Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-05-18

If will be readily conceived that plan of general education devised by limited experience and lnior- maton, and with the advantage only oi orlef dell- beration, and imperfect interchance of sentiments with the delegates present must necessarily be very inedeouate to the magnitude and importance of the subject. The public however Ii Is sad, expect something definite to be done immediately and de- sire to meet in some degree, this expectation, will be received as on apology for whatever IS deficient and imperfect Tn recommending, therefore to the Convention, the adoption of the following general system and course ofinstructlon, shall be condered as only very remotely npproxlmatlng the wants and wishes of the community. Wlth the liberal and enlightened spirit that characterizes our feilewcitl- zens to discern and adopt what IS good, and reject what is bad the hope, however, is indulged, and some beneficial result may arise, even from this rude and imperfect essay Besides awakening more general intention to the of education in Ten nessee it may also serve as rough model, which, by means of addition, subtraction and substitution, resulting from more competent experience and ln- formation, and from the reports of committees ap- pointed on particular subjects, may be so shaped and moulded at next meeting in October, as to meet and merit public adoption and patronage.
 I purpose to give a brief description of the most celebrated systems of instructions, and the experi- ence of competent judges as to the utility practca- bty and extent of applicaon-then point out the subjects books, and particular modes of teaching, deemed most practicable and expedient at present. The order to be pursued in the latter devlson IS that of time beginning with anfancy. In my remarks up- on these topics plainness oflanguage and brevity, far consistent with perspicuty will be constant ly aimed at.
 Lancasterian system-Joseph Lancaster began the profession of a schoolmaster in 179S. His bene violence induced him, from the beginning to teach reading, writing and arithmetic, to the children of the poorer classes a, half the usual prices-those that unable to pay, he taught for nothing. With the same philanhropic spirit he studied to devise f,ra ba ceeded in accomplishing, chiefly in two ways: first, by extending to his rhole school practice prevalent in part in most schools-the employment of the older boys to assist in teaching-thus enabling one indvi dual, who had previously instructed only thirty or forty boys to direct the education of than ten times that number. This is the monitorial part of the system. Secondly, by diminishing the expense arising from the consumption of books and materials for writing. This done by Introducing the ad mirable method of making number of boys read from the same lesson, (printed or written in large characters, and suspended on the wall-and the less useful substitute of states for paper; whereby not only the expensive article is saved, hut any num-
 Der of boys age enabled to spell and ,orite the word at the time without the possibility of one being idle while another is at work-or rather, as in the ordinary modes of education, of one being em- ployed, and all the rest idle. The same degree of acrness is kept up, by the method of reading, it were, ogether-which requiring the failure ofone boy to be corrected by the next for the sake of ta king his place, prevents the possibility of ideness ! inaention." In teaching arithmetic, all that the monitor and the class required to know is how to write figures and enumerate them; thus, to write 20 for instance, and know 1t to be twenty The lesson now is to be in addition, viz:-
 234. Each boy writes these fguers upon his slate 567 key or paper is then given to the monitor, containing the following directions, which he reads aloud, and the class write down the states d- rected. "First column-7 and are 11-set down Iundcr the ', and carry one to the next. Second column-6 and 3 are 9, and one that carried is 10 set down 0, and carry to the next. Third col umn-5 and 2 are 2. and that carried Is S-Tota in figures S01-total in words eight hundred and one" Each having read over the sum-total, the tor inspects all the slatesthe attention of the whole is thus kept awake, and repetition ofsimilar lessons | fixes the required rule in the mind. have before me Nos. of the Edinburg and Westminster Reviews the Journal of Education, and Griscoms "Monitoria Instruction" from all which, did my limits permit, could furnish proof which would convince the most incredulous, that the Lancaseran Monitorial sys- tenn may he successfully applied not only to teach reading, wrthing and aritemetrc, but almost every branch of educaton-algebra, geometry, botany, drawing, and especially the Greek and Latin, as well as modern languages Mir Gray, Rector ofthe high school of Edinburg says, on the new system, have been enabled so to arrange my classes, that every boy is employed every minute of time he
 
 tlon of knowledge, In this way, fifteen times as much work can be done, in the same space of time, and say with confidence, fifteen times better From this contrvance, instead of the lapgor and restless that to often prevails, all is activity and energy More nose indeed is heard but the sounds are sweet for they are the sounds flabor It seems in deed that boys better qufed to teach boys than men--they enter readily into their feelings; they are more sensible of the difficulties which they themselves have just mastered, and will adopt more simple and familiar modes of illustration, &c."-- Testimony equally strong and decisive, could be ad- duced from experiments made and making, in Li- verpool, London, Boston, New-York, Philadelphia, | and numerous other cities and towns A system, that comes to us with such claims and pretensions, certainly merits full and fair trial Public senti- ment in Tennesse, it is said, is opposed to this sys tenn; and whenever it's introduction has been at tempted, is has created dissatisfaction and opposi- ton: The people, if this be so cannot be convinced of its efficacy and utility; for if they were, their in- terests, as well as their generosity, would induce them to withdraw their opposition, and give it their countenance and support Instead therefore, of re- commenting this method of instruction for general a. dopton lwoud suggest the proprety of each teacher making an occasional experiment ofit This might be done, by explaining the system to his pupils in- teresting them in it, and getting them in some mea- sure, voluntarily to make trial of it, for limited period, say two or three days or week after which, its operation if desired, might cease. By this means, considerable amount of practical infor- nation would be brought together at the October meeting, that might aid much in our deliberations The chief difficulty, conceive, will be found to con sist in the first organization of school in first clas- siyng the pupies and appointing the monitors; but, with mildness, patience, and perseverance,, dby ex- pecting little at the outset and being satisfied with less, the difficulty it is believed, will soon vanish, and order, the comfort and the profit of teachers and pupils succeed. Rules, regulations and signals, as bell for instance, will readily be seen will conri-