USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Williamsburg > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Williamsburg 1895-1915 > Part 8
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47
ITEMS OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1899.
Schools,
$4,500 00
Contingent,
1,000 00
Poor,
1,800 00
Highways,
1,400 00
Furnaces in Haydenville School
building,
350 00
School Superintendent,
380 00
Text books,
350 00
School house repairs,
200 00
Street lights,
450 00
Interest,
350 00
Fire department,.
200 00
Special police,
100 00
Seating Town Hall,
250 00
Public library,
100 00
Chemical engine and repairs,
800 00
Memorial Day,
50 00
- $12,280 00
CONTINGENT EXPENSES.
B. Loomis, auditor,
$ 2 50
J. W. Hill,
2 50
W. S. Smith, ballot clerk, 5 00
12
J. J. Morrissey, ballot clerk, $
5 00
J. E. Mansfield,
66
5 00
A. Bailey, 2 50
J Walter Nash,
"
66
2 50
H. E. Bradford, registrar,
5 00
E. H. Miller,
66
5 00
C. A. Phillips,
5 00
H. W. Hill, 00
Thos. Dehey, cleaning snow from walk, 3 85
Paul W. Tarbox, “ 2 00 .. 6
John Lucas, painting fence, 1 68
A. O. W. for use of hall, 1 25
H. W. Sampson, repairs on Strang house, 2 25
F. W. Thayer, sundries for Town Hall, 1 14
L. D. James, .. 66
1 00
Miss Mary Carter, 66
3 04
J. M. Williams, stove pipe
66
9 95
Lewis Miller, coal
6 00
Dewey Williams, care
66 57 08
Bryant Printing Co ..
35 00
Sundry abatements in 1897 8, 64 79
W. M. Purrington, insurance, 85 00
H. H. Nichols, inspector of cattle, 48 35
O. E. Smith, repairs on sidewalk, 20 70
M. H. Beals, elector, 10 00
H. C. Smith, expenses to Boston, two trips, State highway business, 11 72
W. H. Corcoran & Co., tax collector's bond, 12 00
Books, postage, expressage, etc., 30 13
Leeds Fire Co., Loomis fire, 34 00
Hope Engine Co.,
48 00
Watching 9 00
Hope Engine Co., Hayden fire,
16 80
Watching 5 50
Jessie Wells, tax collector 1897,
174 87
H. A. Bisbee, " 1898,
125 00
H. A. Bisbee, services as constable, 4 65
L. Molloy, 5 50
13
Warner H. Nash, services as constable. $ 13 30
H. W. Hill, clerk and treasurer, 100 00
H. W. Hill, recording births and deaths, 25 40
For returns of births and deaths, 12 25
District Court fees, 54 73
W. M. Purrington, school committee, 75 00
Mrs. T. L. H. Weyant,
66
70 00
T. P. Larkin, 45 00
H. C. Smith, selectman, assessor and
overseer of poor,
125 00
John O'Neil, overseer of poor,
100 00
C. S. Damon,
100 00
$1'597 93
AMOUNT AVAILABLE FOR CONTINGENT EXPENSES.
Appropriation,
$1,000 00
Bank tax, 547 00
Corporation tax,
173 65
District Court fees,
22 00
Use of Hall,
122 00
Inspection of cattle,
24 17
$1,888 82
Appropriation recommended for 1900,
$800 00
Bank tax, Corporation tax,
HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES,
HIGHWAY SURVEYORS :
C. S. Damon,
Robert Damon,
H. W. Graves,
E. P. Hemenway,
E. G. Chapin,
F. A. Shumway, D. E. Clary,
C. W. Bradley,
C. H. Church,
Myron N. Adams.
14
C. S. Damon,
team and labor,
$ 95 45
E. G. Chapin,
89 37
C. H. Church, 66.
75 50
C. W. Bradley,
39 00
D. E. Clary,
39 44
H. L. & H. W. Graves, “
..
69 50
Robert Damon,
..
67 96
E. P. Hemenway, 66
66
63 71
F. A. Shumway,
6
78 95
W. E. Pillinger,
36 51
J. Phinney,
66
12 35
Myron N. Adams,
66
66
8 67
H. H. Nichols, 66
31 60
R. P. Bradley,
19 00
C. R. Damon,
66
29 50
Byron Loomis, 66
6.
9 40
G. M. Bradford,
13 60
C. W. Warner,
66
66
15 75
W. H. Warner,
66
6 45
F. L. Guilford,
21 32
G. A. Thresher,
46 88
Jesse Wells,
66
66
17 00
P. J. Kelly,
66
10 06
John O'Neil,
9 85
L. H. Cranson, labor,
12 11
Nelson H. Damon,
28 74
W. L. Sanderson,
2 25
R. Trainor,
2 00
John Lenihan,
75
A. E. Lawton,
2 02
H. S. Leonard, 66
4 05
E. McKegney,
4 55
J. G. Miller,
2 15
J. S. Graves,
3 77
Wm. Keating, 66
90
John Connelly,
66
1 95
Wm. Fairfield,
66
200
66
7 41
John F. Clapp,
15
D). O. Wait,
labor,
$10 50
J. C. Mellen,
66
4 50
Ernest S. Warner,
66
6 00
Edward O'Brien, 66
1 95
Matthew Dolan,
1 95
Wm. Mansfield,
1 95
L. G. Dumphy,
4 50
Wm. Ames, 6.
4 50
James Welch,
66
4 50
O. W. Nash,
1 50
A G. Burket,
5 25
Thomas Mayhar, 66
3 75
Thomas Dehey,
2 70
Patrick Grace, 66
2 70
Norberte Allaire, 66
2 70
C. A. Nichols, 6
2 10
E. H. Clary,
38
P. Cahill
66
2 70
F. Holmes,
2 40
J. Grace,
2 00
F. C. Richards,
66
7 05
John Ice, 6
6 45
George Cheney,
7 95
John Alvord,
60
Warner H. Nash,
1 50
D. B. Bradford,
75
F. C. Miller,
1 59
Abram Tanner, 66
7 50
F. Cowan,
66
28 78
A. Goyette,
3 15
J. Vachelli,
5 25
Henry Bush,
1 50
Orange Hill,
1 50
George Babineaux,
66
1 05
J. O'Brien,
2 10
H. W. Warner,
4 50
C. E. Tileston,
3 30
Ģ. H. Bisbee,
2 58
16
Joe Zaskey,
labor,
$ 12 25
H. Dhamkie,
6 00
Watson Tucker,
66
17 55
Wm. H. Leonard,
1 33
Martin J. Mullaly, ..
4 50
P. Mansfield,
2 70
E. A. Currier,
75
B. T. Sornborger,
66
13 95
J. C, Robinson,
66
8 75
Wm. Wright,
10 00
John Bogart,
11 50
H. D. Waite,
66
2 25
Thos. Dolan, 66
4 80
George Dolan,
2 03
C. L. Hyde,
66
2 03
Oliver H. Everett,
66
10 00
Oliver Nash, labor and material, 5 00
Lucinda K. Nash, “
20 13
H. G. Hill, gravel,
6 50
The Haydenville Co, mdse.,
60
J. H. O'Brien, blacksmithing,
4 00
J. J. Handfield, 16
2.40
E. T. Barrus, nails, etc.,
9 84
Scraper blades,
16 75
G. M. Bradford, plank,
234 65
State highway land damages,
$1,779 27
AVAILABLE FOR HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES.
Appropriation,
$1,400 00
Street Railway Corporation tax, 1898,
1,146 36
1899,
877 04
68
Excise " 66
371 55
$1,547 27 232 00
Appropriation recommended for 1900,
$3,794 95 $1,400 00
17
PAUPER ACCOUNT.
Number of poor aided for year ending Feb. 1, 1900. 51 : 12 men, 19 women, 13 boys and 7 girls under 14 years of age.
Now being aided, 5 men, 11 women, 6 boys and 4 girls. Mrs. Henry C. Thayer, $166 50
66 Margaret Moakler, 135 86
66 William Keating, 116 00
66 Hugh McGee,
57 87
F. Montgomery and family,
119 88
John A. Young
150 95
6 Ellen Witherwell ..
50 50
66 Howard W. Loomis “
69 50
James T. Ellsworth
39 70
John W. O'Brien,
59 09
Mrs. Ellen Williams,
at hospital,
169 46
Miss Cora Tucker,
169 47
Harriet R. Johnson, “
52 00
66 Johanna Ryan, deceased,
13 00
Mrs. Winifred Phillips, "
78 86
Mrs. Oliver Grace,
66
74 79
Miss Saloma Warner,
130 41
Edward Guyotte, Jr., and family, Northampton, 128 92
Michael Fahey and family, Northampton,
57 07
Mrs. Johanna Smith, 39 80
James H. Wright,
139 71
James H. Nichols,
136 66
Edmond Fowler,
137 51
Thomas Wait,
15 55
Samuel Kingman,
6 45
John Wheel,
2 00
Five tramps,
50
$2,318 01
AVAILABLE FOR POOR.
Appropriation,
$1,800
Due from Northampton,
225 79
$2,025 79
$292 22
$1,800 00
Appropriation recommended for 1900,
18
STREET LIGHTS. WILLIAMSBURG VILLAGE. H. E. Wright, Committee.
Lighting 50 lamps 130 nights,
$130 00
508 gallons oil, 56 86
Chimneys, glass, wicks, etc.,
23 07
2 new lamps, painting, etc.,
13 92
Appropriation,
225 00
HAYDENVILLE. L. Molloy, Committee.
Lighting 48 lamps 130 nights,
$130 00
·328 gallons oil,
38 37
Chimneys, glass, wicks, etc.,
33 63
3 new lamps, painting, etc.,
22 56
$224 56
Appropriation,
$225 00
SPECIAL POLICE.
Lawrence Molloy," ...
$25 00
Warner H. Nash,
48 00
$73 00
Appropriation,
$100 00
FIRE DEPARTMENT. .
H. W. Hill, paid ft. on hose, etc., $ 79
Haydenville Co., repairs on engine. 1 50
C. R. Damon, Williamsburg Fire Co.,
80 00
J. J. Morrissey, Haydenville 6
100 00
G. M. Bradford, wood,
2 50
Repairs on engine and building,
3 59
$188 38 200 00
Appropriation,
$223 85
19
NEW SEATING TOWN HALL.
Meekins, Packard & Wheat, 214 chairs, $237 46
Freight, cartage, etc., 15 82
$253 28
AVAILABLE FOR SAME.
Appropriation,
$250 00
Received for old settees,
6 00
-
$256 00
CHEMICAL ENGINE AND REPAIRS ON WATER ENGINE.
Repairs on engine,
$ 47 31
Chemical engine,
600 00
G. M. Bradford, lumber,
12 30
J. J. Ball, labor and material,
9 75
$569 36
Appropriation,
$800 00
MEMORIAL DAY.
C. M. Gillette, committee, $50 00
Appropriation, 50 00
REPORT OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES.
RECEIPTS.
Amount received from the Town,
$100 00
EXPENDITURES.
S. E. Bridgman & Co., books, $55 34
W. M. Purrington, 2 30
W. M. Purrington, insurance,
21 45
20
C. A. Phillips, librarian, Balance,
$20 00 91
$100 00
BYRON LOOMIS, W. M. PURRINGTON, S
Trustees.
REVISED LIST OF JURORS, 1900.
O. J. Blinn,
H. H. Nichols,
Phillip Moran,
Fred C. Miller,
E. P. Larkin,
E H. Clary,
JohnJ. Morrissey,
G. M. Bradford,
C. A. Phillips.
Henry Leonard,
Clesson W. Bradley
Elijah H. Luce,
C. W. Fay,
Hiram G. Hill,
N. H. Damon,
George H. Warner,
M. Cusick,
Edwin F. Miller,
William H. Warner,
William R. Damon,
Patrick J. Kelly,
R. F. Burke, Samuel A. Clark.
Respectfully submitted,
H. C. SMITH, JOHN O'NEIL, C. S. DAMON, S
Selectmen of Williamsburg.
DOGS.
Whole number licensed, 110
Whole number of males at $2.00, 110
Clerk's fees,
$220 00 22 00
Paid County Treasurer,
$198 00
John Phinney, Henry Welch, S. Edwards, Jr., Ernest H. Aldrich, Dorus B. Bradford,
21
VITAL STATISTICS.
MARRIAGES RECORDED.
Whole number,
16
BIRTHS RECORDED.
Males,
16
Females,
21 - 37
Whole number,
DEATHS RECORDED.
Males,
15
Females,
23
Whole number,
38
HENRY W. HILL, Town Clerk.
WHITING STREET FUND.
.The committee of the Whiting Street Fund respectfully submits this report for the year ending February 1st, 1900. Cash received from the Town Treasurer $210, which has been distributed as follows :
William Navin,
$ 6 00
Master George Forsythe,
5 00
Mrs. H. C. Thayer,
5 00
Jennie Forsythe,
5 00
Dorcas Chapman,
5 00
William Braziel.
5 00
Miss Hattie Johnson,
5 00
Addie Alvord,
5 00
66 Minnie Leonard,
5 00
Mrs. Lewis Guilford,
6 00
66 Champion Brown,
6 00
Simeon Bartlett,
6 00
Mary Everett,
6 00
22
Mrs. Charles Marks,
$6 00
Hitchcock,
6 00
McGowan, 5 00
Sylvanus Hubbard,
6 00
Ludden,
6 00
" Jane Cowing,
6 00
M. Connell,
7 00
John Ellsworth,
7 00
M. Fenton,
5 00
Thomas Foran,
5 00
" Carson Harlow,
7 00
Wm. Mahar,
7 00
Mary O'Niel,
6 00
" Frances Sharpe,
6 00
" Chas. Porter,
5 00
Macomber,
6 00
Walpole,
6 00
Peter Shea,
5 00
Hugh McGee,
6 00
"
Alice Phillips,
6 00
Margaret Larkin,
5 00
P. Moakler,
5 00
" John O'Brien,
6 00
Miss Kitty Phillips,
6 00
$210 00
EDMOND P. LARKIN, MRS. T. L. BARRUS, BYRON LOOMIS,
Almoners.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF WILLIAMSBURG
FOR THE
YEAR ENDING MARCH 1, 1900
REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
For the Financial Year Ending March 1, 1900.
We herewith submit our annual report for the financial year ending March 1, 1900. It includes the report of the Superintendent, Music Teacher and Truant Officer.
Our schools have been in session forty weeks in the High Schools, thirty-eight in the Grammar and Intermediate grades, thirty-six in all others.
We believe that appropriations recommended for the ensu- ing year will enable us to have forty weeks in the High School room and thirty-six in all lower grades. Our schools are doing good work, the teachers are giving faithful and efficient service.
A matter of importance that has had careful attention is High School work, the law requires that every child in Mas- sachusetts shall have an opportunity of completing a four years' course of High School work, preparing the pupil for College, Normal and technical schools, a town may meet all or part of these requirements in its own schools, where a town does not provide for all, tuition must be paid elsewhere. We realize that a High School in a town is desirable when it can be had with all needed equipment without being a burden on the tax-payers. A course of study is now in
24
25
operation that will give the pupils three years of High School work, which will prepare them for the fourth year at North- ampton, the town paying tuition for the final year, the re- quirements will be one year of High School work in Hayden- ville room and two years in Williamsburg for Haydenville pupils, three years High School work in Williamsburg room for pupils living in Williamsburg. Surely this arrangement will mean progress.
HEATING AND VENTILATING AT HAYDENVILLE.
Two hot air furnaces are now in the building at Hayden- ville and with the appurtenances for plenty of fresh air make a complete heating and ventilating system which is giving excellent satisfaction, the plans had the approval of the State Inspector. The cost as report shows was more than the appropriation, but economy demanded that the whole outfit be done at one time in preference to part this year and balance another. The bill has been paid from available funds. You are invited to inspect the system and its workings.
REPAIRS.
The building at Haydenville required considerable work inside to make room for smoke stack, furnaces, registers, etc., all the rooms were frescoed, Searsville building was im- proved inside, slate blackboard was placed where needed, considerable at Williamsburg center, the desks in Intermedi- ate room were planed and varnished. This year a shed should be built at Williamsburg at a probable cost of $75.00. Nash Street building will need attention and incidentals at the other buildings.
Changes have been made in Geographies, substituting Frye's for all other kinds.
The following appropriations are recommended for the en- suing year, in addition to the amount received from the State and City of Boston for the schooling of their wards :
26
Schools, Superintendent, Text books,
$4,000 00
380 00
350. 00
Repairs, . Tuition,
200 00
.
225 00
Wood shed at Williamsburg center, 75 00
W. M. PURRINGTON, MRS. T. L. H. WEYANT, T. P. LARKIN,
Committee.
--
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
To the School Committee of Williamsburg :
I have the honor of submitting to you my second annual report as Superintendent of the Williamsburg Schools. It is the eleventh of this department. In response to request from the State Board of Education the statistics of attend- ance cover the school year ending in June, 1899.
The work of teaching and drill in all the departments of study has been pushed with the usual vigor and with a fair degree of success. It has been carried on with the conscious- ness that there were many weak points that needed strengthening, and that in many ways more power to gain knowledge should be secured to the children than, in the time allotted, they were accustomed to receive. Constant vigilance has been employed to detect failures and discover the means to correct them and prevent their repetition. It is felt very generally, and with increasing force year by year, by the wise and faithful teacher, that the best possible oppor- tunity should be afforded the child and that this has not been accomplished unless he has been aroused to voluntary effort. He must be stimulated to exercise his mental powers to the utmost in the acquirement of knowledge. Only by this means can he grow and secure the full development of his faculties. Hence every effort is made to awaken thought.
If arithmetic is the subject of study, by constant and per. sistent appeals to the concrete, processes are discovered and mastered, and ability to interpret and solve problems developed. The work in the primary classes is largely based on the Kindergarten and other German methods, but these are thoroughly Americanized, that is to say, adapted to the bright, quick wits of our little folks.
27
28
In geography, or any other branch, the blind memorizing of facts and details is discouraged, and in natural ways that interest and stimulate the child, he is helped to discover for himself, make inferences and draw conclusions. Then follows the repetition, long continued and varied, by which the essentials of the subjects are fixed and the mind trained to the ready use of its powers.
Regarding these essentials, it is well to consider thought- fully that no time may be wasted in the attempt to learn what is not worth learning. At least we carefully consider every question. Is it worth while to require the pupil to learn the name or location of this or that bay, cape, strait, mountain, lake or river ? For a good business outfit people do not re- quire so very much of what a mere map can teach. Rather is it of importance that they should know more of the life of the people, and that the places of which they know the names should be invested for them with a sort of personality. Even lakes, rivers, bays, capes and mountains may have this personality, and unless they do have it for the great majority of highly-educated people throughout the land, it is not, generally speaking, worth while for pupils to learn their names or anything else about them. What and where is the Gulf Stream ? Where is the Spanish language spoken ? Why do people go to Florida? are more important questions than : Where is Cape Canaveral ? What is the capital of Costa Rica ? or, how high is Pike's Peak ?
Language is a very comprehensive branch of study. It embraces certain artificial laws - the etiquette of speech. Mere glib expression is not enough. We must know the accepted canons. The Old Education, which concerned it- self so much with technical grammar, and the New Education which concerns itself so much with language, as a fine art, should be combined. Our forefathers were not all wrong. They did some things well. I think that all the old-fashioned analysis and parsing contained in Lindley Murray that is strictly English, and not in any sense Latin or Greek, should be taught today. Recent departures in language-teaching, while attended by great gains, have not been taken without
29
some losses. Let us hold tenaciously to that which is good in the Old Education, and accept without hesitation that which is good in the New.
Reading, spelling, drawing and penmanship are all parts of one and the same general subject, expression, and we are seeking to treat them more and more as such, especially in the lower grades, and so carry them right along together.
In reading, our primary grades excel in so far as the teacher is apt with the crayon. We begin with the "sentence method," so-called, which includes the word method, and may be described as the word method made more interesting. After the child has handled toys for a few days, and talked about them, the teacher writes on the board the simplest of sentences and the work is begun. The child learns to read these sentences at sight. The sentence comes first. That is the unit of expression. After the sentence come the words and letters, on the principle that the whole precedes the parts, and it is as easy for the child to recognize the whole as the parts. Thus in walking the street he would recognize, for example, a church, and say, "There's a church," as readily as he would recognize the spire or the roof or any other part of the edifice. The introduction of the Ward readers is saving much time and labor for those teachers who have been willing to master the method. Such teachers, in whatever grade, seldom hear from their pupils, "I don't know this word," and consequently there is no telling words in the reading classes. This method is a peculiar combina- tion of the phonetic with the word and senteuce methods, utilizing each for that part of the work to which it is especially adapted. It imparts power while it supplies the key which other methods have been found inadequate to .give.
More satisfactory results may be obtained in these grades when our schools can be furnished with a greater variety of reading matter suited to the grade. There are on hand old and worn-out reading books. By taking advantage of ex- change rates each school may be supplied with several sets. In this way, the reading matter may be always fresh, and the
30
pupils not required to go over and over the same old pieces until they have well nigh memorized it. By well-directed efforts we aim to make our boys and girls appreciative and thoughtful readers,-to make them love reading for read- ing's sake, and find in it an intellectual pastime-to make them understand what they read and get the most possible from the printed page.
The spelling book is not discarded in our schools. But by a more systematic teaching of spelling we are obtaining more gratifying results. In the lower grades, especially, the words selected for spelling are largely those, the meaning of which has been brought out in the development of the read- ing lesson. Pupils make up original sentences, introducing these words in such a way as to show they have grasped the meaning. Written and oral spelling are combined. We write whole sentences as well as lists of words. Special attention is given to oft-recurring simple words.
Almost every exercise is an exercise in teaching penman- ship. The methods of instruction are such that each teacher is obliged to become a correct writer in order to teach successfully. The instruction in drawing is correlated with those other subjects of the course which are essentially utilitarian.
Miss Jessie Purrington has had charge of the work in music at Haydenville with commendable results. Her re- port accompanies this. An attempt was made to give the pupils at the Center the benefit of some training in this subject, Mr. Herbert Womersley being secured for the pur- pose. The results achieved in a short time were highly creditable to his ability as an instructor. He aims to begin at the foundation of all vocal culture by first teaching how to use the breath and properly develop the muscles of the throat and vocal organs. Thus is secured a correct speaking tone, which, prolonged, produces the musical tone, while through accent, rhythm and time are developed. A singing tone is brought out of the speaking voice and all the work is pursued with manifest effect upon the reading classes While some parents and friends of the schools willingly con-
31
tributed of their means the funds available were sufficient to carry the work but a few weeks. It is to be regretted that such training cannot be extended to all schools in town. There has now been four years of systematic training in this subject at Haydenville. The cost is repaid many times in the musical taste engendered. The fact that Haydenville has special funds for the purpose ought not to exclude other pupils from the privilege.
The annual meeting of the Hampshire County Teachers' Association, held at Amherst in October, was well attended by our teachers. This town was honored in the election of Principal Caswell, of Haydenville, as an important officer of the association. The annual meeting of all teachers in this district was held at Conway in June. Every teacher from this town was present and the exhibit of work was creditable. Through the courtesy of your Board in granting a half day each month, with other concessions, the Williamsburg Teachers' Club was organized in November. The meetings have been profitable to such a degree that the teachers have seemed willing to devote to them an occasional Saturday.
A uniform Course of Study is not of itself an evil, but it may become one. Its legitimate and primary use is to sug- gest lines along which the child's development may proceed most naturally and healthfully and to the best ends. A secondary use is to indicate those parts of the whole fund of human knowledge which children at certain ages may profit- ably make their own. It is an abuse to assume that every part of it is essential to the development of every child, or to his equipment for the duties of life. Every subject finds exceptional individuals who cannot respond to it. There are children who cannot learn arithmetic, who cannot learn to read, who cannot sing, who cannot draw. Teachers should aid such children in developing these unproductive areas, but the children themselves should be shielded from obloquy, and be treated with all the consideration of normal children, their deficiency being no bar to progress through the school. The quantitative application of the course of study to indi- viduals should be abolished. Numerical standards have no
32
sound basis in philosophy or common sense First, because no two children have the same capacity for learning any subject or the same ability to do any prescribed piece of work. With equally good intentions and equal effort of will their accomplishments will be unequal. Second, because such standards are deceptive. "Seventy per cent. in geography " has no definite meaning. It may mean that a child has auswered correctly se enty per cent. of the questions which his teacher has happened to ask him. But it cannot stand for the same thing in any two schools, nor with any two children. As to the vital question, what the study of geography has done in educating the child, it has not the slightest relation to it. What the school is doing for the child, what progress he is making in being educated, cannot be measured in any such way, We may measure the
growth of a tree by measuring its height and its girth, but its power to withstand the stress of the storm cannot be so determined. That power is in its roots. So of a child. When we are trying to measure his acquirements in school studies, we are not measuring the things that school work should really stand for ; we are not even thinking of them. Many teachers are forced to spend as much energy in measuring and recording and reporting results as they spend in getting those results. At least the energy spent in the one is withdrawn from the amount available for the other. The theory upon which this excessive examination is based is a false one. It is the theory of the Talmud,- " A good scholar is like a well plastered cistern which le:s no drop escape." The teachers are wasting time in everlastingly measuring the amount of the rain-fall and testing the per- meability of the plaster. We believe that a healthy child, under such favorable conditions as a good school affords, grows naturally in power to do, to acquire, to retain, and to apply ; that such growth is always apparent to a discerning teacher ; and that its absolute or even comparative rate is not a matter of importance to anybody. Especially do we deprecate the use of examinations and marks for disciplinary purposes. This evil is an invariable sigh of weakness in
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.