The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-09-22
FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS SPY.
EDUCATION.-No. 3.

Mr.. EDIroR,-In my last pointed out an
evil in the mode of instruction In our common
schools. | endeavored to show that scholars
were taught mechanically, and that teachers
were entirely confined to the books used in
schools, and were in no very fgurative sense
of the term, mere mechanics. | had occasion,
also, to allude to the introduction of the higher
branches into our common schools. propose
an this number to speak more definitely of this
last particular. The late school law of the
commonwealth requires that the teachers in
our common schools, in our small country
towns, should teach English Grammar, Geog-
raphy, and Arithmetic but it does not require
that the teachers should be acquainted with
tho higher branches, such as Rhetoric, Chem
istry, &c. But, instead ofbeing confined to the
branches mentioned in the law, our teachers
actually flood schools with the higher
branches. And what is the consequence 1t
is simply this our scholars understand nothing
as they ought. l have myself seen large
class in our schools attending to History, Rhet-
ORIG, Philosophy, &c. who could not Yecite one
half Of the rules in the spelling book nay, not
one of them could tell the use of the common
pauses in reading. Nor do l believe that this
class was singular in that respect. | do not
believe, taking the whole county through, that
one scholar in ten in our common schools, who
study these branches, can even tell the of
the six pauses in reading and the manner of
regulating the voice where they occur.
Neither do believe that our scholars under
stand the fundamental branches of an educa-
ton so well they did ten or fifteen years ago.
In writing, in mathematics and even in English
Grammar, there has been retrograde move
ment. When Philosophy, &c, are introduced
they must BIO attended to at the expense of ev-
cry thing else. Even English Grammar is
hardly thought worthy of attention by many of
these towering scholars. do not dispute but
there may be scholar, occasionally, that could
study these branches with profit, but am fully
convinced that in nineteen cases out of twenty,
their time might be better employed This
multiplicity of branches confuses both tho
teacher and the scholars, and prevents their
attending thoroughly to any branch. For how
can either the teacher or his pupils attend to a
dozen different branches, and give them that
share of time which they merit
But this is not the only evil When any
young Miss, (for these are made female studies
almost exclusively commences the study of
Rhetoric, Philosophy, &c, which she generally
does before she understands Grammar, or oven
the spelling book, you may rest assured that
she will never consent to 60 back, as she con-
siders it, and attend to the first principles OF an
education. What she will say, Philosopher,
n Rhetorician, a Chemist, be put into spelling
hook, and DO compelled to study the common
nausos in reading In her estimation the very
!dea il absurd. Thus this starving chemist
n her poden views" must either be indul-
0ed in studying branches entirely beyond her
capacity, to the neglect of the first principles Of
an education, or her ladyship will pack up her
books, ask to DO dismissed, and 60 home with a
.pitiful tale to her parents She will either tell
them that the teacher does NOT understand tho