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WHAT SHOULD BE THE CURRICULUM IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS? R265 
The industrial and agricultural programme, which is entered upon even 
n the elementary schools, is, of course, much developed in the high school, 
which we call école primaire supérieure, and which is quite different from 
‘he classical high school, or lycée, which in France belongs to what we 
call secondary instruction. As a fact, this scheme exists in France gener- 
alized by our centralization. 
As T said, the fault of this programme, it may be candidly admitted, is, 
perhaps, that it is too complete ; there is «“ surabondance de richesse.” And 
of course it would be better to omit some branches than to flutter about 
every one butterfly-like. For if we avoid the danger of narrowness, we 
ought not to run into the opposite danger of overpressure and over- 
‘'oading. 
But, in my opinion, this danger may be avoided if the teacher is well 
srained, and keeps to the spirit, not to the letter, of the programme. There 
are very good preambles explaining the curriculum, in the same way as 
;hose which many of your city and State superintendents, if I remember 
-ightly, place before the school regulations issued by the Board. 
Here are, for instance, the instructions to teachers about the mental, 
or intellectual, part of the school curriculum, subdivided into the three 
studies, physical, intellectual, moral. In conclusion : if the school pro- 
gramme is thus understood, with its objective instructive character—Iless 
bookish, less scholarly and formal than in former times—and worked in 
that spirit by the teacher ; if the school time is not cut up into small sec- 
tions ; if reading is made the means by which a great portion of the sup- 
plementary subjects are introduced into the school routine; even an exten- 
sive curriculum may be carried out without confusion and overpressure. 
But, of course, the success depends a great deal on the teacher ; all will 
oe easy if he or she carefully prepares a lesson on chemistry, physiology, 
or botany, for instance, by diagrams, pictures, and specimens. For this pur- 
pose school museums are invaiuable, and can scarcely be dispensed with. 
As to manual work, either cardboard work, or wood work, or iron work, 
or modeling with clay, or gardening for boys; and needlework, cooking, 
and ironing for girls ; let those occupations be advocated as most necessary 
whenever the school authorities can afford to supply the teacher with the 
necessary implements ; for even when this kind of occupations do not 
serve to turn the children’s tastes towards adopting industry and trade as 
their avocations, they have a most beneficial influence, first, as derivative 
from overpressure in mental work ; secondly, from a social point of view, in 
anforcing respect for the dignity of handicraft and manual labor ; thirdly, 
on purely pedagogical grounds. But before the age of ten or twelve if they 
are added to the school curriculum, means must be devised so as to bring 
them partly before or after the regular school hours, or else the children’s 
time for the most necessary branches, those which bear the examina- 
tion for the certificate of elementary studies in France. would be insuf-