'An element of weakness in our educational system," says A. S. Lane, "as it is administered, is that of instability, and by virtue of the presence of this fact, it is one of the most serious drawbacks to uniform progress, and it results from a lack of standing on a firm basis of authority which introduces a certain degree of incoherence into its actions and prevents the establishment of that kind of an organization which works with regularity, precision, flexibility, and caution. Under such restraints, clearness and precision of will and intelligent guidance of all educational efforts are enfeebled, leading to indecision as to aims and purposes, and hindering that exercise of carefully planned work, and prohibiting and greatly restricting that degree of forethought, which is necessary to eminent success in all great undertakings. While the schools are maintained and administered ostensibly in the interests of the whole, they are largely in the hands of a majority, oftentimes weak, precarious and variable, and existing conditions are always threatened by a rival and tinged by a constant dread of losing what has been already accomplished. Until the public schools are freed largely from this impediment, clashing interests will prevail to such an extent as to preclude the highest and completest form of educational work in this country."

The State University has this year accredited about ninety High Schools, and nearly as many more are getting ready for the examining committee. This presents to the State University and to the schools a problem of momentous consequences. How can the examination be made with least detriment to the university and most good to the schools? On the part of the schools the accrediting is entirely voluntary. If a school desires examination, it makes formal application to the Berkeley authorities, sending its course of study and written work for inspection. These meeting with approval, the school is visited by a committee of the faculty, representing different lines of entrance requirement. The

committee varies in number from three to six, and their visits are made simply to suit the convenience of the examiner, and without previous notice to the school. If the work is found satisfacThis means tory, the school is placed upon the accredited list. that graduates of the school, on receiving a special recommendation of the principal may be admitted to the university without examination.

A school may be accredited in some subjects and not in others, or a student may be only partially recommended by his principal. In such cases entrance examinations are required to remove deficiencies. Schools not desiring accrediting may teach what they please, as they please; and their students present themselves for entrance examinations at Berkeley. Thus each school is left to decide for itself whether it wishes to come under university super vision. The local school bears none of the expense of examination. When the present system was introduced there were very few high schools in the State, and their examination was at little cost to the university, but with increase in numbers there has been a corresponding increase both in money and time of in

structors.

judging whether it is getting proper returns for cash paid in support of its high school. Communities having any pride in their schools feel compelled to call upon the highest authority for approval. Thus from its position as the head of the State educational system the university has come to have almost a dictatorship over the high schools. The high schools, in turn, working for university approval, force certain preparatory conditions upon the grammar schools. The city grammar schools influence more or less directly country schools, some of whose pupils are preparing to enter accredited high schools. Thus the State University is exerting its influence thruout the length and breadth of the

State.

A wise and benevolent dictatorship is perhaps, ideal government. Is the control of the university in all respects wise? Is its policy dictated by educators of broad views, or by specialists along narrow lines, who see in the schools of the State only the possibility of fitting a few students to their own class-room? Does it look to university preparation only, or to the best interests of the great mass of children who can never enter college? If the former, then the great power which it has now obtained in this State must work evil to the schools, and loss to the university. Grammar schools should give the best education possible to those who go no farther. The high school must give the greatest advantages to those who enter from it the walks of life. The college must take its few where the high school leaves them.

The over-lordship of Berkeley has brought great blessings to the schools of the State, but we now hear many complaints of an accrediting system, once useful, but to-day outgrown. The great number of schools now to be visited deprives college classes of a Visits to a high school are often large amount of instruction. very short, teacher and class are seen under unusual strain, and it is doubtful if any correct judgment of the work can be formed. Under such conditions great injustice may be done to a school or its teachers, and confidence of a community in the university weakened. There seems not to be a uniform standard of excel

lence among the departments, and even men in the same department bring to a school different criterions for judging its work. The teacher who this year works under the suggestion of Prof. X may next year find that Prof. Y does not agree with her former visitor. Such are some of the complaints which come to the JOURNAL.

We are glad to learn that the university faculty are mindful of the weak points of the present system and have the revision of the whole matter under advisement. The plan of Prof. Jones, outlined at the Alameda County High School Teachers' Club, has much to recommend it. By this plan three men would be appointed, of broad culture and large experience in secondary schools. These professors should spend one half year in university instruction and one half year in inspecting high schools. Each would examine in a group of related subjects. He would spend two or three days at a school, investigate the organization and management as well as the equipment and character of the teaching. His advice to the teachers, talks to the high school pupils and the public would awaken new educational interest in the community. The same instructor would examine each year in the same subjects. By conferring together and with other professors at Berkeley a more uniform standard of excellence Traveling would be presented to the schools of the State. expenses would be much less for three men than for a dozen. College instruction would not suffer, since these men would have no classes during one half the year.

We believe that this, or some other plan will be adopted which shall insure the schools of the State the excellent results of guidance from the head of the system, and remove the present causes of complaint.

Language Work in the Second Year.

Taking up language regularly and systematically in the second year, the work in the first usually being of an incidental, or correlative nature, this question presents itselt: Without the use of text-books in the hands of pupils, how shall we systematically present the work and attain the desired results?

The desired result? Listen to the flagrant abuse of King's English by the present day graduate of our grammar schools, and we find we deal in theory and not in practice. If it is not within the ability of the average pupil to apply the rules he learns in grammar, why should he learn them? Believing it is within his ability if we begin right, I exhort that the fundamental work in the second year be planned first, religiously carried out, and systematically drilled upon. That the greater part of the work should be oral is readily granted; yet a child completing the second year ought to be able to reproduce in writing a simple story For this, a certain amount of what might be termed technical work must be required.

or event.

The following are suggested as the necessary fundamentals to be developed in this year. More might be accomplished in nearly every case, but it is not advisable, as the more important oral work can easily be expanded to occupy the remainder of the time:

sent

ous; monotony is not so dangerous as if one subject were adhered to all the year. The technical work should be presented and drilled upon in many disguises during the whole year. Poems and stories for reproduction will assert themselves everywhere. Letters may be at first copied, afterwards compiled, upon each subject.

A delightful plan for written work is the writing of an autobiography of a flower or animal. The readiness with which the child grasps the idea, and the enthusiasm with which he works it out, show what a creature of imagination he is. This written expression of thought should be approached warily. Copied work will endure long practice; elliptical sentences are then, for a time, a source of delight.

Sentences may be composed now but only from definite directions, i. e., in answer to direct questions, or using a certain word. Written work should be preceded by oral. The spelling and handling of the pen require a certain amount of their attention; this should be allowed for, when they "make up," especially. Given a picture brim full of life, with the direction to write five sentences. How often have you met with such returns as these? 1. I see a man.

2. I see a boy.

3. I see a tree. 4. I see a house. 5. I see a ball.

What was the matter? The imagination had not been stirred up. It was a representation only. Put life into it simply, a suggestion, and those figures will be people, full of action; he will no more say "I see," etc., than if he were out walking and a runaway dashed by, he would trudge on, saying passively, "I see a runaway."

Don't say a boy has no imagination; he may be ashamed of it, he may not know how to lay bare his train of thought; but prospect and you will find. You will also find language to be the most interesting, satisfactory, animated subject you teach.

here

cent

Send a child out into the world with the toregoing thoroly learned, and he will be able to write a fair letter or paper; but omit one of the above items and it would be a void always felt. Now for the oral work.

The object of this work is to lead the child to express himself fully and-after a pause I add-correctly. For we may attain it-some day. Meanwhile, we keep it in view. Every teacher probably has her own method of developing oral expression. Probably the most common way (also the laziest and least systematic) is to say to the child who has just read, "Now, Marie, what did you read about?" The first time this is sprung upon Marie, she may be unable to repeat a word, and the teacher may pat herself on the back and say, "That's a splendid scheme," but Marie is soon able to glibly repeat the words of the book, and if she is exceptionally bright, she may learn the use of a new word occasionally.

All honor to this method, it is good in its place. We have all been surprised at times at the utter blankness of a child's mind upon a subject just read about. But this is reading, and will not suffice for language. A child should learn to express his own thoughts as well as those of others. A good method is the use of myths. A part of a myth is told each day; each day the part told before is reproduced by the pupils, discussion being developed upon interesting parts of each myth. Another method is the presentation of an animal or a plant for observation and disWith due reverence for unity of thought and greatest consideration for harmonious variety, we suggest the following program for the year, for object work from which oral and written work may be developed:

cussion.

In the period after midsummer, insects-the grasshopper and one other.

In the fall and early winter, animals-squirrel, cat and dog.
Midwinter Myth stories.

Spring-birds, seeds, flowers and butterflies.

The ways of presenting and developing the above are numer

Miss Katherine M. Ball.

It is our pleasure to present to the readers of the WESTERN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION the picture of Miss Ball. No woman is better known to the teachers of California than this well known special instructor in Drawing. Miss Ball is a genius as an advocate of the harmony of color, the decoration of school rooms, and the deeper subtleties of art in all its phases as applied to public school work. She knows her subjects and presents them in a forcible and instructive manShe has written a number of books upon the subject of Drawing; her most recent one being "The Drawing of Foliage," the re-publication of a series of articles from this journal.

ner.