Seven Graded Sunday Schools.

by Various.

THE ESSENTIALS OF A GRADED SUNDAY SCHOOL.

BY JESSE L. HURLBUT, D.D.

THE living question in the Sunday school of to-day is that which considers its form of organization. As every good public school at the present time is a graded school, so every first-cla.s.s Sunday school must be. There can be no efficient, regular, and satisfactory work done in a Sunday school without a system of grade.

On this subject there is extensive inquiry, yet general lack of information. The majority of superintendents and teachers have either no conception or at best an exceedingly vague idea of what const.i.tutes a graded Sunday school. We propose in a few words to set forth what are the essential features of a graded Sunday school.

The first essential is that the school be divided into certain general departments, which may be three, four, or five in number. In our opinion the best division is into the four departments--Primary, Intermediate, Junior, and Senior. These departments should exist in reality, as well as in name, and each department should be recognized as a separate element in the working of the school.

A second essential is that of a definite and fixed number of cla.s.ses in each department. It is not a graded Sunday school where a teacher and her cla.s.s are advanced together into the Senior Department whenever the pupils reach the specified age. The inevitable result of such a course will be to have in a few years in the Senior Department a large number of "skeleton cla.s.ses," each with a few members, which is the very evil to be avoided in the graded system. There should be in each department a definite number of cla.s.ses, proportioned to the size of the school, and this number should be kept uniform. A Sunday school is always "dying at the top," by the loss of its scholars after the age of fifteen years.

For this fact there are many causes, some necessary, others avoidable.

But, whatever be the cause, it is a fact to be provided for in the management of the school; and the provision should be, not in adding new cla.s.ses, but in advancing scholars from the Junior Department and filling up senior cla.s.ses already organized. The cla.s.ses in the Senior Department should be kept few in number, but kept full in size.

A third essential of the graded Sunday school is that of regular promotions from grade to grade, with change of teachers. It is not necessary for the pupils to pa.s.s from one cla.s.s to another every year in the Sunday school, though this is done in the public school. While a pupil remains in the same department he may continue in the same cla.s.s and with the same teacher. But when he pa.s.ses from one department to a higher, or from Junior to Senior, there should generally be a change of teachers. At the period of change from Primary to Intermediate, from Intermediate to Junior, from Junior to Senior, the pupil should come under the care of a new teacher. If teachers are advanced with their scholars the entire system of gradation will be broken up, and the school will be graded in name only.

A fourth essential element is that of stated and simultaneous transfers.

The pupils should not be changed from cla.s.s to cla.s.s or from grade to grade whenever the superintendent thinks a change should be made. All the promotions should be made at once throughout the school. A "promotion Sunday" should be observed, and provided for long in advance.

For three months preparations should be made, the superintendent and teachers should consult, a committee should consider every case, and the changes should be made deliberately and systematically. On one Sunday in the year pupils should be promoted from department to department, and cla.s.ses should be advanced from grade to grade in the several departments. The basis of promotion should be age, knowledge, and general maturity of character, and the authorities of the school should decide just how much weight should be given to each requirement.

The above are all the elements that we consider essential; but there are also two adjuncts of Importance in the graded school.

One is that of a graded supplemental lesson for each department. Some regard this as an essential, and consider no Sunday school properly a graded school without it. We regard it as important, but do not look upon it as one of the necessary features. There is need of a supplemental lesson; it will greatly aid in making the Sunday school efficient, and it should be adapted to the various grades. But the supplemental lesson, valuable as it is, we do not regard as one of the essential features of the graded system.

Another is that of the annual examination. There are a few Sunday schools which require the pupil to pa.s.s an examination as the condition of promotion. This follows the a.n.a.logy of the public school; but in our judgment it is not an essential part of the graded system. The examination in the Sunday school must of necessity be a very easy one, since it is upon lessons studied but little at home and given for a few minutes only once a week. It is apt to be a mere form, and sometimes is only a pretense. While we recommend examinations we believe that they should be left optional, and that the requirements for promotion should be those of age, general ability, and fitness of character. Some reward might be given in the form of a certificate, but it should not be necessary to obtain the certificate in order to receive promotion.

THE AKRON PLAN.

BY HON. LEWIS MILLER.

AFTER an experience of more than twenty-five years with the graded system as carried on in our Akron Sunday school it can with confidence be recommended to others. It embraces the entire school for all this time, but more especially a course of sixteen years which I will try to explain.

Our rooms are a great convenience, and aid much in perfecting the cla.s.sification; the system, however, can be carried on in any of the present Sunday school rooms; in fact, for a number of years this system was a success in a church at Canton, O., also in the old Akron Church.

In each case there was one larger room and but a few separate small rooms.

The cla.s.sification is based on the age of the scholar; if, however, a scholar seems from some cause to have advanced beyond his age in his general studies, which in most cases is determined by his standing in the public schools, such scholar is put in a cla.s.s suited to his advancement.

The following a.n.a.lysis will show more definitely the system.

THE INFANT DEPARTMENT

meets in a separate room, fitted for the purpose with elevated seats.

Children of about four years of age are received into this department, and remain until they are between eight and nine. Boys and girls are kept together in the same room or cla.s.s. The cla.s.s can be of any number; we sometimes reach one hundred and fifty. The cla.s.s is put in charge of one teacher, with as many a.s.sistants as desired. The regular International Berean Lessons are taught, and much time is given to song.

In our Missionary Society this department becomes a separate band, with name and motto, making separate contributions, of which proper records are kept.

THE INTERMEDIATE DEPARTMENT

meets in a separate room, fitted similarly to the one described for the Infant Department. Scholars from the Infant Cla.s.s are promoted into this department when eight years old, or sooner if, in the public schools, they are in the "Second Reader" grade. This cla.s.s may be of any number; ours sometimes reaches one hundred. Girls and boys are kept in the same cla.s.s. This department is also put in charge of one teacher, who has such number of a.s.sistants as desired. The regular International Berean Lesson is taught in this room, similar in method to that in the Infant Cla.s.s. The "No. One" Catechism is taught in this department as a supplemental lesson, and it is expected that, before a scholar leaves this room, the Catechism will be thoroughly memorized. A public examination is made before the scholars are promoted out of this department. This, like the Infant Department, becomes a separate missionary band.

THE YOUTHS' DEPARTMENT

meets in the main room, which is provided with a small table for each cla.s.s; chairs are used; books and papers are kept in the cla.s.s table, the teacher carrying the key, the superintendent and his a.s.sistants having master-keys. Scholars are promoted from the Intermediate Cla.s.s to this department when ten years old, or when, in the public schools, they are in the "Third Reader" grade. As nearly as possible scholars of the same standing in the public schools are put in cla.s.ses together, and this distinction is made with scholars of the same age. In this department boys and girls are put in separate cla.s.ses numbering not to exceed eight, six being the standard. Each scholar is expected to have a Bible and read the story of the lesson. Much attention is given to have the scholar understand and comprehend the simple story as told in the Bible. The regular International Berean Lesson is taught: the lesson book or Berean Leaf is given to each scholar to aid in preparing the lesson. The memorization of the names of the books of the Bible, names of the prominent Bible characters, and sections of the Catechism are required as supplemental lessons. For these supplemental lessons a series of pocket memory lessons is prepared by the school; it is a neat little book, suited for a boy's vest pocket. An examination is made at the end of each year, and the names of scholars having the proper standing are placed on the Roll of Honor. Scholars remain in this department about four years. The younger cla.s.ses are put nearest the superintendent's stand and, as they are promoted, are moved back each year, the teacher remaining with the same cla.s.s during the four years.

Each one of these cla.s.ses is a separate missionary band and makes its separate report of missionary contributions.

THE SENIOR DEPARTMENT

cla.s.ses meet in separate rooms. Scholars are promoted into this department when they are fourteen years old, or when they can show a standing equal to the public high school grade. Boys and girls are put into separate rooms, in which they remain under the charge of one teacher for three years. The cla.s.s membership numbers from fifteen to twenty-five. The regular International Berean Lessons are taught, more in the a.n.a.lytical form, requiring simple a.n.a.lysis. A blackboard is permanently put on the wall of each room, which affords good opportunity for blackboard explanations. For supplemental lessons the scholars in this department take up the study of Bible history, Bible geography, and sections of the Catechism in suitable form for memory exercises.

These cla.s.ses form themselves into regular missionary bands, taking a missionary field for a name, with suitable mottoes. It is expected that members of these cla.s.ses acquaint themselves by reading, and by communication with some missionary, with the country and people which they have selected. The cla.s.ses are socially entertained at the homes of the teacher or parents as frequently as is deemed proper to keep up a social interest.

THE NORMAL DEPARTMENT.

Scholars, when seventeen years old, or sooner if graduates of the public high school, are promoted into this department. The cla.s.s may be of any number; our cla.s.ses have averaged about sixty. Ladies and gentlemen are placed in the same cla.s.s, one teacher having charge. They organize themselves into a regular society, having a simple const.i.tution, and subject to the regulation and direction of the Sunday school society. To the teacher is given the responsibility of seeing that proper decorum is always maintained. As nearly as possible the regular Chautauqua course of normal study is pursued. Regular monthly literary and social meetings are held at the homes of the parents, which aid much to keep up the interest of the normal study. At the end of two years the scholars that have the proper standing on the several written examinations in the normal studies receive, at the annual graduating exercises, suitable diplomas, prepared by the school. The scholars do not understand that they are expected to leave or are excused from remaining longer in the school, but they are only now prepared for a better and higher work, that of teaching and leading others in the good work. Many of these graduates become volunteer teachers; they join what, in our school, is known as our

YOUNG PEOPLE'S DEPARTMENT.

We have now three large cla.s.ses in this department, numbering in the aggregate about two hundred. One of these cla.s.ses calls itself the "Reserve Corps." They are mostly composed of the normal alumni. This cla.s.s take up the regular lesson one Sabbath ahead of the school and, in regular order, become supplies for absent teachers. They also study the best methods of impressing scriptural truth. The other two cla.s.ses in this department include quite a number of our young married people.

They aim to bring out the higher and deeper thoughts and teachings of the lesson.

THE a.s.sEMBLY DEPARTMENT

is composed of adult members of the school, meeting in a separate room, under one teacher; the number in the cla.s.s is not limited. The lesson is here taught more on the lecture plan.

A course of reading has been prepared, suited to each grade, which will give new life and interest to our library, and will enable us, without interfering with the regular lesson study of the school, to impress many things of deepest interest, such as temperance, church government and history, amus.e.m.e.nts and proper entertainments for young folks, leading them on, step by step, to habits of proper employment of leisure hours.

Our aim is to interest the entire church by intrusting the educational interests of the church to the Sunday school society, electing many of our oldest members to offices and selecting them as teachers. One of our officers is over seventy years of age, and no one in the Sabbath school takes greater interest or is more efficient, none more acceptable.

The school is regularly organized and governed by the const.i.tution, as approved by the General Conference, and placed in the Church Discipline.

Teachers are selected and placed by the superintendent, with the concurrence of the pastor, in the departments to which they are, in the superintendent's judgment, best adapted, and remain with the scholars or cla.s.s through one department only unless specially changed by the superintendent. Promotions are made only once a year; exceptional individual promotions may occur in some instances.

This system possibly seems complicated and difficult to carry out; we find it simple, easy, and natural, solving many problems that constantly arise in an ungraded school. It especially solves the problem of how to retain our young people in the Sunday school. Our system is thus given in detail in the hope that other schools may profit thereby.

I will add some suggestions for practically working the scheme: