New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-12-13
System of Education in Association.
(Si.,h Ar,icie.)


age of three years, wher the child is admitted to
the corporation of the Learners. Distinctions will
then commence between the sexes, which before
were wisely confosnded.
| The Tutors do not take charge indscriminaely
of all characters; they choose those children whose
dispositions or industrial inclnations please them.
Each tutor in choosing children to govern consults
his sympathies; no one would take charge, as at
present, of a confused mass of children. The
child on the other hand, consuts also its affnites
in the choice of teachers the system of reciprocal
Attraction must erist IN Education as in every
thing else, and Attraction would be banshed from
Education, were the incoherence and confusion
of our false methods of instruction adopted.
In the Development of capacities, the same sys-
tenn is applied to the second order of children,-to
theLearners,a s to the first order-the Comnencsrs,
for there are great many branches OF Industry en-
tircy OUT of the reach of child of three years and
for which its tastes cannot be tested There are
branches of work which it cannot undertake before
the age of ten others before the age OF fifteen After
,hc ape of FIVE or six emulation alone will be suf
6cient to guide the child but up TO that time means
of artificial development must be employed. One
means will be the employment of all those play
things which now useless, such as little wagons
wooden horses, &c.-playthinss which Association
will make use of to initiate children of three and four
years into Industry An example will explain this :
George and Raymond, who nearly three years
Old are impatient to be admitted the class next
above them in age,-to the class of the Learners,
who wear handsome dresses handsome caps and
planes, and who have place at parades, bns
without taking an active part. To be admitted 10
this corporation they must give proofs of skill and
dexterity in various branches of Industry, and to
attain this end, they apply themselves diligently
These two children too young to take part
in gardening However, u fine morning, a II u
| tor takes them to the gardens, where numerous
assemblagc OF children, four, five, and six years
old, have Just made q collection of vegetables,
which they are loading upon dozen little wagons
drawn by dogs. In this ussembage are two friends
of George and Raymond, who have been recently
admitted among this class of children.
George and Raymond desire to take part with
thcae Groups; this is refused them, and they are
told that they cannot make themselves useful as a
other some radishes do up in bunch; they
cannot succeed in performing the task allotted to
them and the older children reject them without
pity--for children very strict with each other
to the manner of performing work lhey pur-
sue different system from fathers who excuse the
awkward child under pretext that he is too young.
George and Raymond seek, in their disappoint-'
ment, their Mentor who promises them that IN
three days they shall be admitted, if they will take
lessons in harnessing. They afterwards see the
train of elegant little wagons depart: the Groups
of Children put on their belts and plumes, torn
calumn around their standard, and follow.
George and Raymond, rejected by this brilliant
assemblage, return, with tears IN their eyes, to
the Association in company with their Mentor.
Arrived there, he takes them to the rooms where
the playhings are kept; he gives them wooden
dog and teaches them harness 1t 10 little wagon:
he afterwards brings them basket oil radlshes and
onions made of pasteboard and teaches them how to
put them up in bunches he then proposes to them
to take another lesson tho following day. He stiml-
lates them avenge the afront they have received
and holds cut the hope of being soon admitted to The
Groups which rejected them The Mentor alter
wards takes them to some other assem0iase OF
children, and intrusts them to the care OF second
Mentor, after having finished his two heurs' IN
struction.
The next day the two boys will wish to sec the
Mentor again, and repeat with him the lesson OF
the previous day After three or four lessons OF
the kind, lie will take them to the Groups en-
ployed in collecting the smaller kinds OF yege-
tables in which they will know how to make
themselves useful and by which they will be re-
ceiyed as candidates for admission.
Thus, the company Of older children will direct
rightly Two ysunger ones, who in Societies would
be led by them TO commit all kinds Of mischief
We here see an example of the useful aPpIl-
cation of play,hings in Association Give child
at presen, little wagon or drum, and 1t VIII De
broken in pieces the same day, or II not 1t VIII IN
no cas-, be of any utility. The Association will al
ways be supplied with these playthihgs, but they
will be used only for purposes of instruction, and
as means of initiating the child into Industry.
If il be permitted to have drum, it will be to
enable i, to obtain admission to band OF young
musicians. Playthings for girls-such as dolls,
Sc. will be in other ways of as much use as little
Wagons and drums.
Critics will probably remark, that the work done
by the dozen little cars, could be more economically
performed with one large wagon. Ii doubtiessiy
could, but for ,rifing economy of the kind, the
advantage of an early familiarity with agricultural
occupations, such as Harvesting, loading and
driving little wagons, would be lost; besides tbs