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OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
Editor Conservative :
Referring to an article in your issue
of the 12th instant on the public school
system in which the yrriter treats , at
some length , of the evil effects of fre
quent changes and lack of permanency
in the teaching force , summing up with
the conclusion that nine-tenths of the
evils of the schools could be traced to
this source.
Of course this is a case of the pot
ter and the clay. If experience and
skill are requisite in the moulder of the
jug , how much more are these qualities
important in the manipulation of science
whose duty it is to grade the "hill" so
that Eli can get through without fatigue.
If , however , the nine-tenths of the
evils ho proposes to eliminate are each
equal in import to the one-tenth for
which he has no remedy , the whole will
be found a distressingly improper and
vulgar fraction.
The writer's whole scheme , however ,
falls into "innocuous desuetude" from
the simple fact that the child , like the
corn stalk , is an indigenous plant.
Hence too much teacher for the ouo and
too much rain for the other is too much
of two good things.
The general disquiet , o\yiug to unsat
isfactory results of public instruction ,
arises from a misapprehension of the
nature and functions of public schools.
When this is understood it will be
found that pur schools are up to the
times and doing the work assigned in a
manner to compare favorably with the
enterprises in handicraft to which your
correspondent refers. A farmer would
be a fool to raise bald barley and then
grumble because he had poor bread.
Well , figuratively speaking , bald barley
was introduced into this country
and sown broadcast about the
time the present generation was
born. It is pretty good for isms but it
never met a statesman who relished it.
To drop the figure and speak in plain
language of what is called the "New
Education. " It got a pretty fair start
in this country about 1875. It is an
importation and had its origin in a
laudable effort to see what could be
done for the poor children of the peas
antry , who had no access to public
schools. After the manner of seed dis
tribution by the Department of Agri
culture , this new process was dissemi
nated by the Bureau of Education.
Literature in the form of numbered
circulars was sent forth and an army of
institute instructors followed to initiate
teachers in the new methods and warn
ing all that if they failed to "catch on"
they would in a short time lose their
jobs. The term "New Education" is a
misnomer , for it is simply a device to
do without it.
Hence , we have now probably the best
schooled and the poorest educated period
in our history and it is quite safe to say
there is not an educated man or woman
in the country under thirty-five who has
not either been to school at all or has
broken loose from its trammels and become -
come an independent student. Of course
there is more or less education going on
in our schools , but what there is is in
cidental and results from the laws of
mental philosophy and is by no means
the result of class exercises in facts.
The working basis of the new educa
tion , reduced to a formula , is simply
this : knowledge on the line of least re
sistance. I submit herewith a sample
for class exercises sent out as a model
for teachers to work by. You can find
it in circular No. 0 , issued late in the
seventies. A row of little children
is called out on the floor. After all teethe
the murk , the teacher takes one little
tot out of the row and pla'ces him a little
in front of the class , putting his hand on
his head , and begins : "What is this ? "
"A hoy. " "Is he a live boy ? " "Yes ,
mam. " "Can ho talk ? " "Yes , mam. "
"Can he run ? " "Yes , mam , " "Yes ,
that's right. A live boy can run , jump ,
skip , and play , " says the teacher. The
teacher then holds up a picture and
asks : "What is this ? " "It's a boy. "
"Can he talk ? " "No , mam. " "Can he
run ? " "No , mam. " "Why , how is
that ; one boy can do everything and
the other cannot do any thing. "With the
aid of a few leading questions the
mystery is solved and the class has a
fact dropped into its knowledge-box that
there are two kinds of boys.
Teacher : "Now , we have how many
kinds of boys ? " "Live boys and picture
boys. " "That's right. " "Now , all
who would like to see another kind of
boy , hold up your hands. " B O Y is
placed on the blackboard. "What is
that ? " "A word. " "Yes , that's a word. "
"Do you know what to call it ? " "No ,
mam. " "Now , look at it sharp , and I
will tell you the name of it is boy.
Now , tell me how many kinds of boys
there are. " "Three kinds. " "Yes , live
boy , picture boy , word boy. Now , go
to your seats and see if you can't make
a word boy. "
Other samples equally ridciulous , did
limits suffice , could be given , all of
which are remarkable for the ingenuity
displayed in contriving ways and means
for imparting knowledge with the least
possible mental effort.
Well , a generation has grown up and
we have the facts facts galore ; but un
related facts are troublesome. With no
education to place them in their proper
niches , this condition breeds mental dis
orders. Hence we have today our Zion
ism , populism , fiatism and others too
numerous to mention.
A. H. TRACY.
Chicago , Dec. 20 , 1901.
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The
ATLANTIC
Monthly
1902
A three part story by GEOIIOE W.CABLE ,
entitled Bylow Hill , will bo one of the
features of early issues. A two part
story will bo contributed by EUGENIA B.
FROTHINGHAM , the author of The Turn
of the Road , and short stories will ap
pear in every number.
Political Papers
Important political papers will touch
upon
Disfranchisement and the Race Ques
tion.
Education in the Philippines and in
Cuba.
Colonial Legislatures.
Army Reorganization.
The Normal Development of the Navy.
The Organization of Labor , etc. , etc.
Out-Door Life
will be treated in articles on Golf , Sail
ing , Going into the Woods , etc. , intro
duced by a study of "The Modern Chiv
alry , " by JOHN CORBIN.
Recollections
Many interesting reminiscences will be
published during the yearomong others
"The Memories of an Army Nurse1 by
EMILY V. MASON , of Virginia ; Recollec
tions of Walt Whitman , " by JOHN T.
TROWBRIDGE ; "England and the War of
Secession , " by GOLDWIN SMITH ; and an
interesting forecast of the social and
economic developments of the next hun
dred years , entitled , "Recollections of
the Twentieth Century , " by JOHN B
CLARK.
Book Reviews
Beginning with the January number ,
the Atlantic will contain , in addition to
its usual reviews , a department of com
ment on Books , New and Old , written
each month by H. W. BOYNTON.
There will be a series of Foreign Letters ,
the best of Literary Essays and Poems ,
and the Contributors' Club.
All new subscribers for 1902 enrolled be
fore December 20 , 1901 , will receive the
November and December , 1901 , numbers
free on application.
Send postal card for Atlantic 1902 pro
spectus.
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4 Park Street , Boston .
