste of time4 ,i've got to clear land and work it into a farm4 ,if ,i was goin' to be a bookkeeper or an engineer1 or somethin'1 what you are teachin' me here might help2 but ,i can't remember that ,i have ever learned a thing since ,i got the hang how to figure the interest on a mortgage1 that will be of any account to me on a farm4 ,almost all the boys has got to be a farmer like me4 ,you know1 professor1 it appears to me like these schools for the people ought to be teachin' the children of the people how to make a livin' on the farm--how to make life better and easier1 instead of just makin' us plum disgusted with ourselves4 ,this experience1 standing out among a multitude of similar experiences1 led ,professor ,smith to an interest in some form of educational work that would help boys and girls in their lives on the farm4 ,the outcome of his thinking and experimenting1 combined with the thinking and experimenting of many another capable educational leader1 is the club idea for boys and girls alike4 ,there was a real need for the corn club4 ,for the year #ahii the total corn area in ,alabama was #b1gdc1jfj acres4 ,on these acres the farmers secured an average of #ab4g bushels per acre4 ,ten years later1 in #aiji1 the total acreage had decreased to #b1egb1jib1 and the per acre yield had decreased to #aa4i bushels per acre4 ,here was a decrease of #agj1ifh acres in corn2 of #d1cfg1caj bushels in the corn crop2 and of 4#h of a bushel in the average yield per acre4 ,the boys' corn club movement was started in ,alabama in #aiji4 ,that year two hundred and sixty-five boys were enrolled4 ,the average per acre yield of corn in the ,state was #aa4i bushels4 ,the next year the enrollment of boys reached twenty-one hundred2 the total yield increased more than sixty per cent42 and the average number of bushels per acre rose to eighteen4 ,the figures for #aiaa and #aiab show an increase1 though less extensive1 in the total acreage and the total yield of corn for each year4 ,southern land will grow corn4 ,properly treated1 it will better a yield of twelve bushels per acre1 five1 ten1 and even fifteen-fold4 ,the leaders of ,southern agricultural education knew this4 ,they knew1 furthermore1 that the betterment could never be brought about until the farmers were convinced that it was possible4 ,how could they be shown8 ,the ,farmers' ,bulletin had a place2 the experiment farm had a place2 but if it were only possible to make every farm an experiment farm6 ,the way lay through the boys4 ,they could be induced to organize miniature experiments in scores of farms in every county1 and then the farmers would see6 ,backed by a carefully worked out organization1 the authorities set out with the deliberate purpose of educating the farmer through his son4 ,if his corn yield was low1 he would learn how to get a larger yield4 ,if he raised no corn1 he would learn of the spot-cash value of corn4 ,boys were organized into clubs2 directions were given2 prizes were offered1 and the boys went to work with a will4 ,for the most part they took one acre4 ,when compared to the yield on surrounding acres1 the corn crops secured by the boys are little short of phenomenal4 ,in ,pike ,county1 ,alabama1 where the number of boys engaging in corn club contests increased from one in #aiaj to two hundred and seventy in #aiab1 the average number of bushels per acre grown by the boys rose from #ej4e to #he4c4 ,in the entire ,state there were one hundred and thirty-seven boys who made over a hundred bushels per acre each in #aiaa4 ,the average per acre for each of these boys was one hundred and twenty-seven bushels1 and the total profit on their corn crop was #ab1ejj4 ,records made by individual boys through the ,southern ,states run very high4 ,claude ,mc,donald1 of ,hamer1 ,s4 ,c41 raised #baj-d_/g bushels at a cost of #cc4c;c a bushel4 ,junius ,hill1 of ,attalla1 ,ala41 raised #bab-a_/b bushels4 ,ben ,leath1 of ,kensington1 ,ga41 raised #bad-e_/g bushels4 ,john ,bowen1 of ,grenada1 ,miss41 raised #bba-a_/e bushels4 ,eber ,a4 ,kimbrough1 ,alexander ,city1 ,ala41 raised #bbd-c_/d bushels2 and ,bebbie ,beeson1 ,monticello1 ,miss41 raised #bbg-a_/af bushels4#be ,these boys were all ,state prize winners4 ,there are several things worthy of note about these record yields4 ,practically all of the high yields were made on deeply ploughed1 widely separated rows4 ,the record made by ,bennie ,beeson 7#bbg-a_/af bushels1 at a cost of fourteen cents per bushel7 was secured on dark1 upland soil1 with a clay sub-soil1 ploughing to a depth of ten inches1 rows three feet apart1 hills six inches apart1 with ten cultivations4 ,beeson used #e-a_/b tons of manure and eight dollars' worth of other fertilizer on his acre4 ,the seed corn was ,new ,era4 ,barnie ,thomas1 who grew #bbe bushels on rich1 sandy loam1 ploughed nine inches1 planted his rows three and one-half feet apart1 and kept the hills ten inches apart4 ,he cultivated six times1 and selected his own seed from the field4 ,many of the boys making the fine records developed and selected their own seed4 ,one boy1 with an acre yield of #abd4i bushels1 cleared six hundred and ninety-five dollars1 counting prizes4 ,another boy1 with a yield of #ig-d_/e bushels1 reports that his father's yield was thirty bushels4 ,john ,bowen1 with a yield of #bba-a_/e bushels1 reports the yield on nearby acres as forty bushels4 ,arthur ,hill1 with #ahj-c_/e bushels1 reports the nearby yields as twenty bushels4 ,such figures1 uncertified1 would challenge the credulity of the uninitiated4 ,the land on which these record yields were secured had been raising twenty1 forty1 and fifty bushels of corn to the acre4 ,over great sections1 the per acre average was well under twenty4 ,into this desolation of agricultural inefficiency1 a few thousand school boys entered4 ,under careful supervision and proper guidance1 with little additional expenditure of money or of time1 they produced results wholly unbelievable to the old-time farmer4 ,yet he saw the crop1 husked1 and watched it through the sheller4 ,there was no magic and no chicanery4 ,he had learned a lesson4 ,the records cited above are exceptionally high4 ,there were hundreds of others almost equally good4 ,twenty-one ,georgia club members from the seventh congressional district alone grew #b1fda bushels at an average cost of #bc cents per bushel2 #ai boys in ,gordon ,county1 ,georgia1 average #ij bushels1 #aj of them making #a1jeh bushels4 ,the #aj boys who stood highest in ,georgia averaged #afi4i bushels and made a net profit of more than #ajj each1 besides prizes won4 ,in ,alabama #ajj boys average #ig bushels at an average cost of #bg cents4 ,in ,monroe ,county1 ,alabama1 #be boys averaged #gh bushels4 ,in ,yazoo ,county1 ,mississippi1 #ba boys averaged #aaa4f bushels at an average cost of #ai4g cents4 ,in ,lee ,county1 ,mississippi1 #ag boys averaged #hb bushels at an average cost of #ba cents4 ,sixty-five boys in ,mississippi averaged #aji4i bushels at an average cost of #be cents4 ,twenty ,mississippi boys averaged #adj4f bushels at an average cost of #bc cents4 ,ninety-two boys in ,louisiana grew #e1gia bushels on #ib acres2 #aj of these boys had above #ajj bushels each1 although the weather conditions were very unfavorable in that ,state4 ,in ,north ,carolina #ajj boys averaged #ii bushels4 ,in the same ,state #dcb boys averaged #fc bushels4 ,in ,buncombe ,county1 ,north ,carolina1 #aj boys averaged #hh bushels4 ,in ,sussex ,county1 ,virginia1 #af boys averaged #hb bushels4 ,fifteen boys in the vicinity of ,memphis1 ,tenn41 where the business men contributed about #c1jjj to aid the work1 averaged #abg4d bushels at an average cost of #bh cents per bushel4 ,many other records in other ,states were equally good in view of the fact that a drought prevailed very generally throughout the ,south in #aiaa4bf ,such returns challenge the attention of the most hidebound4 ,these boys got results that exceeded anything that had ever been heard of in their communities4 ,the old folks who had scoffed2 the wise-acres whose advice was not taken2 and the ,i told you so farmers who had uttered their predictions1 all stood aside1 while the boys1 pointer in hand1 taught their respective communities one of the best lessons they had ever learned4 ,v ,canning ,clubs ,parallel with the boys' corn clubs are the girls' canning clubs4 ,if the boys could grow corn 7in a number of cases the corn contests were won by girls71 why might it not be possible to have the girls do something along parallel lines8 ,the idea found expression in the girls' tomato clubs and similar organizations4 ,during #aiaj1 three hundred and twenty-five girls were enrolled in such clubs in ,virginia and ,south ,carolina4 ,dr4 ,knapp and his fellow workers decided that one-tenth of an acre would be enough for a good garden4 ,each girl was urged to plant some other kind of vegetable in addition to her tomatoes1 and to can surplus fruit4 ,in #aiaa1 more than three thousand girls1 in eight different ,states1 had joined clubs and planted their gardens4 ,by #aiab the number had grown to twenty-three thousand girls in twelve ,states4 ,many of the girls put up more than five hundred quart cans of tomatoes from their plots1 besides ketchup1 pickles1 chow-chow1 preserves1 and other products4 ,quite a number of girls put up more than a thousand quart cans1 and one girl put up fifteen hundred quart cans4 ,some of the girls1 in addition to the prizes1 had a net profit of as much as a hundred dollars on their gardens4 ,the ,united ,states ,bureau of ,plant ,industry sets forth the object of the girls' demonstration work as follows3 7#a7 ,to encourage rural families to provide purer and better food at a lower cost1 and utilize the surplus and otherwise waste products of the orchard and garden1 and make the poultry yard an effective part of the farm economy4 7#b7 ,to stimulate interest and wholesome cooperation among members of the family in the home4 7#c7 ,to provide some means by which girls may earn money at home1 and1 at the same time1 get the education and viewpoint necessary for the ideal farm life4 7#d7 ,to open the way for practical demonstrations in home economics4 7#e7 ,to furnish earnest teachers a plan for aiding their pupils and helping their communities4#bg ,,vi ,recognition ,day for ,boys and ,girls ,the most astonishing thing about the club activity is the recognition which it has won wherever it has been worked out on an extensive basis4 ,the reason for this general recognition is quite obvious1 and its effect is no less stimulating4 ,public officials and business men have vied with one another in their efforts to reward the winners of county and ,state club contests4 ,the same bulletin which records the astonishing figures on corn yields1 tells about the things that were done for the #ef1hdj boys who were members of corn clubs4 ,fifty-two ,georgia boys received diplomas signed by the governor of the ,state and other officials1 for producing more than a hundred bushels per acre each1 at an average cost of less than thirty cents per bushel4 ,business men and citizens generally subscribed liberally money1 free railroad transportation1 and trips to ,state capitals4 ,in #aiaa the total value of the prizes offered in the ,south to the boys' corn clubs approximated fifty thousand dollars4 ,in ,oklahoma1 one thousand dollars in gold was offered to the one hundred and twenty boys making the best record in that ,state4 ,the ,state prize winners were sent to ,washington for a week1 where they were received at the ,white ,house by the ,president1 and at the ,capitol by the ,speaker of the ,house of ,representatives4 ,they were presented with special cards of admission to the ,senate and ,house of ,representatives1 and1 when visiting ,congress1 they were presented to their ,senators and ,congressmen4 ,by special invitation these distinguished visitors appeared before the ,committee on ,agriculture at the ,house of ,representatives4 ,they also visited the office of the ,secretary of ,agriculture4 ,they were photographed1 and large diplomas bearing the seal of the ,department and the signature of the ,secretary were awarded to them4 ,one does not wonder at the widespread recognition accorded these boys1 in view of the fact that their efforts have been responsible for an immense increase in the business prosperity of their respective ,states4 ,once more have educators demonstrated the possibilities of teaching parents through the education of children4 ,,vii ,teaching ,grown-,ups to ,read ,the educational work which is being done in the uplands of the ,south has already received widespread recognition4 ,the slogan1 ,down with the moonshine still and up with the moonlight school1 typifies the spirit of the upland community4 ,one might journey far before discovering a more enthusiastic people than the teachers and the scholars of the ,southern uplands4 ,the appalling extent of illiteracy among the descendants of ,marion's men finds a parallel in their pathetic desire for some form of education4 ,the ,southern hill whites love the old and fear the new4 ,traditionally1 they belong to a past generation2 actually1 they are reaching out for the better things which the new generation can offer4 ,the moonlight schools are attended by old people and young alike4 ,the struggling colleges1 the industrial and technical schools1 with their record of privation and hardship1 bear eloquent testimony to the genuine efforts which the upland population is making in these early years of its educational awakening4 ,every sincere effort among the hill whites meets with instant response4 ,for the most part1 they deprive themselves of the necessaries of life in order that they may send their children to school4 ,boys skimp and save2 girls walk for miles along mountain trails and paths2 communities give of the scanty means of their effort for the building and maintenance of schools4 ,everywhere the spirit of the new education is permeating the ,southern upland communities4 ,,viii ,george ,washington1 ,junior ,one teacher1 whose years of effort in the ,piedmont have brought her the confidence and co-operation of the community1 tells of the success of one of her earliest ventures with a boy of thirteen4 ,the boy's father was bad2 his mother slovenly and indifferent4 ,the boy himself was bright and active4 ,when the time came for him to enter the cotton mill1 the teacher protested to his family1 but without success4 ,still there was something that she could do for him1 still she saw an opportunity of serving him1 and she asked him to come to her home with a number of other boys1 for a couple of nights a week1 when they sat together1 reading1 or playing games4 ,the boy had appeared sullen at first1 but toward the end of his school term he showed an active interest4 ,it became apparent that he was particularly clever at languages4 ,none of his lessons troubled him1 and1 with the assistance of the teacher1 he learned ,italian readily1 and during the evenings1 when the other boys played games or talked1 he worked over his ,italian sentences with vital interest4 ,just before ,christmas1 during the first year that this boy had spent in the mill1 a friend visited his teacher1 became interested in her work1 and asked if there was any way in which she could help4 ,you may1 said the teacher4 ,you may buy ,andy an outfit4 ,the friend went to the city with the order in her pocket1--a hat1 a suit1 and a complete outfit1 new1 as a ,christmas present for ,andy4 ,on ,christmas eve1 ,andy alone came to the teacher's house4 ,she had not asked the other boys1--partly because most of them preferred to stay at home1 partly because she had no such fine present for them as she had for ,andy4 ,never in my life1 the teacher said1 had ,i seen ,andy clean4 ,i made up my mind that for once he should have a clean body as well as clean clothes4 ,when ,andy came that ,christmas eve1 the teacher took him into a room where there were towels1 soap1 a basin1 and a new outfit of clothes4 ,andy1 she said1 this is your ,christmas present from my friend1 and now you are going to give me a ,christmas present1 too4 ,you are going to wash up and dress up4 ,andy followed directions1 and when he emerged from the room in his spick and span outfit1 his hat set side-wise on his wet1 newly combed hair1 he stood up very straight1 surveying himself as best he could from head to foot1 and exclaimed1--,gee6 ,i feel just like ,george ,washington4 ,the bath and the new suit were a realization of his highest ideal4 ,andy and ,i were always friends after that1 said the teacher1 and since ,andy was the moving spirit among the boys in the village1 the boys and ,i got along well together4 ,it was my introduction to the heart of the community1 and it came with ,andy's realization of an ideal which he had long cherished4 ,,ix ,a ,step ,toward ,good ,health ,having won ,andy over1 the teacher prepared to work her way past some of the barriers of prejudice which the community had placed between itself and civilization4 ,the girls offered the readiest opening4 ,the homes were wretched1 the teacher said4 ,the people did not know the simplest health rules4 ,they were strangers to sanitation or cleanliness4 ,their housekeeping was primitive and their cooking miserable4 ,i had won the boys by getting them together in something that resembled a club4 ,i decided that my best path to the girls1 and from them to the community1 lay through housekeeping4 ,the hypothesis was1 at least1 worthy of a try-out4 ,the teacher began by keeping her own house in the most approved manner1 and asking the girls to come in and help her do it4 ,you'll like to take supper with me this evening1 she would say to a group of girls at recess time4 ,speak to your mothers when you go home1 and you1 ,sadie and ,annie1 will stay over night and sleep in the spare bed4 ,they were slow to respond at first4 ,long habit made them suspicious1 but when the first few girls had spent their night with the teacher and had come home with the tales of her wonderful household arrangements1 the others were looking eagerly for a chance to duplicate their experiences4 ,am ,i next8 a little girl asked anxiously one day1 after the invitations to a party had been given out4 ,the assurance that she was1 made her face shine for the remainder of the afternoon4 ,the school girls all came willingly1 the teacher said4 ,it was after ,i had them so interested that one of the factory hands came in4 ,it was ,saturday night1 and she rapped on the door before coming in with a hesitating touch1 as if she was afraid4 ,she sat down across from me1 smoothing her dress and looking unhappy4 ,you'll not understand1 said the factory girl1 apologetically4 ,but ,mame is in your school--she's my sister4 ,you had her up last week to spend the night4 ,you'll remember8 ,the teacher nodded4 ,she came home1 and ever since she's been telling us about the way you did things4 ,and ,i've been thinking1---- ,she stopped and looked at the teacher1 half suspiciously1 half appealingly4 ,i've been thinking how nice it would be for me1 if ,i could do them things the same as you4 ,you see1 she spoke rapidly1 ,i'm gettin' married soon now1 and when ,mame came a-telling that way1 and our house like it always is1 and the baby crying1 and nothing done exceptin' ma a-scoldin'1 and ,i says to myself1 ,i says1 if ,i could do things like that teacher can do 'em mebbe ,i wouldn't make mistakes like ma makes 'em4 ,she paused for breath1 looking expectant4 ,you would like to come here to see how ,i do things8 the teacher asked4 ,the girl nodded eagerly4 ,come ,monday after hours1 and spend the night with me4 ,after that1 the teacher said1 it was a great deal easier4 ,the next thing ,i wanted to do was to get the children examined for glasses and throat trouble4 ,there were two second-rate country doctors there who knew little or nothing about modern medicine4 ,the nearest man that ,i could trust was forty miles away4 ,he was a specialist1 too1 and high priced4 ,still1 ,i sat down and wrote him a letter1 telling him how we were fixed4 ,he answered by return mail1 making a special rate and setting a day4 ,i hoped to take twelve of the children1 but ,i had car fare for only seven4 ,then came our windfall4 ,i told the railroad what ,i was trying to do1 and they made a special excursion rate and took the children at less than half fare4 ,we were all able to go1 and the extra money went for a treat to soda and the movies4 ,the children went back home1 singing the praises of the trip1 the teacher1 and the doctor4 ,they went back1 too1 with expert advice and assistance1 and with the good news that others would soon have a turn4 ,group by group1 the needy children were brought down to the specialist in the city4 ,some were even operated on1 although at the outset the parents would not hear of operations4 ,in the end the children won1 however4 ,their enthusiasm for the teacher and their doctor carried the day4 ,it has been slow1 the teacher said1 but at the end of it all1 they see better1 hear better1 eat more wholesome1 nourishing food1 live better1 and understand themselves better4 ,on the whole it has paid4 ,x ,theory and ,practice#bh ,the rural schools of the ,south have no monopoly on progressive educational views4 ,a number of ,southern cities have taken up their position in the vanguard of educational progress4 ,notable among these cities is ,columbus1 ,georgia1--a city of #bj1eed people1 in which ,superintendent ,roland ,b4 ,daniel has undertaken a vigorous policy of shaping the schools in the interests of the community4 ,there were in #aiac1 #e1cef children of school age in ,columbus4 ,of this number1 #d1jhi were in the schools4 ,the school population is rather unevenly divided1 racially1--#c1cdh of the children of school age are white1 and #a1aih are colored4 ,about one-quarter of the white population depends for its livelihood upon the mills4 ,columbus is surrounded by an agricultural district from which come many children in search of high school training4 ,the city of ,columbus presents an industrial problem of an unusually complex character1 and the manner in which this problem has been handled by the schools is worthy of the highest commendation4 ,superintendent ,daniel has laid down three definite planks in his educational platform for the city of ,columbus4 ,in the first place1 he aims to provide school accommodations which are fitted to the peculiar needs of each part of the community4 ,in the second place1 he aims to shape the school system of ,columbus in terms of the local environment of the children4 ,in the third place1 he has inaugurated a high school policy1 which makes high school training practical as well as theoretical4 ,among the mill operatives of ,columbus1 ,superintendent ,daniel estimates that there are approximately #hjj children of school age4 ,the situation presented by these children was critical in the extreme4 ,there was an absence of compulsory education laws2 few of the children attended any school1 and when they did enter a school they seldom remained long enough to secure any marked educational advantage4 ,less than #e per cent4 of the children continued in school after they were old enough to work in the cotton mills4 ,pursuant of his intention to make the schools supply the needs of all of the children of ,columbus1 ,superintendent ,daniel organized the ,north ,highlands ,school in the factory district4 ,of this school he says3 ,it is not made to conform1 either in course of study or hours1 to the other schools of similar rank in the system1 for the board desires to meet the conditions and convenience of the people for whom the school was established4 ,classroom work begins in the morning at #h o'clock and continues until #aa o'clock1 with a recess of #aj minutes at #i3cj4 ,the afternoon session begins at #a o'clock1 and the school closes for the day at #c3cj o'clock4 ,the long intermission in the middle of the day is given in order to allow the children to take hot lunches to parents1 brothers1 and sisters who are working in the mill4 ,many of the mills are located at some distance from the school4 ,some of the children are called upon to walk as much as two miles during the noon hour1 in order to carry the lunches4 ,these dinner toters1 when carrying lunch baskets for persons outside of the family1 receive #be cents per week per basket4 ,in case several baskets are carried1 the income thus earned is considerable4 ,the school thus organized on the basis of local needs is further specialized in a way that will appeal to the needs of the mill operative group4 ,the academic courses are similar to the courses offered in the other schools1 except that more emphasis is laid upon the three ,r's4 ,superintendent ,daniel says that the time is very limited in which these children will attend school1 and more attention is given as to what may be regarded as fundamental4 ,while the prescribed course contemplates seven years1 few continue after the fifth or sixth year1 so strong is the call of the mills4 ,not more than #a per cent finish this school and pursue their studies further4 ,the three morning hours and the first hour in the afternoon are devoted to academic studies1 while the last hour and a half of the day is given to practical work4 ,the boys are required to take elementary courses in woodwork and gardening1 alternating these two branches on alternate days4 ,the girls are given work in basketry1 sewing1 cooking1 poultry raising1 and gardening4 ,the results of the introduction of this applied work are summed up by ,superintendent ,daniel in this way1--,in all of these lines of work it is now the hope of the school only to better living conditions a little among the people for whom it was especially organized4 ,the transformation is necessarily slow4 ,in the beginning1 no doubt1 the advocates of this type of school thought that many might be induced to continue in school and do more advanced work1 especially along vocational lines4 ,in this respect the school has been a disappointment to some4 ,we are seldom able to induce pupils to finish even the limited course offered in this school4 ,the ,north ,highland ,school1 in addition to its work for the children1 has begun an organized effort to raise the standards of the local community4 ,every day the principal and teachers of the school visit some of the homes1 giving helpful suggestions1 caring for the sick1 and in any other possible way contributing to home life4 ,superintendent ,daniel reports the progress in this respect by saying1--,confidence is now so strong that one of the teachers every ,saturday morning collects the physically defective ones in the community and takes them to the free clinic for operations or treatment4 ,at first parents would see their children die rather than permit them to be operated upon1 but now they seldom decline to permit them to be taken by a teacher to the free clinic1 when in the judgment of the teacher it is necessary4 ,the school has made an effort to organize the older people of the community4 ,there are entertainments and school gatherings in which parents and children alike participate4 ,as a further help to those parents who are compelled to work in the mills1 the school grounds1 which are amply provided with a full play equipment1 are open to all of the children at all hours of the day and all days of the week4 ,it is not infrequent1 says ,superintendent ,daniel1 that1 when the mother goes to work at #f in the morning1 she sends her children to the school to enjoy the privileges of the grounds until the opening of the school at #h o'clock4 ,the work of the negro schools is similarly fitted to the industrial needs of the negro children4 ,boys and girls alike devote a considerable portion of their time to industrial work4 ,the main purpose of this work for negroes is to prepare them for the line of industrial opportunity open to them4 ,the school reports that it has developed a number of good blacksmiths1 carpenters1 cooks1 seamstresses1 and laundresses4 ,pupils who remain in the schools long enough to complete the course are able to earn1 upon leaving school1 about twice what they would be able to earn had no such training been provided4 ,a vigorous attempt has been made to reorganize grade work in the interests of clearness and effectiveness4 ,as ,superintendent ,daniel puts the matter1--,we undertook to place before the teachers a definite problem1 and to put suggestions into tangible form4 ,we stated that all subjects could be taught with the books merely as helps and means to an end1 and contend further for the doctrine that a working knowledge of books and subjects is far more desirable than accomplishing the feat of memorizing the printed page4 ,many teachers will be astonished by the doctrine which ,superintendent ,daniel evolves from this statement of educational theory4 ,the teachers were asked to conduct the work in such a manner that it would not be necessary to recite or take written tests with closed books1 but that school books be used as tools with which to work1 and that the child should use text-books as adults do books of reference1 while the teacher guides and directs in the development of thought4 ,this attempt of ,superintendent ,daniel to proceed with the grammar school work in a more natural way1 and to relate all of it more closely to life1 met with some interesting results1 as may be gathered from the following test questions which were worked out by teachers in pursuance of the instructions to make text-books incidental and thought primary in the school work4 ,,arithmetic1 ,,third ,b ,roy shops for his mother at ,kirven's4 ,he buys #b boxes of hair pins at 4#je each1 #f towels at 4#aj each1 and #e handkerchiefs for 4#be4 ,what was his bill8 ,if he hands the clerk #a4jj1 how much change will he receive8 ,,third ,a ,if ,isabel's #b pair of shoes cost #d1 how much will shoes for all the girls in the class cost8 ,,geography ,,third ,b ,turn to the map on page #fe and find and write the names of seven different shore forms4 ,,arithmetic1 ,,fourth ,b ,in our room are #df pupils4 ,the class receives #bcj tablets and #ach pencils for the term4 ,how many of each does each child receive8 ,,geography1 ,,fourth ,b ,what products may be sent to us from ,new ,england8 ,if they were shipped from ,portsmouth1 ,n4 ,h41 on what bodies of water would they travel8 ,,geography1 ,,fourth ,a ,why does the ,united ,states carry on more trade with the ,british ,isles than with ,germany8 ,at what seaport would our vessels land in the ,british ,isles8 ,what would they carry and what would they bring back8 ,,geography1 ,,fifth ,a ,what highways of trade will be used for shipping oranges from ,san ,francisco to ,columbus1 ,ga41 by way of the ,panama ,canal8 ,how many miles is this1 approximately8 7,use rule and map on page #fe47 ,,geography1 ,,fifth ,b ,what is the chief industry of the people of ,columbus1 and why8 ,describe the climate of our city1 tell what fruits1 vegetables and farm products find a market here4 ,what would a boat coming up the river bring to ,columbus8 ,what would it carry back8 ,superintendent ,daniel's viewpoint is clear and sane4 ,it is not sufficient1 he says1 to maintain courses in domestic science and manual training for the grades1 and to teach other subjects as if they belonged to another realm4 ,consequently he has made every endeavor to bring together the forces of the community and of the school in a sympathetic whole1 around which the educational life of the town must center4 ,the industrial high school is an integral and highly important part of the work in the ,columbus schools4 ,side by side with the academic high school1 it affords an opportunity for the children who do not intend to continue their educational work beyond high school grade to get some assistance in the direction of a training for life activity4 ,it was originally intended to duplicate1 in a measure1 the conditions and hours maintained in the industrial plants of the city4 ,formerly the school was open for eleven calendar months2 at the present time a vacation of six weeks is allowed4 ,the school hours are from #h o'clock in the morning until #d o'clock in the afternoon1 for five days each week4 ,pupils who have not maintained the required standard during the week are compelled to attend school on ,saturday4 ,all pupils of the ,industrial ,high ,school are required to take academic work of high school grade in mathematics1 history1 ,english1 and science4 ,the introduction of manual training and domestic science into the grades of all ,columbus schools has pointed many children in the direction of the ,industrial ,high ,school4 ,while it is not the intention of the school authorities to make the work of the ,industrial ,high ,school final1 it is hoped that those children who are enabled to continue with educational work are benefited markedly by this specialized course4 ,throughout this deliberate attempt of the ,columbus school administration to make the schools fit the needs of the community there is evidence of a scientific spirit which is in the last degree commendable4 ,the community need is first ascertained4 ,the school work is then organized in response to this community need4 ,if1 perchance1 the first effort meets with little success1 additional effort is continued until some measure of success is assured4 ,the school authorities are not afraid to change their opinions or their system4 ,they are not even afraid to fail on a given experiment4 ,the one thing of which they are afraid is failure to provide for the educational needs of the community4 ,,xi ,a ,people ,coming to ,its ,own ,the first great battle in the educational awakening of the ,south has been won4 ,the people realize the necessity for an intelligently active population4 ,the second battle is well under way4 ,the people of the ,south are shaping the schools to meet the peculiar educational needs which the economic and social problems of the ,south present4 ,a rallying-cry is ringing through the ,southern ,states1--,the schools for the people2 the people for the schools2 and a higher standard of education and of life for the community4 ,the ,south is in line for the ,new ,education4 ,school officials are working4 ,superintendent ,daniel writes1--,everyone connected with the system has been too intent on doing his work well and in establishing and maintaining the ideals of the system to be disturbed by petty difficulties4 ,the teachers1 he adds1 have appeared to feel that it was rather a privilege than a burden to participate in making the ,columbus system efficient through the preparation of her children for life4#bi ,the public is asking for a correlation of school with life1 and the schools are educating the ,south through the children4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #bd3 ,now ,state ,superintendent4 ,see an article ',corn-,club' ,smith1 ,p4 ,c4 ,macfarlane1 ,collier's ,weekly1 ,may #ag1 #aiac1 p4 #ai4 ,footnote #be3 ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture1 ,bureau of ,plant ,industry1 ,results of ,boys' ,demonstration ,work in ,corn ,clubs in #aiaa1 ,washington1 ,may1 #aiab1 p4 #d4 ,footnote #bf3 ,op4 cit41 pp4 #e-f4 ,footnote #bg3 ,u4 ,s4 ,department of ,agriculture1 ,bureau of ,plant ,industry1 ,girls' ,demonstration ,work1 ,washington1 ,january1 #aiac1 pp4 #a-b4 ,footnote #bh3 ,for a full statement of the work of the ,columbus ,schools see ,industrial ,education in ,columbus1 ,ga41 ,r4 ,b4 ,daniel1 ,u4 ,s4 ,bureau of ,education1 ,bulletin #ece1 ,government ,printing ,office1 #aiac4 ,also1 ,the ,annual ,report of the ,columbus ,public ,schools for the ,year ,ending ,august #a1 #aiac4 ,footnote #bi3 ,annual report of the ,columbus ,public ,schools1 #aiac1 p4 #ah4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,the ,,spirit ,,of ,,the ,,new ,,education ,i ,the ,standard of ,education ,the educational experiments described in the preceding chapters are replete with the spirit of the ,new ,education4 ,from the virile educational systems of the country a protest is being sounded against traditional formalism4 ,school men have learned that that which is is not necessarily right4 ,each concept1 each method1 must run the gauntlet of critical analysis4 ,it is not sufficient to allege in support of an educational principle that the results derived from its application have been satisfactory in the past4 ,insistently the question is repeated1 ,what are its effects upon the problems of to-day8 ,educational ancestor worship is no more acceptable to the progressive spirit of the ,western ,world than is ancestor worship in any other form4 ,the past has made its contribution1 and has died in making it4 ,for the contribution the present is grateful1 but it must steadfastly refuse in its own name1 and in the name of the future1 to be bound by any decree of the past which will not stand the acid test of present experience4 ,the old education was beset by traditionalism4 ,under its dominance1 education1 defined once and for all1 was established as a standard to which men must attain2 hence a preceptor1 guiding his young charges along the straight path to knowledge1 might1 with perfect confidence1 admonish them1 ,lo here1 the three ,r's is education1 or ,lo there1 ,greek and higher mathematics is education1 according as his training had been in the three ,r's or in ,greek4 ,in either case he felt certain of his general ground4 ,once and for all the educational standard had been set4 ,by that standard new ideas were judged1 and either justified or condemned4 ,under this predetermined scheme there was a formula for education--a formula as definite as that for making bread or pickling pork4 ,the formula was applied to each child who presented himself to the administration4 ,if the formula worked successfully the child was declared educated in the same way that pork which has been successfully treated by the proper processes is declared to be pickled4 ,if the formula did not work the child was not educated4 ,he sat in school with a dunce-cap upon his head1 or else played hookey and spent his hours in fishing1 swimming or idling4 ,perhaps1 in view of the recent contributions of science1 it would be more illuminating to say that the old education inoculated the child with a predetermined educational virus4 ,if the virus took the child was declared immune to the bacteria of ignorance1 illiteracy1 stupidity and other prevalent social complaints4 ,if the virus did not take the schoolmaster ostentatiously washed his hands of the recreant4 ,,ii ,standardization ,was a ,failure ,only one argument need be urged against this method of attacking the educational problem--it did not work4 ,in the first place1 the most brilliant school successes often turned out to be the most arrant life failures1 while the school derelicts frequently became life successes of stellar magnitude4 ,to the thinking man the inference was plain2 the formula was not an unqualified success4 ,not only was this true of the children who went through school1 but there were crowds of children for whom the school held no attraction whatever4 ,they attended a few sessions1 wasted a scant bit of energy in educational effort1 and then dropped out1 hopeless of obtaining results by further study4 ,the old education read out of the school those children who could not benefit by its teachings4 ,how utterly different the concept which has gripped the minds of progressive1 modern educators6 ,under their guidance education has become what ,herbert ,spencer called it--a preparation for complete living4 ,no longer a fixed1 objective standard1 education has been recognized as an enlargement of the life horizon of each individual boy or girl in the community4 ,teach us individual needs1 proclaim the educational progressives1 and we will tell you what the character of education must be4 ,thus has education ceased to be an objective standard1 created by one age and handed down rigidly immobile to the ages succeeding4 ,instead it is accepted as a fulfilment--a complement--to child needs4 ,always education has been regarded as a process of molding life and character4 ,the chief difference between the old and the new education is that the old education made a mold1 and then forced the child to fit the mold1 while the new education begins by determining the character of child needs1 and then fits the mold to the needs4 ,the old education was like the farmer who built a corn-sheller1 and then attempted to find ears of corn which would fit into the sheller2 the new education is like the farmer who first measured the corn and then built his sheller to fit the corn4 ,the old education selected the class which was able to conform to its requirements2 the new education serves all classes4 ,,iii ,education as ,growth ,under the impetus given to it by modern thinkers1 education has become the direction of growth1 rather than the application of a formula4 ,the child is a developing creature4 ,it has become the function of education to watch over and guide the development4 ,nor do the modern schools consider mental development as the sole object of educational endeavor4 ,physical growth is an equally essential part of child life4 ,therefore the direction of physical growth becomes just as vital a part of the educational machinery4 ,aesthetic and spiritual growth require like emphasis4 ,each phase of child life receives independent consideration4 ,the old education through mental impression is giving way before the new education through physical1 mental and spiritual expression4 ,expression is the essence of growth2 and since the school is to foster child growth it must place child expression in a place of paramount importance4 ,child needs1 rather than abstract standards1 have thus become the basis of school activity4 ,the old education developed its course of study by surveying the interests of adults1 and picking from among them those1 apparently the most simple1 which were fit for children4 ,the new education applies the laboratory method--studying children and their interests--reports1 among its other findings1 the quite evident fact that children enter into life as whole-heartedly as adults2 that the field of their interest lies1 not in the left-over problems of older people1 but in their own problems and processes2 and that therefore the educator must found his philosophy and his practice on an understanding of the child and child needs4 ,there is in the world a phenomenon called adult life1 with its phases1 problems and ideals4 ,there is likewise in the world a phenomenon called child life1 with its phases1 problems and ideals4 ,a complete understanding of either may not be derived through a study of the other4 ,child needs exist separate from and different from adult needs4 ,it is the business of the new education to understand them and meet them4 ,two appeals are reaching the ears of the modern educator3 the first1 the appeal of the child2 the second1 the appeal of the community4 ,the appeal of the child is an appeal for the opportunity of developing all of its faculties4 ,physically1 children grow4 ,the school1 recognizing this fact1 is making a vigorous effort to break the shell of custom1 which has confined its activities to purely intellectual pursuits1 and provide a physical training which will lead the school child to perfect normal body growth1 as well as normal growth of mind4 ,even in its intellectual activity the school is recognizing the importance of making the child mind an active machine for thought1 rather than a passive storehouse for information4 ,though less emphasized1 the training for sensual growth is becoming of ever increasing importance in the new education4 ,above all1 the aesthetic side of child life is being expanded in an effort to round out a completed adulthood4 ,,iv ,child ,needs and ,community ,needs ,the recognition of child needs1 which forms so integral a part of the new education1 is paralleled by a similar recognition of the needs of the community4 ,the progressive educator is laying aside for a moment the details of his task1 and asking himself the pertinent question3 ,what should the community expect in return for the annual expenditure of a billion dollars on public education8 ,what are community needs if not the needs for manhood and womanhood8 ,they are well summed up in three words--virility1 efficiency1 citizenship4 ,possessed of those attributes a group of individuals rounds itself inevitably into a vigorous1 progressive community4 ,they are normal qualities which a people must demand if their social standards are to be maintained4 ,since they constitute so vital an element in social life1 a community lavish in its expenditures for schools may surely expect the school product to be virile1 efficient1 worthy citizens4 ,the new education1 recognizing the justice of this demand1 is crying out insistently for social1 as well as individual1 training in the school4 ,the new educational institutions have set themselves to meet the needs of the child and of the community4 ,their success depends upon their ability to understand these needs and to supply them4 ,the old-fashioned schoolmaster asked3 ,how can ,i compel8 ,his answer was the rod4 ,the modern schoolmaster asks3 ,how can ,i direct8 ,his answer is a laboratory1 open-minded1 scientific method1 and a host of varied courses designed to meet the needs of individual children and of individual communities4 ,communities vary as greatly in their characteristics as do children4 ,it is now certain that no formula will provide education for all children4 ,each new study of community needs makes it more evident that no system will supply education for all communities4 ,it is the business of the educator to study the individual child and the individual community1 and then to provide an education that will assist both to grow normally and soundly in all of their parts4 ,v ,the ,final ,test of ,education ,the school is a servant1 not a master4 ,in that fact lies its greatness--the greatness of its opportunity and of its responsibility4 ,as an institution its object is service--assistance in growth4 ,development is the goal of education4 ,virility1 efficiency1 citizenship1 manhood1 womanhood--these are its legitimate products4 ,its tools and formulas are such as will most effectively serve these ends4 ,when the increase of knowledge leads to new methods and formulas which will prove more effective than the old ones1 then the old ones must be laid aside1 reverently1 perhaps1 but none the less firmly1 and the new ones adopted4 ,changes may not be made hastily and without due consideration2 but when experiment has shown that the new device is more advantageous in furthering the objects of education than the old and tried formulas1 a change is inevitable4 ,the first and last word on the subject is spoken when this question is asked and answered3 ,does education exist for children1 or do children exist for education8 ,if children exist for education1 then it is just that an objective educational standard should be created2 it is fair that a hard and fast course of study be mapped out in conformity with that standard2 it is right that educational machinery be constructed which automatically turns away from the schools any child who does not conform to the school system as it is4 ,if children exist for education1 they should either conform to its requirements1 or else1 if they will not or cannot conform1 they should be mercilessly thrust aside4 ,if1 on the other hand1 education exists for children1 then the primal consideration must be child needs4 ,if any one child1 or any group of children1 has needs which are not met by existing educational institutions1 then these institutions must be remodeled4 ,if an adequate congenial education is a part of the birthright of every ,american child1 then educational institutions must be reorganized and reshaped until they provide that birthright in the fullest possible measure4 ,already the answer has been formulated4 ,already educators have recognized the potency of the saying3 ,the schools were made for the children1 not the children for the schools4 ,hence it follows that no school system is so sacred1 no method of teaching so venerable1 no textbook so infallible1 no machinery of administration so permanent1 that it must not give way before the educational needs of childhood4 ,concerning the educational problem of to-day1 yesterday cannot speak with authority4 ,each age has its problems--problems which may be solved by that age1 or handed on unsolved to the future4 ,the past is dead4 ,only its voice--its advice and suggestion--serves as a guide or as a warning4 ,of authority it should have not an atom4 ,the educational opportunities of to-day are without peer4 ,the educational machinery1 ready at hand1 is being transformed to meet the newly understood needs of the child and of the community4 ,the spirit of the new education is the spirit of service1 the spirit of fair dealing1 the spirit of growth for the individual and of advancement for society4 ,here are individual needs4 ,there are aligned the social obligations and requirements of the age4 ,in so far as it lies within the power of the school1 the children who leave its doors shall have their needs supplied1 and shall be equipped to play their part as virile1 efficient citizens in a greater community4 ,such is the spirit of the new education4 ,,index ,age distribution1 #cf4 and school progress1 #cg4 ,ages of childhood1 #ce4 ,american school system1 ,statistics of1 #ai1 #bj4 ,applied education1 need for1 #aef4 ,applied work1 ,cincinnati1 #acf4 in the grades1 #afa4 ,average children and the old education1 #ci4 fallacy of1 #cd4 ,berks ,county schools1 manual training in1 #ahf4 physical training in1 #ahf4 ,boys and girls1 object of educating1 #db4 ,brown1 ,e4 ,e41 quoted1 #ac4 ,carney1 ,mabel1 quoted1 #agi4 ,chancellor1 ,w4 ,r41 quoted1 #dj1 #da4 ,change1 prevalence of1 #bd4 in social structure1 #be4 ,child growth1 stages of1 #dd4 ,child needs1 recognition of1 #ef4 and community needs1 #bee4 ,childhood1 ages of1 #ce4 ,children1 needs of analyzed1 #de4 social needs of1 #dh4 varying capacity of1 #cg1 #ch4 vs4 subject matter1 #ci4 ,cincinnati1 educational advantages of1 #adh4 kindergarten work in1 #abi4 school system of1 #abe4 school policy continued1 #aej4 special school work in1 #ada4 schools1 co-operation in1 #abf4 creed of1 #abg4 general support of1 #abf4 new plans for1 #adi4 social centers in1 #aea4 social work of1 #aej4 ,city and country1 educational value of1 #bi4 ,city home1 effect of industrial changes on1 #cj1 #ca4 ,city life and the new basis for education1 #bh1 #bi4 ,civic education1 necessity for1 #di4 ,civics teaching in the grades1 ,cincinnati1 #ace4 ,club activity in schools1 recognition of1 #bce4 ,columbus1 ,ga41 curriculum of schools1 #bdd4 local needs basis of1 #bdb1 #bdc4 school policy of1 #bdb1 #bdc4 ,community and the school1 #gb4 education applied to a small town1 #eb4 life1 contribution of schools to1 #afg4 needs and child life1 #bef4 ,consolidated school1 advantages of1 #agi1 #ahj4 course of study in1 #agb4 daily program in1 #agd4 disadvantages of1 #agi4 growth of in ,south1 #agg1 #agh4 ,continuation ,high ,school work1 #aji4 schools in ,ohio1 #gf4 ,co-operation1 spirit of in consolidated schools1 #agb4 ,country1 the call of the1 #agj1 #aga4 ,country life1 transformation in1 #aga1 #agb4 ,country school1 daily program in a district1 #agc4 daily program in a consolidated1 #agd4 two possibilities of1 #aga4 the duty of1 #aid4 new geography1 #ahe4 task of1 #aic1 #aid4 transformation in1 #aga1 #agb4 schools and physical training1 #ahf4 ,courses of study1 correlation in1 #ace4 home school1 #fi4 ,criticism of schools1 general1 #aa4 significance1 #ag4 ,curriculum1 content of1 #dd4 requirements of1 #ea4 ,defectives1 treatment of1 ,cincinnati1 #add4 ,discipline1 disappearance of1 ,oyler ,school1 #afe4 ,distribution of age1 #cf4 ,district school1 daily program in1 #agc4 ,domestic science1 course in ,lowville ,high ,school1 #abb4 course in ,page ,county1 #aij4 home school movement1 #fh4 importance of1 #ea4 in the grades1 #aei4 in a ,kentucky school1 #aie-bjj4 in ,sleepy ,eye schools1 #bac-baf4 problems in1 #afj4 ,draper1 ,a4 ,s41 quoted1 #ab1 #ac1 #ah4 ,education and the industrial revolution1 #bf1 #bg1 #cj4 and the success habit1 #ie4 as growth1 #bed4 city1 effect of industrial changes on1 #cj1 #ca4 creed of1 ,cincinnati schools1 #abg4 elastic system of1 #abg4 essentials of1 #ae1 #af4 for home-making1 #fh4 for life1 #dc4 for the whole child1 #ha4 in the early home1 #bg1 #bh4 place of physical training in1 #ga4 public lectures and1 #gc4 purpose of1 #ae1 #af4 new basis for1 #bd4 new studies1 #gd4 object of1 #bb1 #bc1 #db4 social importance of1 #ai1 #bj4 specialization in1 #ge4 standard of1 #bea4 theory and practice1 #bdb-bdi4 in ,kentucky1 reaching parents through children1 #aie-bjf4 in the ,south1 canning clubs1 #bcd1 #bce4 corn clubs1 #bbe-bbh1 #bbi-bcc4 effect of on corn yield1 #bcj-bcc4 improving health1 #bda4 improving home life1 #bci1 #bda4 teaching parents through children1 #bbe-bbh1 #bbi-bcc4 ,educational advance in ,cincinnati1 #adh4 ,educational formulas1 danger of1 #beb4 ,educational needs and the small town1 #eb4 ,educational problems of an industrial community1 #ee4 ,educational work and the small town1 #eb4 ,elementary grades1 activities of1 #hg4 co-operation in1 #hf4 special studies for1 #hi4 spirit of service in1 #ij4 ,english1 as a stimulus for other studies1 #fc4 constructive work in1 #fa1 #fb4 new methods for1 #fa4 organization of1 ,grand ,rapids ,high ,school1 #aaa4 original work1 #fe4 story work and1 #fd4 use of in other studies1 #aaa4 ,enrollment and attendance1 statistics of1 #ag1 #ah4 ,facts1 place of in education1 #bb4 ,fallacy of average children1 #cd1 #ce4 ,fisher1 ,irving1 quoted1 #ae4 ,formalism in education1 danger of1 #beb4 ,froebel1 ,f41 quoted1 #bh4 ,gary1 plan of the schools in1 #ha4 ,geography1 new method of teaching1 #ei4 ,geography and arithmetic1 method of teaching in a southern school1 #bdf-bdh4 ,geography in ,newark1 #ei4 ,grade work1 regeneration of1 ,cincinnati1 #acb4 ,grades1 amalgamation of with high school1 #ii4 applied work in1 #afa4 ,grand ,rapids ,high ,school1 vocational guidance in1 #aaj4 ,growth1 and child activity1 #dg4 and education1 #bed4 through play1 #df4 of children1 stages in1 #dd4 ,hanus1 ,p4 ,h41 quoted1 #ac1 #ad4 ,health1 importance of1 #de4 ,high ,school1 amalgamation of with grades1 #ii4 at ,lowville1 #aaf4 course of study in ,cincinnati1 #ach4 future of1 #aad4 growing importance of1 #ed-ef4 popularization of ,cincinnati1 #acg4 promotion to1 without examinations1 #id4 responsibility of1 #ib4 social status of1 #ib4 ,high school children1 experiments with1 #ib4 ,high school courses1 arrangement of1 #ajh4 ,high school status1 ,superintendent ,spaulding on1 #ib4 ,high school training1 right of children to1 #aje4 ,high schools1 co-operation with elementary grades1 #ih4 technical development of1 #ajf4 ,home1 education in1 #bg1 #bh4 ,home making1 education for1 #fh4 ,home school1 activities of1 #gj4 course of work in1 #fi4 in ,indianapolis1 #fh4 in ,providence1 #fi4 ,home visiting in the grades1 #aff4 ,home work1 disadvantages of1 #gi4 opportunities for in school1 #gi4 ,huxley1 ,t4 ,h41 quoted1 #af4 ,industrial communities1 educational problems1 #ee4 ,industrial ,high ,school1 place of in the school system1 #bdh4 ,industrial system1 effect of on education1 #bg4 ,institutions1 effects of change upon1 #bf4 ,john ,swaney ,school1 course of study1 #agf4 equipment of1 #agf4 social life in1 #agf1 #agg4 ,junior ,high ,schools1 outlook for1 #ih4 ,kentucky education1 teaching a community to cook1 #aie-bjj4 ,kindergartens1 at ,gary1 ,ind41 #eh4 progressive work in1 #eh4 in relation to grade work1 #aca4 vitalized work in1 #abi4 ,linden1 ,ind41 equipment of consolidated schools1 #age4 ,locust ,grove ,school1 method of teaching a community1 #aie-bjf4 ,lowville ,high ,school1 courses in1 #aba4 domestic science in1 #abb4 social service of1 #abc4 work in1 #aaf4 ,mass training1 defects of1 #aja4 ,mathematics1 and life problems1 #fj4 in ,gary schools1 #fj4 in ,indianapolis schools1 #fj4 ,mothers' clubs1 organization of1 #afc4 work of1 ,cincinnati1 #acb1 #afc4 ,needs of school children1 #dc4 ,new basis for education1 #bd4 and city life1 #bh1 #bi4 ,new education in the ,south1 #bbj-bej4 ,newark vacation school1 #hj4 ,newton ,technical ,high ,school1 success of1 #if4 ,north ,highland ,school1 industrial training in1 #bde1 #bdf4 raising community standards1 #bde4 ,oconto ,county1 ,wis41 schools1 agricultural work in1 #ahc-ahe4 the new arithmetic1 #ahd1 #ahe4 the new ,english1 #ahd1 #ahe4 ,ohio1 continuation schools1 #gf4 ,old education1 spirit of1 #bec4 ,one-room school1 making it worth while1 #ahb-ahg4 possibilities of1 #ahb-ahg4 ,open air schools1 #ga4 results of1 #gb4 ,original work in ,english1 #fe4 ,overwork1 extent in schools1 #ad1 #ae4 ,oyler ,school1 social education in1 #aec4 ,page ,county1 ,iowa1 contests in schools1 #ahi4 domestic science1 #aij4 ideal schools in1 #ahh-aic4 social life in1 #aia1 #aib4 training for country life1 #ahi-aij4 ,physical training and education1 #ga4 a part of school work1 #hb4 ,play1 and growth1 #df4 creative forms of1 #dh4 stages of1 #dg4 ,playgrounds1 ,cincinnati1 #ade4 ,popularized ,high ,schools1 ,cincinnati1 #acg4 ,promotion for special students1 #ib4 ,promotion1 improvements in1 #he4 new methods of1 #he4 ,promotion average1 fetish of1 #dj1 #da4 ,public lectures1 and education1 #gc4 ,rapp1 ,eli1 quoted1 #ahb1 #ahf4 ,regeneration of grade work1 ,cincinnati1 #acb4 ,rural districts1 needs of1 #ed4 ,school and community1 #afg4 ,school and shop work in high school1 #aji4 ,school feeding1 #gb4 ,school children1 needs of1 #dc4 ,school equipment1 educational nature of1 #abj4 ,school houses1 social uses for1 #aag4 ,school machinery1 abolition of1 #hd4 necessity for1 #cb4 new standards of1 #cb4 ,school mortality1 statistics of1 #ah4 ,school plant1 wider use of1 #gc4 ,school progress and age distribution1 #cg4 ,school work related to shop work1 #gf4 ,schools1 agricultural training at ,sleepy ,eye1 #bjh-baa4 agricultural training in ,oconto ,county1 ,wis41 #ahc-ahe4 agricultural training in ,page ,county1 #ahi1 #aij4 and the community1 #gb4 as public servants1 #beg4 city1 effect on children1 #cc1 #cd4 condition of1 ,montclair1 ,n4 ,j41 #ac1 #ad4 consolidated vs4 district1 #aga1 #agb4 courses at ,sleepy ,eye1 ,minn41 #bah4 courses fitted to community needs at ,sleepy ,eye1 #bjg1 #bjh4 domestic science at ,sleepy ,eye1 ,minn41 #bac-baf4 elementary plumbing at ,sleepy ,eye1 ,minn41 #bji4 equipment at ,sleepy ,eye1 #bad4 equipment of ,linden1 ,ind41 #age4 general criticism of1 #aa4 influence on community at ,sleepy ,eye1 ,minn41 #bag4 local service of1 #aeg4 mechanical course at ,sleepy ,eye1 ,minn41 #bad4 ,montgomery ,county1 ,ind41 #ahj1 #aha4 ,page ,county1 ,iowa1 #ahi-aic4 purpose of1 #db1 #dc4 short agricultural course at ,sleepy ,eye1 ,minn41 #bab1 #bac4 size of1 #cc4 social uses of1 ,cincinnati1 #aeh4 ,self-government in high schools1 #ajb1 #ajd4 ,sex hygiene1 importance of1 #df4 ,shop work and school work1 #gf4 ,sleepy ,eye1 ,minn41 course in domestic science1 #bac-baf4 course in elementary plumbing and steam-fitting1 #bji4 courses given in schools1 #bah4 department of agriculture1 #bjh-baa4 equipment for mechanical work1 #bad4 fitting schools to community needs1 #bjg1 #bjh4 influence on community at large1 #bag4 mechanical course1 #bad4 ,sleepy ,eye1 ,minn41 short course in agriculture1 #bab1 #bac4 ,small town1 educational work of1 #eb4 ,smith1 ,w4 ,h41 ,corn ,club1 #bbh4 ,social centers in ,cincinnati schools1 #aea4 ,social change1 #be4 ,social education1 ,cincinnati1 #aec4 content of1 #di4 ,social importance of education1 #ai1 #bj4 ,social needs of children1 #dh4 ,southern schools1 corn clubs in1 #bbe-bbh1 #bbi-bcc4 ,special school for defectives1 ,cincinnati1 #add4 ,special schools1 ,cincinnati1 #ada4 ,specialization in education1 #ge4 ,spencer1 ,h41 quoted1 #af4 ,standard of education1 #bea4 ,story work and ,english1 #fd4 ,student organization in high school1 #ajb4 ,subjects of study1 summary of1 #ea4 ,success habits in education1 #ie4 ,summer schools1 ,cincinnati1 #ade4 ,technical ,high ,schools1 development of1 #ajf4 ,three ,r's1 ,progressive work in1 #ei4 ,twelve-year schools1 possibilities of1 #ii4 ,tyler1 ,j4 ,m41 quoted1 #af4 ,university of ,cincinnati1 social relations of1 #adj4 ,vacation schools in ,newark1 #hj4 ,vernon school1 before and after consolidation1 #aha4 ,vocational guidance in high schools1 #aaj4 ,vocational training1 appeal of1 #gh4 ,cincinnati1 #adb4 in elementary grades1 #gg4 ,lowville1 #aag4 ,washington ,irving ,high ,school1 procedure in1 #ajb4 ,waste in education1 #ab1 #ac4 extent of1 #ah1 #ai4 ,wider use of the schools1 ,lowville1 #aag4 ,william ,penn ,high ,school1 student organization in1 #ajd4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,transcriber',s ,,note3 ,every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible1 including obsolete and variant spellings4 ,obvious typographical errors in punctuation 7misplaced quotes and the like7 have been fixed4 ,corrections in brackets in the text are noted below3 page #d3 missing quote added article1 will exclaim1--',there is something that we must introduce into our schools4' page #h3 added missing word ,,viii4 ,breaching the ,chinese ,wall of ,high ,school ,classicism page #i3 typo corrected ,i4 ,cooperation,co-operation and ,progressivism page #bi3 typo corrected ,standing on the threshholdthreshold of his meager dwelling1 this child of six looks forward page #gg3 typo corrected school district establishes part-time day schools for the instruction of youths over fourteen years afof age who are engaged in regular employment1 such board of education page #id3 typo corrected buying of materials and simple acountingaccounting covered their mathematics4 ,those were the things which would probably page #id3 missing quote added school classes4 ,they all brushed their hair4 ,the boys were neater and the girls were becomingly dressed4 page #ajc3 typo corrected ,yes1 it was a wrench1 ,mr4 ,mc,andrews,mc,andrew admits4 ,you see1 the teachers hated to give up4 ,they had been page #abc3 missing quote added will all bear directly on the work of the farm in which he is so deeply interested4 page #afg3 missing quote added that is enough4 ,we have no problem of discipline now4 ,the children and their parents are working for the school4 page #aig3 missing quote added first thing ,i knew1 the way opened up--you never would guess how--it was through biscuits4 page #bbj3 typo corrected biggest burden we have to carry--the most determined enemy we have to fight8 ,well1 sir1 its'sit's ignorance--the ignorance of the common man about his farm or his page #bcc3 missing quote added other ,states were equally good in view of the fact that a drought prevailed very generally throughout the ,south in #aiaa4bf ,footnote #bh3 missing quote added ,for a full statement of the work of the ,columbus ,schools see ,industrial ,education in ,columbus1 ,ga41 ,r4 ,b4 ,daniel1 page #bdf3 missing quote added should use text-books as adults do books of reference1 while the teacher guides and directs in the development of thought4