Part 1 (1/2)
Seven Graded Sunday Schools
by Various
THE ESSENTIALS OF A GRADED SUNDAY SCHOOL
BY JESSE L HURLBUT, DD
THE living question in the Sunday school of to-day is that which considers its forood public school at the present tiraded school, so every first-class Sunday school ular, and satisfactory work done in a Sunday school without a systerade
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 constitutes a graded Sunday school We propose in a feords 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 nanized as a separate ele of the school
A second essential is that of a definite and fixed nuraded Sunday school where a teacher and her class are advanced together into the Senior Departe The inevitable result of such a course will be to have in a few years in the Senior Departe number of ”skeleton classes,” each with a few raded system There should be in each department a definite number of classes, proportioned to the size of the school, and this nu 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 e new classes, but in advancing scholars fro up senior classes already organized The classes in the Senior Department should be kept few in nuraded Sunday school is that of regular proe of teachers It is not necessary for the pupils to pass from one class 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 class and with the saher, or froe 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 systeraded in name only
A fourth essential element is that of stated and sied frorade whenever the superintendent thinks a change should be hout the school A ”pro in advance
For three months preparations should be made, the superintendent and teachers should consult, a coes should be made deliberately and systematically On one Sunday in the year pupils should be promoted from departrade to grade in the several departeneral maturity of character, and the authorities of the school should decide just how iven to each requirement
The above are all the elements that we consider essential; but there are also two adjuncts of Iraded suppleard 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 supple the Sunday school efficient, and it should be adapted to the various grades But the suppleard 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 pass an examination as the condition of proy of the public school; but in our judgraded system The examination in the Sunday school must of necessity be a very easy one, since it is upon lessons studied but little at hoiven 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 requireeneral ability, and fitness of character Soiven 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 raded 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 roo the classification; 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 se of the scholar; if, however, a scholar seeeneral studies, which inin the public schools, such scholar is put in a class suited to his advance analysis will show more definitely the system
THE INFANT DEPARTMENT