Evening Star Newspaper, July 12, 1898, Page 9

THE EVENING STAR, TUESDAY, JULY 12, 1898-14 PAGES. VALUE RECOGNIZED Dr. Irwin Shepard Chosen Permanent Secretary of the N, E. A. HIS ACCEPTANCE PROBABLE The Unanimous Choice of Educa- tors for the Place. CULTURED AND ABLE peso The board of trustees of the National Educational Association, which consists of Albert Lane of Chicago, chairman; holas Murray Butler, New York, secre- tary; J. Ormond Wilson, Washington, D. C., term expires July, 1900; F. Louis Soidan, St. Louis, Mo., term expires July, 1001, and President E. Oram Lyte, member ex- met yesterday evening and unani- elected Dr. Irwin Shepard perma- secretary of the association for a term of four years, at a salary of $4,000 year. This action followed the adop- of the amendment to the constitution Saturday at the business meeting, g for the removal of the secretary- from the annual elective offices and g it permanent, the term of four years being fixed upon as a period of ser- vi The Opinion of the N. E. A. Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler of New York voiced the opinion of the entire associa- urday when he made a speech fa- voring the amendment. It was one which in his judgment was not only of high im- por nce, but of vital interest to the fu- development of this association on the lines thag it has recently pursued. He re- Edward 0. Sisson, Dlinois. ferred to its greatly increased size, to the suce of larg and well-at meetings and to the increasing compl of its business administration, involving labor and special knowledge that but few of the members had in their pos or, having it in their p ion, able to give was not new before the board s: it had a dered in principl loption had been post- First, because the © come when the lation was in a =; and, second, y opposed tie time when it ive candida’ >, w come, he sa d, financial ‘develoo- to suste to . the time had did not seem to ha basis of the a at in ons ent confident that 1 be able to secure, as n Whose years of ser- suished fidelity to the jation had put his as adopted and the d yesterday, Will Probably Accept. Shepard ha yet determined upon he sh tion will require many s: part, including the very his connection with Normal School at Winona, s been the president for voice of the so emphatic ociation y and the pl however, that tty nearly cer- will do so, after he has con- and the board con- Minnesota State Normal hat he 1 with his family the hepard ts a man of most attractive nality and possesses executive ability rare character. He appreciates th ce this, he will now have r opportunity to do so. RECEPTION TO KANSANS. Representative and Mrs. Peters En- tertain Large Delegation. i Mrs. Mason Peters of nformaily last even- teachers and all the ningtoh, consequent- the Peters home were Mr. and Mrs. Pet om 8 to 10. d by the harming daughters and Miss Tulane. White roses carnations decorated the parlor, ies was placed idle of the refreshment tabi ablished on the wide verand: which was ® pretty young ladies served ices and cake all evening. Mrs. Peters ts a Boston woman, a grad- of Wellesley, and is perfec*ty at home mong educators and Hterary people, hi pol and done much literary beside. She is a lady of charming ality and wins friends easily. Among the guests of the evening were ex- Tom Hannon of Kansas City, Kan g ator and Mrs. Harris, Mr. Charles and Miss Orr, Miss Mahaffie, Miss MeMil- lan, Miss Helen W. Ball, Miss Helen Englo, Ridgeley, President and Mrs. Taylor, Prof. and Mrs. Wilkerson and daughter, intendent Davidson, Prof. Ph and Mr. and Mrs. Baker. a gee DISAPPOINTED DELEGATES, Inability of President McKinley to Receive Them in a Body. re were about 20,000 disappointed > E. A. people in Washington yesterday be- cause the President didn’t take four prec of a hot afternoon to shake ha’ them. Word had gone out that a pub- reception would be held, and long before ‘clock the East room was packed to suf cation, the big corridor was full and the sidewalks were a moving panorama of peo- ple converging on~Yhe front portico. All thesz people were mad clean through when they learned that the President could not ve them because of pressure of public business. The New York delegation, about 20 strorg, was presented to the Presider.t ebout 8:3) through personal request. They were admitted to the cabinet room, the whole time taken being about ten minutes. About 4 o'clock the officers and author- ized committees of the N. E. A. were ad- mitted to the east room on special invita- tion and greeted by the chief executive, President Greenwood introducing them. + President MeXiniey expressed great re- gret that he had not been able to meet the teachers in a body, but public business was fo pressing that he could net take the time. ‘Th CHILD STUDY DISCUSSED Opening Session of Department Devoted to That Branch of Work. Address by Prof. Edgar James Swift of Stevens Point, Wis.—Com- ment by Others. ‘The opening session of the department of child study attracted quite a good attend- ance at Foundry Church yesterday after- noon, and several interesting and instruct- ive contributions were made to the impor- tant subject by recognized authorities. Prof. M. V. O'Shea of Madison, Wis., pre- sid2d, and after referring to the progress of child study and the purposes of the move- ment introduced as the first speaker Mr. Ossian H. Lang, editor of the School Jour- nal, who read a paper on “Some Cautions to be Observed in Child Study.” He noted the t2ndency to coliect unreliable anecdotes of children’s sayings and reporting them as if they were facts of scientific instead of merely suggestive value, and to set teach- ers to making investigations which only specialists are capabl2 of carrying on suc- cessfully. iad The yalue of child study to psychology was then indicated, with the limitations and dangers that should be recognized. Really profitable educational child studies can be conducted only by trained teachers, who possess pedagogic knowledge, skill and, above all, tact and love of children. ‘The strongest argument in favor of train- ing in systematic child study is that teach- ers thereby acquire habits, of child study, chi2f among which is the habit of looking constantly for the educational effect of their teaching upon and in the development of their pupils.” A Study of Students Themselves. The next paper, by Fred W. Atkinson, principal of the Springfield, Mass., High School, was the result of a year’s study of the entering pupils of that school. Mr. Atkinson said there had been in Springfield a plan to secure more intelligent considera~ tion for the individual needs of high school students. The speaker emphasized the fact that the main function of the teacher was not concerned with text books, courses of study, or reports to school boards, but with the flesh and blood, mind and spirit, of the boys and giris put under his care. He pointed out the tendency of organized schools to become intent upon their own machinery; the disposition of teachers to hold their eyes upon text books; while the great object for which schools are founded and supported—the student—comes in for the last consideration, and that an inade- quate and often a whimsical one, based on the most superficial observation. Purpose of the Plan. High school teachers need to Investigate intelligently that most interesting period of life when the physical and mental na- tures undergo the most singular and mys- terious changes. The Springfield plan of pupil study grew out of the necessity of dealing with the individual pupil when he enters the high school—of ascertaining his previous experiences and his natural in- clinations and endowments. The purpose, at first, was simply to unify the work of the high school and the lower grades. It is an attempt, not to discover and correct defects, but to help peculiar capacities and to assist teachers in estimating justly what may be expected of the pupils in deport- ment, scholarship and attendance. Principal Atkinson stated that the gram- mar school principals had shown cordial -operation and that the information ob- ned from them was reliable and of prac- 1 value. The plan had also tended to bring parents and teachers into a mutually helpful relation. The alarming prevalence of headeaches among high school girls was pointed out. The effect of our rigid, driv- ing courses of study upon girls at a critical time in life was deplored. The evil effects of our system of examination and ovr fail- ure to consider the needs and capacities of the Individual student were also dwelt upon. Interesting Statistics. He was followed by Prof. Edgar James Swift of the Stevens Point, Wis., normal school, who gave an address showing deep research into the now absorbing problems of the effect of heredity and environment. Recent investigation on the effect of sug- gestion, he said, has opened new lines of thought concerning the relative influence of heredity and environment. While the results gotten by the statistical method n never rded as conclusive, be- cau xity of life, they are nevertheless valuable in correcting or strengthening con ons arrived at theo- retically and in suggesting new lines of re- Answers to question from about 200 boys in the reformatory at Waukesha, Wis. show that the physical condition of their ancestors, so far as this may be learned from the health of the boys themselves, is not markedly worse than the average. The mental ability of the boys was con- siderably below that found in the Elmira ory, but this may be partly ac- Jas. M. Milne, New York. counted for by the fact that the estimate of the Waukesha boys w on school work, while at ty based entirely mira the oppor- en- tui larged Hither insanity, epilepsy or choria was found in the ancestry of 13.82 per cent of the boys. The fathers of quite a large number had been convicted of drunkenness or disor- derly conduct, and a few of crime. In al- most all cases the fathers were hard-work- ing men, and a majority of them were skilled workmen. Considerably more than half of the boys were of temperate ancestors, and only about one-fifth were themselves in the habit of drinking. Effects of Environment. ‘The Influence of those older in crime, in leading these boys to begin their criminal acts, was clearly seen. Most of them said they did not want to do wrong, but did want some fun. No one outside of their family had ever taken any interest in many of the chil- dren, and they evidently lacked the stimu- lus that social respectability gives. ‘The question that interests society is not can children become criminals because of inherited tendencies—of this there can be no doubt; but rather, must these consti- tutional pecullarities reveal themselves in the life of the individual, however unfa- vorable to their development the surround- ings may be. In the hope of getting some information on this subject the record of 106 children, who had been placed in families by the Minnesota state school for neglected and dependent children, was examined. One or both of the parents of all these children were distinctly bad. The least of which any-of them had been guilty was habitual ‘runkenness and desertion of their family. ‘Yhirty-nine of the mothers were prosti- tutes, and in about the same number of cases both parents were intemperate, in- sane or criminals. Eighty-eight per cent of all these children developed into young men and women of good character when placed in better surroundings. ‘The record of ninety-one children placed in families by the Wisconsin state school was also studied. All of these were like- wise of bad parentage, but only six had turned out badly, z The average age at which 255 boys were taken to the Waukesha reform school was not quite 13.7 years. This is the time when the nerve centers are in a hy¥persensitive — an@ children are especially to suggestion. for judgment is considerably HIGHER EDUCATION Prominent Pedagogues Discuss the Important Subject. THEIR VIEWS ON CONSTANT STUD Better Education Necessary for High School Teachers. INTERESTING PAPERS The departments of secondary and higher education held a joint session yesterday afternoon at Columbian University Hall. There was a good attendance, and close attention was paid the papers read, and the discussion which followed. The first paper was read by Dr. James M. Green of the Trenton, N. J., Normal School, who considered the questions: “Are there studies that, as constants, should be pursued in some Measure in every course in the sec- ondary schools, and in the freshman and sophomore years of the college? If sa,. what are these constants, and what should be the minimum requirement in each in these six years?” Dr. Green said: “The basis of all of our theories of education should be the careful observation of what seems to best fit the youth for the experiences he is likely to meet in life, and at the same time, for the fulfillment of the highest possibilities of the soul, two objects which, while they may scem to diverge, are in harmony. “The question we are to discuss Is, ‘Are there studies that, as constants, should be pursued in every course in the secondary schools, and at least two years in the col- lege?’ “We should precede this question with another: ‘Are there lines of mental activ- ity that are common and continuous, the product of which depends upon the rela- tive training of the mind?’ If such lines of activity appear and require for their com- petent discipline a given proportion of time each week during the six years in question, this time should be accorded. “This is in contrast and opposition to the plan that seems to have gained consider- able credence, that there is an individual- ity possessed by the different minds that warrants a kind of ‘catch as ca’ can’ education, that would take each particular mind where it seems to be interested and develop it from that standpoint. ‘There appear to be at least three lines of mental action that are common and ccn- tinuous. “The school nomenclature of these three lines are mathematics, language and his- tory. Mathematics. “Mathematics should include arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and analytical geometry. “At first glance these different names might seem to represent different subjects, but to the psychologist they represent sim- ply progressive phases of the same sub- ject, lt is mathematics that trains what might be termed the measuring or abso- luteiy comparative faculty ef the human mind along all lines of judgment as to material conditions, as well as space rela~ tions. When one pauses to consider how much of mental activity is involved in these lines, including, for instance, all financial transactions, all comparisons of values, all unknown quantities and hypo- theses, no further claim for their recogni- tion seems necessary. Language. “By language is meant the interpretation of the thoughts of others and the express- ion of our own thoughts. It involves what we include generally in grammar, rhetoric and literature in the mother tongue, strengthened by the comparative considera- n of the same phases in at least one for- eign tungue. When we realize the content of language, regarding it as the storage battery of the thought of all the ages, the epitomizing of our civilization, we realize that from its study we are gaining that which alove can put us abreast of the times in which we live. History. “By history is meant th3 study of tha growth and development of our institutions, civil, religious and political. There is in- olved in this subject that which is essen- tial to society in the form of its municipal and general government, its means of transportation, mediums of exchange and relations to mankind in general. “These three subjects are of sufficient im- portance to require a given amount of time each week for at least six years, and they can, as basal subjects, receive this time, and permit of a sufficient consideration of the requisite number of other important subjects that need to be taken up co-or- dinate with them, each for a much shorter time.”* The paper was discussed by Frank Thilly, professor of philosophy in the University of Missouri and Dr. George E. MacLean, chancellor of the University of Nabraska. Natural Science First. Professor Thilly said, among other things, that the function of the secondary school and college is to educate human beings. A man is educated when he understands him- self and his physical and psychical enyiron- ment (nature and society), when the world arouses in him the normal intellectual, aesthetical, and moral feelings, and when he can act upon it for his own and others’ good. Hence such studies should be chosen as realize the ideal. First among these is natural science by the laboratory method. Here the student Is brought into direct con- tact with facts and taught to handle them; he learns to perceive things, to analyze them, to understand their relations, to make independent judgments. He also as- sociates names with objects, expresses his ideas in clear and accurate language, be- comes truthful, self-reliant, and exact. At least three years should be devoted to the study of science, preferably to physics, chemistry and biology. But the facts of the world must also be measured, and their quantitative relations discovered, mathe- matics must be studied, first, because it enables us to do this, secondly, because it develops intellect, especially the powers of abstraction and deductive reasoning. I should, therefore, require at least two years of mathematics. Study of Mental Phenomena. The world, however, is not mere matter, it is spiritual. Mental phenomena are as worthy and capable of being investigated, a knowledge of them as useful, as the facts of the corporeal realm. No man 1s prepar- ed for complete living. who is unacquainted with the laws of consclousness and prin- ciples of human conduct, the science of gov- ernment and economic life and the histor- ical development of the human mind. I would recommend a minimum requirement of three years for history, one year for’so- cial science and political economy and one year for psychology and ethics. We cannot understand the inner spiritual life of a people nor give expression to our own states of soul without the aid of lan- guage. Every child of every nation should tearn to read, write and speak its mother tongue correctly and smoothly. But a na- tional spirftual life is not an isolated thing. it is a part of the total spiritual life of hu- manity. Hence in order to understand and enjoy our own literature we should know something of the literature of other peo- ples. Four years should be given to the study of English rhetoric and literature and two years to the study of a modern language. If there Is time a classical ian- Suage should also be taken up. In conclusion, a_ place should also be found in the secondary school at least for drawing, manual training and gymnastics. All of these exercises assist us in gaining better control over the body; they give us pleasure, the pleasure which accompanies healthful and successful activity; they de- velop intellectual power and have practical value. ing was also taken up by Manual traini Prof. Thilly. This should not be neglected even in the secondary schools. Mr. Ramsey's Views. Mr. Ramsey of the Fall River High School, Massachusetts, continuing the gen- eral discussion, referred to the papér and discussion of Dr. Green and Prof. Thilly as interesting, scientific .of several alternative courses, ed it a mistake to Spink. that we are able to say just what lines shotild be universally pursued by students: He would go no far- ther than to prescribe English and one other language in the secondary school and in the first two yeats of college, leaving it open to students to elect. Mr. Ramsey spoke of his own,view as “educational heresy,” but his opinion is based upon ex- perience. He thinks tlaborate requirements would give the sttfent*°only scraps and fragments of a fine feast. ‘Mr. Robinson of ‘Rock Island spoke in confirmation of the view of Mr. Ramsey on the basis of his owm experience. He con- siders that we must make a minimum of requirement in the essentials and leave the question as to other studies for students and their parents todlecide. We should ad- here neither to a purely elective nor to a pure requirement pelicy:in the secondary schools. 4 gr Mr. J. M. Davis, superintendent of sec- endary schools of Towa, emphasized the ne- cessity of plenty of good reading for the moral and civic training of pupils. Guidance and Direction, Prof. A. T. Ormond of Princeton Univer- sity emphasized the need of the pupil for guidance and direction in ‘the choice of studies. He would not make one rigid re- quirement for all, but require one or more Very often neither the pupil nor his parents is able to elect wisely. There are certain constants, such as language, nature study, history, as including some ‘instruction In political and social principles. Our. educational exper- ience should be taken-into account in the consideration of this question. What Instructors Should Know. Prof. M. V. O'Shea of the University of Wisconsin followed with a scholarly ad- dress upon the necessity of the better preparation of instructors for secondary schools. The teacher, said Prof. O'Shea, in addition to accurate knowledge of the sub- jects to be taught should be familiar with the nature of childhood and with the best mode of presenting the materials of in- struction so as to have potent influence upon character. ‘This conception of the preparation of a teacher has been gradually forcing itself into the minds of men until now the ideal of professional training added to accurate scholarship is thoroughly believed by the J. M. Greene, New Jersey. most intelligent people, although it is not yet by any means fully realized, at least in cur own country. ‘It is but just to say, however, that a study of the science and art of education has not been thought to be so necessary for the secondary school teacher, for the reason that there still lurks in the minds 6f people a belicf that scholarship in the subjects of study is a substitute fer a knowledge of child nature, and particularly of the manner in which the mind most readily puts off ignorance and adorns itself with knowledge. Statistics ‘of Interest. Referring to the report of the committee of ten, Prof. O'Shea said:it voiced the con- viction of the leading educators of the time when it declared that in order to be prop- erly prepared for the.work of secondary teaching an instructor should have com- pleted a college education.’ In Germany, England, France, Sweden and other Euro- pean countries. no one lacking a college diploma would make any pretensions to securing a positfon In the high school. But with us, while recognizing the virtue of the principle in theory, we fail to in prac- tice. In the state of Missouri one-third of the teachers in the high 001 have not gone beyond the normal! school education, while another third have neither a normal school nor a college diploma. In Minne- sota one-sixth of the high school teachers are normal graduates, while in Wisconsin one-fifth of the teachers have never had any instruction in college. These statistics are probably not typical of all parts of the country, but yet they indicate that quite a large percentage of high school teachers at least in the middle west have not gone beyond the normal school in their pre- paratory studies. The Effect of Smali Salaries, The most important factor which Is op- erating to keep the standard of scholar- ship in secondary school teachers lower than it should be is the matter of salaries. Many high school positions pay no more than normal school graduetes expect and do receive, and it is but natural that young men and women seeking high school positions should pursue the lines of least re- sistance leading thereto. This is a sociologi- cal, not a professional, problem. The school cannot rise above the gencral level of so- cial evolution. When society demands gen- erous culture and a broad outlook upon life on the part of those who train youth, and is willing to reward teachers for the acquisition of these qualities, then, and not until then, will the possession of a college education be an essential requisite for teaching in the secondary school. Educators Should Be Educated. Further on in his address Prof. O'Shea said the greatest need of the time in the training of the secondary school teacher is the provision in the universities for the study of education im its theoretical and applied aspects. There has beer! a growing consciousness on the part of university men that such opportunities should be pro- vided, and so chaits of pedagogy have been established independent schools of peda- gogy and normal colleges have been found- ed, and within the last two years a school of education has been established at the University of Wisconsin, and Columbia University has adopted teachers’ college. This enables these latter institutions to in- struct intending t ers in the history, philosophy and scienée of educationf and also in the art of applying theory In con- crete instances. Not until other univer- sities follow suit wilt i€@be possible to se- cure teachers in the‘seeondary school who have had decent preparation. Defects of Ténchers. Prof. Walker B. Jacobs, High School, Providence, R. 1, presented the view that the defects of teachers are due to fall- ures to satisfy demarids made upon them. More teachers ate wanting’ i’ knowledge of their subject thansin, knowledge of how to teach. esi: Miss Connally -of A¥ashington spok2 of some students who+také the theory of teaching before they study the subjects which they “are*to tea@i. This fs urfor- turate, but promising. “Mr. Roberts from Missouri eniphasized the-néed of ‘practical tact and an honest “intefest in the pupil for his own Sake as ‘Welf"us an Interest in the subject for its sdke?>_ ry Prof. Hinsdale ‘of ‘Michigan University mentioned two peints~of view from which the teacher views his subject—the aca- demic and the educational—the- subject for its own sake, and the subject as an edu- cational tool,, which dn the hands of a competent teacher may mold the pupil. The academic training of the teacher must 0 before the professional training, and we should not~ ze the>-latter to the neglect of the former. Yet too much knowledge “ts° sans ESN gee Marth “In closir - remarked that*: the only place Ww! ‘There is more ‘school’ oversity poe Fre nothing examiners should require of © mal training-.in. addition. to a: knowledge ft the subjects to be! This. was, cational problem. WORK OF THE WOMEN Gentler Sex Predominates at Grand Opera Honse Meeting. ADDRESSES ON POPOLAR TOPICS Women's Clubs Treated as an Educational Factor. RESOLUTION ADOPTED The last day’s session of the National Educational Associzetion at the Grand Opera House this morning showed a con- tinued and growing interest in the meet- ings for the discussion of educational sub- jects. The attendance at 9:15 o'clock was unusually large. The topics to be discussed at the meeting were “The Duties and Priv. ileges of the Supervisor” and “Women’s Clubs as an Educational Factor,” the chief papers on these subjects being prepared by women, and representatives of the sex taking a leading part in the discussion which followed the reaGing of the papers. For this reason, perhaps, the audience was ccmposed almost exciusively of women, who showed a ‘keen interest in the pro- ceedings, Miss Margaret W. Sutherland, vice pres- ident of the association for Ohio, presided throughout the exerciees, which were open- ed with prayer by Rey. S. N. Brown, pas- tor of Park Temple Congregational Church. Duties and Privileges. The first address was by Miss Sarah L. Arnold, supervisor of schools of Boston, Mass., who spoke for thirty minutes on “The Duties and Privileges of the Super- visor.”. Miss Arnold gave an account of the re- lations between the supervisor and the teachers in the schools, and threw out many suggestions through which these re- lations might be more helpful to the tea ers than they frequently are. The super- visor, she said, should not come into a school as a spy, but rather as a friend, anxious to help improve the work rather than to criticise ii. It would be better for the efficiency of the schools, she said, if the supervisor weuld send word of his ccntemplated visits in advance, rather than pursuing the method of dropping in on the schools at unexpected times, fre- quently to the confusion of teachers and scholars alike. The success of the super- visor, she believed, was measured by the feeling of confidence that exists between that official and the teachers, and the de- sire and effort on his part to be helpful at all times. The strictest attention was accorded the remarks of Miss Arnoid, and at their con- clusion they were given a round of appre- clative applause. Women’s Clubs a Factor. Miss Margaret J. Evans, principal of the Woman's department of Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota, read a paper on “Women’s clubs as an educational fac- tor. Miss Evans strongly commended the work being done in women’s clubs. The ad passed, she said, when “woman is tiful as an angel and as silly a goose. She has her place in the world, and the women’s clubs are helping her to fill this place. Women she 5 are today carrying educational facilities into 100,000 homes in the United States These clubs are aiding the work of public education all over the countrs by helping to build up libraries. In Georgia alone wo- men’s clubs ti hed nine public Minne $ org in art at city, thus polis Improvement nization, has given as prizes to the ncouraging art among the children.’ Work similar to this, she said, is being dore by numerous organ- izations of women. It is to the women’s clubs that the institution of the kinderga tens throughout the country is to be very The largely credited. The open educational meetings of these women’s clubs are doing much for the uplifting of womankind. Nearly all the women’s clubs of the = try committees to study thi agement of the public and t have in many i nees 1 improve- ments of various kinds, which have been adopted greatly to the advantage of the children. The greatest good to be wrought by these clubs, . mu bring- ing them nearer to the homes of all women, and the teachers’ best work will be accom- plished when they, too, become on terms of greater intima with the homes of the scholars. Guides to Children. The subject of providing means for guid- ing pupils in the schools into paths of right moral character being considered by these clubs, and is one of the most import- ant branches of the work on that line. The home had in the past been regarded as the place for teaching morals, but that time is now past. The schools, the speaker said, need constant and systematic instruction in morals as distinguished from religion. Such instruction would have a reflex action on the politics of the country in purifying Wilbar F. Gordy, Connecticut. municipal politics by giving the voters a higher morality to influence their action. What the women in the clubs most desire is to lift up the child, and thus be a factor in the educational system of the country. In twenty-five states women’s clubs are being maintained on these lines. Favors Higher Education. A resolution declaring in favor of higher education for women was offered and adopted, after which the audience arose and sang “America,” the full_and melod- ious chorus showing that the teachers join- ing in it were themselves well trained in music. A number of ten-minute speeches were shen given. Miss Bettie A. Dutton princi- pal of the Kentucky Street School of Cleveland, Ohio, spoke on “Women as a Su- pervisor of Women Teachers.” Miss Dut- ton strongly favored having women as su- pervisors of women teachers, Miss Sara J. Walter of the State Normal Schoo] of Willimantic, Conn., spoke brief- ly on ‘Teachers’ Course of Study,” and “The Teacher as a Traveler” was the sub- ject treated briefly by Miss Lillie A, Will- jams of the state normal school of Trenton, N. J. Miss Williams spoke of teachers’ trips abroad and at home during their va- cations and their value in fitting them for better educational work. The discussion was concluded with a@ number of five-minute speeches by ladies in the audience. —— Educational Convention Reports. An interesting report of the proceedings of the National Educational Association convention will be published each day in ‘The Evening Star. Copies from July 7 to THE MENTALLY. DEFICIENT Methods of Teaching the Children of Weak Tntellects. Interesting Session of Department No 16 at the Franklin School Building—The Addresses. An exhaustive discussion of the methods of teaching mentally deficient children oc- cupied the attention of the N. E. A. dele- gates at the session of “Department Six- teen” yesterday afternoon in the Franklin School hall. The session continued four hours, and the presentation of the subjects was instructive and interesting. The chairman of the locai committee Prof. Bell, in extending a Washington w come, said the members of the department should be congratulated upon -he fact that this was the first meeting of the depart- ment since it was organized. Dr. Gallaudet spoke a brief word of welcome, referring briefly to the Gallaudet school, and said it was with especial pride he extended a greeting on behalf of the institution. Annual Address. In this opening annual address President J. C. Gordon complimented the Washington committee upon its admirable arrange- ments. Dr. Gordon briefly sketched the history of the department, which was for- mally made a part of the national assocla- tion at the Milwaukee convention last y : Many of the members, he said, had been cautious in commending the organization, but he was a thorough believer in the work and had no doubt of its continuous succe: The broad lines of the scheme of organiz- ation were briefly alluded to, and the presi- dent then enumerated the lessons which may be learned by taking an interest in the work. The department had been invited to be- come a part of the Associated Charities, but he did not look with favor upon such a movement, thinking the department of which he is the executive head should con- tinue on the path now marked out for It was a waste of energy for the depart- ment to ally itself with any of these out- side associations. Lessons to Be Learned. The first paper was by Superintendent Frank Hall of the [linois State Institution for the Blind, upon the subject of the les- sons to be learned from any educational work. The mind is approached through the senses, and the education of children de- pends upon the development of three things—sight, hearing and touch. Mr. Hall compared the education of de- formed children and those in a normal con- dition along these three lines, ng into minute details of the difference in educa- tion required for the two c of chil- dren. The chief result of this education ts the acquirement of unusual skill in con- struction of sections. Blind children, said Mr. Hall, are more apt in mathematics, because the images of the figures are In their imagination. Teachers of the blind should not expect Tesults when the forms which are illustra- tions of the subject taught are not in the mind of the child. Neither should these teachers encourage the acquirement of knowledge the symbols of which he can see with the mind’s eye and not with the act- ual. Reading beyond the power of his di- on, attention, digestion and assimi- ion of the blind children should not be allowed. The most difficult lesson for the teacher to learn is that the blind do not hor cannot receive that culture preparing best usefulness in society. y due to the fact that the are born to be waited the education of the blind ical charac- er to seg- ‘chological believed when the so- e is made more prominent e better educated and the the blind will teacher's task made much less difficult. Trend of Training. George Hemple of the Michi n State the second speaker named His subject was nasalogy, was his paper nds of the secretary. The Margaret Bancroft of Had- donfield, N. J.. upon the trend of training dren was sub: ituted. In M neroft’s in backward and mentally nt chi opinion the laws govert ng Ment of schools for the ment nt should prevent the admission of children whose parents do not submit a sworn are unable to pay for the training, secon ith the best apparatus To secure the best re of th> best teachers first efforts of the man of houses, to be the teache the for- mer should be better able to exercise more influence upon the latter, was advocated When these or similar suggestions w adopted, believed, the present e would be eradivable and the teacher's work become less irksome. President E. M. Gallaudet of the Colum- bia Institution for the Instruction: of the Deaf and Dumb, located in this city, spoke at some length of the work of the college, which, he said, is the only institution of its kind in the world. ss Brain Building. Preliminary to a quite lenghy paper on brain building conducive to mind building, by Psychologist Eimer Gates of this city, Dr. Krohm of Illinois explained the use of apparatus for jus sense tests. Dr. Gates discussed his subject with special ref- erence to the senses, training of the ey and ear, and in conclusion gave the teaci ers some advice upon methods to be used in teaching mentaliy backward children. The relation of language teaching to mental development was discussed by Prof. S. G. Davidson of the Mount Airy school, Philadelphia, and the session concluded with a rapid review of the work of the day schoois for the mentally deficient of Wisconsin by Prof. R. C. Spencer cf Mil- waukee. obtaining e one of the The habitation of joint and pupils, in order that - ——— Miss Sutherland's Work. Miss Margaret W. Sutherland of Colum- bus, Ohio, who presided at the Tuesday morning meeting of the general session at the Grand Opera House, is one of the best- known women of educational circies in her state. She is the sister of Mrs. R. S. Mc- Cook of 1826 H street northwest. Miss Sutherland is one of the vice presidents of the national organization, the only woman among the officers of the general associa- tion. In her own state she has for six years been a member of the executive com- mittee of the State Teachers’ Association, and for six years a member of the board of control of the State Teachers’ Circle. For nine years she has been DUTY OF THE STATE Its Share in Caring for Its Children’s Education. ELOQUENT AND EARNEST DISCOURSE Dr. Emerson E. White Treats an Important Question. UNIVERSAL EDUCATION en. The general session held at the Grand Opera House last night was devoted to an address by Dr. Emerson E. White, the well- known author and lecturer of Columbus, ONMo, on “The Duty of the State in Educa- tion.” ‘The speaker was introduced by 8. T. Black, N. E. A. vice president for Call- fornia, who presided. Dr. White sald in the course of his address that there was @ conflict between the higher andthe lower natures of a child for rulership in Ite life. On the issue of tt= conflict hang all the is- sues of the child's life. If the higher na- ture conquers, out of such a victory may come a life of honor and beneficence; but if the lower nature gains dominion man- hocd may be turned to shame and hopes to aches. In a child's na there was a wealth of intellect and heart, inviting to @ life worthy of the gods.. No one could look in the face of a pau- per's child and possibly guess what y bo in its life. History is full of examples of the highest achievements by those who Pearse, Neb were born in poverty and lowliness. Out of the being of eve child three voices pleaded for its education—its needs, its capabilities, its possibilities. The duty to hear this cry of childhood rested - marily on the father and mother, God's vice regents on earth for this high duty.- It also rested on the community in which the child is born either as a ble r a curse, It rested on th the child is to be its woe. A Sucred Triple Alliance. Hence, d the r, there stands under God by the F of every child three agencies—the family, the community and the s nd these are conjoined in a sacred triple allianc help the child's higher nature to victory in its life, to train the child for manhood and liberty. s, in sentences, is the unan- nent for universal education by the ere are but two logical pesitions on the question of education by the state. One denies the right of the state to teach 1, the other affirms the right of the state to teach any branch of knowl- edge that will promote the public welfare, Between the two positions there ts not a foot of ground on which logic can stand The three gre: iste les of the world —caste, have unit culture, the three Cs— itude lest the pe over-educa- n. Much ssert, spoilg children of t in life; iis ms, and makes them m with vain amb’ sntented and id} Why the State Sh uld Educate. The history of educ clusive answer to th the present century the question of unt- rsal education has been settled by tional experience. In the light of this hi tcry the speake wered the question, “Why should th, educat 1. The state should educ a means of military defense—that it may be strong in war. The spea cited the defeat of Pru: by Napoleon in 1806; Aust by Pr in 1866; France by Germ i A. A. Kinecannon, Mississipp!. iStl and China by Japan in 18. The compulsory school n of Prussia, Aus- tria and Franc tively the conse- neces of Jer a The state should educ S a means of industrial progress—that its people may be rich. In support of this proposition speaker laid down four propositions, sup- perting each by a wealth of argument and illustration: (1) Educati: promotes lus- try and lessens idleness; (2) education makes labor more skillful and more pro- ductive; (@) education enriches industry with discoveries and inventions; (4) educa- tion improves the condition of the laborer physically, morally, socially and politically. 8. The state must educate that civil Itb- erty may endure. A republic Is an organ- ized people, and the will of the people is law, “whether that will reads the mora! cede forwards or backwards. Intelligence and virtue must pervade all heads and all hearts. Civil liberty without public intel- ligence and virtue bas been the sport of civil tempests. In a republic “the ballot ox is the urn of fate.” The lessons of his- tory were cited in proof of this position. The Supreme Daty. Universal education is the supreme duty of the state. The school must be placed within easy reach of every child born into American citizenship. The teacher must place his hands in blessing on the head of every child born under our flag. Whut the State demands of the school is not Intelli- gence alone, but intelligence and virtue. ‘The end measure of the school is char- acter—a true and noble manhood. In the center of our civilization is a little ecbild. Take wise and loving care of that child and all human interests are secure. Neglect that child, and all human interests are in jeopardy. q