May, 1912.] 



445 



Education. 



in most textbooks in the treatment of 

 these subjects, and upon which much 

 time is spent in the school without pro- 

 fit to pupils. 



Textbooks are made to sell ; most pub- 

 lishers recognize that certain detail of 

 treatment of a subject is regarded as of 

 vital importance by one superintendent 

 while another regards it as utterly 

 without value. The argument of the 

 publisher from the commercial stand- 

 point is that if this detail is supplied, it 

 will meet the requirements of one, and 

 can be omitted by another, and thus the 

 book can be accepted by both. 



In the rural schools the supervision is 

 necessarily lacking in effectiveness, and 

 the teachers, not feeling themselves com- 

 petent to make proper eliminations, 

 undertake to teach everything in the 

 books, which was made to include every- 

 thing which anybody might wish to 

 teach. 



The Course of Study.— What is it? 

 What is its purpose ? 



A course of study should represent 

 the policy of the Deparment of Public 

 Instruction in regard to the subjects to 

 be taught in the public schools, so 

 arranged as to suggest their relation to 

 each other, their relative importance, 

 and the methods of teaching, It is 

 the Charter, the Constitution. 



The Term Outline is an adaptation of 

 the course of study for each individual 

 school or group of schools, giving the 

 work in each subject in detail and 

 apportioned to each month or divisions 

 of the term. 



The Lesson plan is a detailed state- 

 ment of the methods used in teaching 

 the different subjects. 



The Daily Program shows the amount 

 of time devoted to the study of each 

 subject. This is important as showing 

 the time given to each subject and also 

 the economical use of the school hours 

 by the teacher. 



Considering the favourable attitude of 

 such men as I have quoted from towards 

 our present course of study, and remem- 



bering its evolution, I would not at the 

 present time recommend any radical 

 changes. It is elastic enough to be 

 adapted to all our conditions and lacks 

 detail enough to leave room for the 

 initiative and originality of the teacher. 

 All agree that it is sound in principle 

 and good so far as it goes. In fact, you 

 have never heard an unfavourable 

 criticism of it when clearly understood 

 from any student of school administ- 

 racion, from any educational expert, or 

 from any organization which has gained 

 for itself a reputation for intelligent 

 interest in public school affahs. 



At present there is general interest 

 being awakened in regard to school curri- 

 culums all over the United States ; there 

 is a very general feeling that the courses 

 of study should be changed in some 

 way to better meet the needs of the 

 child— his future as well as his present 

 needs. Formerly the only thought of 

 the teacher was the training of the 

 child's mind. Now we are gradually 

 realizing that the child is made up of 

 soul, body and clothes, as well as mind 

 and that it is this child in his entirety 

 that comes to school and this child that 

 the school must provide for. As I say 

 there is at present a great unrest in this 

 matter and it seems to me that it will 

 be a wise policy to wait and see just 

 what direction this movement will take 

 and what light will be shed upon the 

 subject by the study and investigations 

 which are in progress, 



When the industrial schools which are 

 contemplated have been started and 

 fully under way, it may become neces- 

 sary to make some changes in the course 

 to meet the changed conditions, but at 

 present I believe no changb is necessary 

 but that all seeming difficulties can be 

 met by preparing detailed outlines, fol- 

 lowing the requirements of the course, 

 and adapted to the several districts of 

 the islands. 



Therefore, I recommend that each 

 Supervising Principal prepare a type 

 term outline adapted to the schools 

 under his supervision— an outline for a 

 one, two, three-room school, etc., copies 



