Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission

by Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission

It is interesting to note in this connection that the exhibit of Great Britain and Ireland has avoided all confusion by the selection of the characteristic features of particular schools or of processes that have worked well in certain communities or pupil and class work of special significance. This mode of exhibition accords perfectly with the private character of a large proportion of the schools of all orders in England and with the local independence throughout the Kingdom. It results that this exhibit has greater emphasis upon typical and essential things than any other in the collection. In this respect it is most nearly approached by Massachusetts among our own States.

The confusion arising from differences in classification already referred to, which imply also more radical differences in opinion and practice, has led one of the most acute minds among our foreign colleagues to express the hope that one of the permanent results of this exposition may be an effort toward international unity, or at least agreement in respect to classification and nomenclature. Undoubtedly such agreement would promote the great purpose of international comparisons which is to enable each nation to benefit by the experience of every other.

In addition to the broad distinctions between national systems as here indicated, there are also disclosed by the exhibits striking differences in the spirit and methods of instruction. In France the teaching is logical and analytical. The stress of pedagogical training in that country is upon the treatment of subjects, and the abiding effects of that training are seen in the theses by teachers and by school inspectors (the latter all men of professional training), which form a very interesting and instructive part of the exhibit of that country. The analytical principle is maintained in the manual training, which, as shown by the examples presented, consists of a graded series of exercises upon the elements that enter into simple constructions. Germany adheres more closely to the authoritative method of instruction, a fact plainly shown by the photographs of classes in which every child seemed listening with breathless attention to the word of the teacher. From the photographic displays one would readily infer that in our own country the emphasis of class exercises is upon the activity of the pupil; in Germany, upon the personality of the teacher.

The importance of photographs in an educational exhibit was never so manifest as in the present exposition. By this means may be shown at a glance the equipment of schools and even the actual conduct of class instruction, and the mind distracted by the endless succession of written work, drawings, etc., is thus reenforced by total impressions or images. This exposition surpasses all others in the extent, effectiveness, and beauty of the photographic displays and the value of the statistical charts presented. So full and graphic were these statistical summaries from all the principal countries that individual mention would be invidious. The jury, however, will never forget the display of charts and diagrams by Japan, since they revealed in a universal language the status, organization, and wonderful progress of education in that country, whose effect must otherwise have been lost in the mysteries of an unknown tongue.

Those who recall the Centennial Exposition, at Philadelphia, must be struck with the progress made by our States and cities and even by the individual colleges toward uniform statistical schemes. The impulse to this important result came undoubtedly from the United States Bureau of Education, whose statistical representation of education in this country, current and retrospective, is one of the most valuable features of the entire exposition. As this material, however, is placed in the Government building, its consideration does not come within the province of the regular juries.

By means of the two media—photographs and statistics—a very complete representation of a school system is possible with great economy of space and special regard to essential particulars. The extensive exhibits of pupils' work from our own schools show remarkable similarity in methods and results throughout the country; this similarity extends even to the rural schools, which, in the case of some particular districts, present work well up to the average of neighboring cities. There are also signs that the rage for "newness" has subsided; the work shows closer sequence and more systematic treatment of subjects than that exhibited at Paris. Correlation, for instance, is not so promiscuously applied, but limited to subjects whose relations are obvious, as geography and history, etc.

The impulses toward nature as the inspiring motive in art instruction and toward social activities as factors in school training have been felt in other countries than our own. Germany has replaced the conventional art instruction by a system based upon the study of natural forms, growths, and coloring, and Belgium presents a remarkable object lesson in the use of local products and industries in a progressive scheme of practical instruction. The skill with which Sweden has reduced domestic art and sloyd[1] to pedagogic form was already well known in this country, but it has excited new interest by its presentation here in one of the most admirably systematized and suggestive exhibits in the collection.

[Footnote 1: a system of manual training in woodwork, having originated in Sweden. (note added when transcribed to etext)]

School architecture forms an impressive feature of many of the exhibits. Germany has made a very full presentation under this head by means of photographs, plans, and complete models. Argentina has an unrivaled collection of photographs, showing palatial school buildings of noble design and well-planned interiors. In this connection may be mentioned a device of a portable schoolhouse for use in congested city districts pending the erection of permanent buildings. The models shown were from St. Louis and Milwaukee.

The great movements now in progress in our country, as indicated by the exhibits, are, in the States at large, the improvements of the rural schools, particularly by the consolidation of small schools and the grading of the resulting central school, as graphically shown by Indiana, and the creation of township or county schools, as in Pennsylvania and Kansas.