THE JHAWAIIAN 
mthm I AGRICULTURIST 
Vol. VIII. DECEMBER, 1911. No. 12. 
COURSE OF STUDY FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 
(Report by T. H. Gibson, Inspector of ScJwoIs.) 
At the last meeting of the Commissioners of Public Instruction, 
held June 11, 1911, there was some discussion of our course of 
study, and in the course of this discussion it was suggested by 
the superintendent that a committee be appointed to consider the 
advisability of preparing a separate course of study for the rural 
schools — that is, for the miscellaneous schools of one, two, three 
rooms, etc., and it was decided that the matter be taken up by 
the superintendent at a meeting of the supervising principals. 
As the "arranging and re-arranging of studies to be pursued and 
the prominence to be given to any particular branch of learning" 
comes under the province of the inspector of schools, according 
to law, the matter was referred to me for consideration. 
I have given this important matter a good deal of thought, and 
having been so long connected with the schools of this Territory, 
I am fairly well informed as to the development of the present 
course of study. It is not the work of one or a few men, but is 
the outgrowth of the ideas and work of the leading educators and 
school officials of these islands. It is the result of the study and 
work of such men as Richards, Armstrong, Hitchcock, Baldwin, 
Bishop, Alexander, W. R. Castle, M. M. Scott, A. T. Atkinson, 
Townsend, Judge Cooper, and E. A. Mott-Smith and others. The 
later revisions have had the benefit of the advice and criticisms 
of such educators and experts as Dr. Brown, late Commissioner 
of Education at Washington, Col. Parker of the celebrated Cook 
County Normal School, Aliss Zonia Baber and Miss Flora J. Cook 
of the education department of Chicago University, Prof. John 
Dewey, and others, some of whom have more than a national 
reputation as educators. 
Before making any recommendations of my own on the sub- 
ject, 1 decided to consult leading educators and college men con- 
nected with educational affairs throughout the states. I wrote 
a personal letter to each describing conditions here and stating 
the character of our school population. I enclosed a copy of our 
Course of Study and asked for suggestions and criticisms in re- 
gard to the same. I quote from the replies received up to the 
present time : 
