TIMELY TOPICS

Northern Advocate, 21 July 1933, Page 4

TIMELY TOPICS

IS RECITATION PASSING? Reading, ’riling and ’rithmetic. used to be taught by the rule-of the stick (says the Christian Science Monitor). Education has been civilised since then. But educators still feel there is room for improvement. Witness the opinion of Mr L. R. Alderman, of the United States Bureau of Education, He believes too much time is spent in recitation. In fact, ho declares millions of dollars are wasted in high schools and colleges through the continuance of a method of teaching which compels students to listen to one another’s mistakes. He cites the cases of boys on American battleships who do as much as four years’ work in one with individual lesson sheets and with instructors’ aid when needed. This is by no means the first time the stereotyped recitation period has been called up before the class

and taken to task for its prodigal habits. Many educators have questioned the value of the old-fashioned study-aml-rocite method. And in both the United States and Europe this questioning has been followed by a wave ot

promising experimentation. “Progressive education ” in America, and the “new education” in Europe have dispensed with the recitation period as it is generally known. They have substituted “discussions,” and they have departed in considerable measure from that type of teaching which depends almost entirely upon text-books. 1 uder these new systems, “class” may be held in any interesting place —under a tree, in a museum, at a. concert ; where ever there is something to be learned The recitation period is, of course, still an important part of the day’s programme in most public, and private schools. . . . but it seems not un-

likely this period will receive important modifications as the result of the thought and experiment now being exercised in behalf of a more interest- > ing and a more fruitful education. j 11 IS SI S ' , WORDS OF WISDOM. • \ Cheerfulness means a contented spirit, a pure heart, a kind disposition; it means humility and charity; it means a generous appreciation of others an?? a modest opinion of self. —Thackeray. @ 1 1 1 TALE OF THE DAY. Waitress (at wayside garden): “Are ] you sure it was a fly in your jam, ■ madam? Black currants look rathet like flies,” ' “Possibly, but they don’t struggle! ”