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A LAYMAN'S VIEW OF THE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
[ By Orrln N. Carter , Judge of Cook County ,
Chicago , Illinois. ]
We believe in our public schools.
The American people , without regard
to religion , locality or nativity , are
practically unanimous in their sup
port , and listen usually with impa
tience to anyone who may criticise
them. Many things in connection
with our school system deserve com
mendation , but there are some things
that may be fairly criticised. Criti
cism in order to be beneficial must be
conservative must be based upon
facts. It is a very easy thing to at
tract attention to a question by mak
ing extreme statements. A superficial
study of any subject may give an en
tirely wrong idea as to its merits or
defects. It is quite possible that some
of the conclusions I have drawn with
reference to the work of our schools
come from not being fully informed
and that a more thorough investiga
tion would show that the criticisms
are without foundation. But there
may be wenk spots in the methods of
teaching and managing the schools
that those who are continually in the
work have overlooked. What I shall
say will be said as a friend of the
schools as one who has had years of
experience in them , both as a pupil
and teacher.
The importance of any fair discus
sion of our public schools cannot be
overestimated. The amount of money
spent in their support would alone
justify a thoughtful study of school
problems , not only by the teachers ,
but by citizens as well. In these days
when the burdens of taxation in our
large cities are so great , and when
the opportunities in municipal govern
ment for expending public moneys ad
vantageously are continually increas
ing , ten or eleven millions of dollars
annually ought , not to be spent with
out careful supervision. But when
we add to the financial interests all
of the great moral , social and politi
cal problems which our schools have
been and will be foremost in solving ,
then we can easily appreciate that the
best thought and energy of all the
people will not be used amiss when
used for the advancement of our pub
lic sc'.iools. As a people we have al
ways believed what was written in
1825 in the preamble to the first l
establishing free schools in this state
' ' No nation ever continued long in the
enjoyment of civil and political free
dom which was not both virtuous am
enlightened , that to enjoy the rights
and liberties of freedom the people
must understand them. ' '
I appreciate fully that it is much
more easy to criticise than it is to
suggest a better way. Doubtless some
of the things that willjbe touched up
JM ;
on in this discussion have often been
given serious consideration by our
; eaohors and had there been any prac-
iical way under existing conditions of
doing away with these delects , the
changes would long since have been
made.
' To know thy bent and then pursue ,
Why , that is genius , nothing less ;
But ho who knows what not to do
Holds half the secret of success. ' '
What will strike one who has never
liad anything to do with the schools
in a large city most forcibly upon a
casual investigation , is the great num
ber of studies that are taken up dur
ing the course. I have gone over
with some care the outline of study
for the school years in the grammar
grades , separating in my own way
the different topics that are suggested
to be taught in the various grades ,
and while my division may not be
logical or one that would be made by
others , I think it is approximately
fair. I find that in the first year at
least one hundred different topics are
suggested to be taught ; that in the
eighth vear approximately 180 differ
ent tr is are to be studied by the pu
pils during that year. The othei
grades will vary as to he number of
topics taught between the numbei
taught in the first and in the eighth
grade. In the eighth grade in the
grammar school each scholar is com
pelled to use between fifty and sixty
different text-books. Isn't that a pret
ty strong course of study for the aver
age child ? Wouldn't the ordinary
layman in looking over this intricate
and complex course conclude that our
schools make an attempt to teach too
many subjects ? In demanding that
every scholar , in order to pass through
the grammar schools , shall study such
a great variety of subjects , we render
the schools liable to be fairly charged
with following a system of cramming.
If we have too many subjects taught ,
the result must necessarily be that
the pupils will only have a smatter
ing a surface understanding of the
subjects , studied. A young person
low in the high school , who gradu
ated a short time since from the grammar -
mar school , said to mo recently :
They attempt to teach us everything
and wo remember nothing. " This
statement is perliaps too extreme in
its character , but is there not much
truth in it ?
Old-Fashioned Ideas.
When I have attended some of the
many banquets that are held in Ohi-
cago. and have noticed the numerous
and costly courses brought to the ban
quet table , I have frequently longed
for the old-fashioned cooking ; one or
two plain courses of pork and beans ,
ham and eggs , or corned beef and cab
bage ; and when I have seen this long
and extended course of study for the
primary and grammar grades in our
public schools , I have often wondered
if the old-fashioned teaching of the
Three B's might not bring better re
sults than these new methods.
"Young folks are smart , but all ain't
good thet's new ,
I guess the gran'thers , they knowed
sun thin1 tu. "
Is not the temptation today to try
new things in our schools very strong
and too frequently yielded to ? Some
educator has accomplished very great
results in teaching a certain thine : ;
naturally he thinks every one can ob
tain the same results , and more than
that , ho believes they ought to try to
obtain the so results. He suggests to
the school authorities that his ideas
be tried ; he is enthusiastic , and by
his enthusiasm often succeeds in hav
ing the school management adopt his
plan. People of one idea are very
necessary to progress in the world ,
but they are very unsafe advisers as
to what ought to be taucrht in our
public schools. The man who
teaches a hobby in our schools ,
like a boy on a hobby horse , never
gets anywhere. There is still too
much judging by marks in examina
tions , by immediate results ; too much
straining for novelties because they
seem to give immediate results. Our
common schools are not for the pur
pose of turning out specialists ; even
thougli I am strongly in favor of
manual training schools as separate
institutions , I have felt that it
was quite doubtful whether the
attempt to teach manual train
ing in our grammar schools was
a success.
The Present Defective System.
Thus far this discussion has been
carried on only from the standpoint of
the pupil having too many studies.
I have not touched upon the perhaps
greater evil growing out of this se
vere course of study in the danger of
a nervous breakdown for our ambi
tious boys and girls. Almost every
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