OCR Text |
Show cork, have already been published and distributed. The syllabus on language work cootains, also, direction8 concerning the rudimentary work in tlte study of plants and animals, of geography and form. Addi-tionhl syllabnses will be prepared as soon as time will allow, and in the order here indicated. on the studv of form and drawing.,., on -g eo- m phy, including nature st'ndy, and or~history. Drawing.-A strerluous effort will he luadc to introduce into the schools elhentary drawing, more particnlarly in connection with lan-guage work, and with nature study, under the direction of the regular . teachers. and to ihduce the teachers ill the diflerent schools to take a direct and irltelligeut intcrest in elernenrnry dma i ~ ~cgo,n l~eetingw hat-ever may be doue in other dep:iriments of the school ill thia direction . with their own work. I fear, however, that becauseof the unfortunate reduction in the force of supcrvlsors made in the Indian appropriation bill of 1895, I shall be so much hampered in my work as seriously retard the preparation. and promulgation of these much needed directions, unlesk the Honor-able Secretary of the Interior can find some other way to a&rd me the assistance which I ueed in the work of inspection and in the routine of my office. Prinoiples of method.-These syllabuses are based throughonion well-defined principles of method. At every point the work rests on the pupil's growing personal experience, and is expected to be so managed as to'stimulate in his mind spontaneous interest in the snbjeots under consideration and spontaneous purpose connected therewith. In the achieveme~~oft these purposes the school is to lend a helping hand so as to lead the pupil steadily and expeditiously on the ground of what-ever experience he may be gathering to conscious, intelligent, and beneficent life practice and life conduct. At every step the pupil is not merely a learner, but also it doer. In fact; he is never a learner for the sake of mere knowing, but always with clear reference to something that is to be done with the help of. the knowledge he may be gaining. In its very construction the Indian school is well adapted to this. In the day school the teacher has abundant opportunities to intersperse We hours of instruction with the hours of work, and in the boarding school8 pupils give regularly one-half the.day to instruction and cne-half to work. Naturally the children in sdch inktruction have much to do with tbingsand materials in ways which the so-called object teaebiug and the kindergarten have opened. Their first work in arithmetic is done wholly with things and with simple pictures of things, and later on they find ample scope to apply their arithmetical skill in the agricul-tural, industrial, and economic pursuits connected with the life at school. Similarly, their first language instruction is based wholly noon their own knowledee of thin-e8 and events and nDcn simnle ~ i c - &rial rrprrentarions o'; these, :aud ~ul,aerlner~tlytl iey. t i n i ample opl~ortnnityti , use their growing eol~trool f l a l ~ g ~ ~iallg teh e dia(!ossiona uud debates, as we11 .IS in the verbal anat writtcu dcseriptions, accounts, and reports of work done, for which school lifb atrords and procures the oe(!anion. It is needless to extend rny remarks further upon this subiect. illaamnch as the taosvllnbuse~a lreadv nuhlished render these " ' ma&i sufficiently clear. A I Drawing and music.-Permit me, however, t~ di&t your attention specially to the great desirability of byatematic instruction in both draw-ing and music in the Indian schools. Iu the fimtplam, the Indian youth have a decided talent for these arta and find in them much joy and |