Washington telegraph., 1850-05-01
Far the Telegraph.
EDUCATION.

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EDUCATION.
Much has been said and written upon tnls suo'
Ject. but happily it is subject upon wh'cn Wv
much cannot be advanced. The ancIents' lo'
tunately for US, early took into consideration 'no
means best adapted TO the instruction o. you'',
Philosophers augured and school-men preac"eu
upon this mom-htous question; and thus the SUD
Ject of education has been from the remoteat '"e,
and ever will be 1 trus,, a subject Of interest," Oh
thought aud study among men, PROPOSE 'nere-
fore, throwing out some hints upon TINS ImPof,a".
subject. which have been suggested to my MIN"
by experience and observation; aud, though ad-
vance no new IDEAS, the thought that have done
ny duty, and, perhaps, called the attent,"n 0, ,
some parent to the subject, and thereby awakened
his attention to the responsibility resting upon
him, shall feel myself amply repaid
We frequently hear parents discussing win
much warmth the age most proper for a ch,ld TO
be sent to school. On this stion a great variety
of opinion exists, and can but say thai 1t appears
to me needless diversity Indeed, IL appears
frivilous in the extreme, for the human mnd is so
constituted that the mom-nt il exists il begins the
requirements Of Information. At first its progress
is extremely slow, for all our information being
obtained through the medium of the senses, these
have to be exercised and acticed before the mind
can adapt them to its purposes. For example, the
infant will extend its hand to grasp thugs at .
distance. and cry Tor what it seemed to suppose
will soon teach it to judge of distance by observa
tion and this faculty being acquired, d. greal
avenue is at once opened for obtaining information
1t is with every other faculty, The command
of each has to be acquired before it can be used
as medium of instruction 10 the mind. In ac-
curing the use of language We see the infant hrst
using the most simple sounds, until by degrees it is
able 10 pronounce the most complex words. At
this period Of its aye observe how gu ck il srIzrs
upon every new word and expression that comes
To ITS ear; It lays hold OF It as treasure, and,
though II may not be used in its hearing again for
days and montils-nay, even years, yo" shall hear
that child that same word or express on,
with the very accent with which it heard il
once pronounced. Here then is period at which
To Oeg,u the instruction Of the chid for the i'm
preston made is lasting. The mind, like the
plastic wax, recIeves a deep impress, which al
ways holds conspicuous place, and presents itself
to view, though many later impressions have been
made to Obiiterale IT; an improper word, thought
les,y spoken by its nurse, is seized and retained
in memory; wrong pronunciation, infectious OF
the voice-indeed, every thing uttered in th-
presence Of d child at this period is treasured up
by hIm Tor future use. How necessary it is, then,
that parents should be careful into whose charge
they commit their offspring at this interesting
period Of their lives, for the child knows no higher
power than its nurs-, and what she says and does
1t seeks to Ilnitate. the highest point of its am
dulges IN, these Immediately become fixed by the
force Of habit But how easily the child might be
taught properly in these things by little care on
the part of parents-a thousand evils would be
re,neded and the child would be saved the trouble
and labor of overcoming wrong habits, and avoid
the unpIeasanlness of inappropriate expressions
when he would by all means avoid them, for early
habits very apt to display themselves, though
we seek to conceal them. But what is the gen.
eral practice oc parents in this matter? presume
to that not in fifty attend to it, while
they have the greatest interes, in the education
of their children, aud desire, above all things,
proper Instructions. Bul they caunot devote their
time to them at that age, for unfortunately their
children most troublesome. And why! Simply
because that is the period III which children show
their eagerness for Information. anJ it is too much
trouble Tor parents to answer their questions, SO
they pack them off with the servants, where thy
to acquire all sorts Of slang and by words,
accompanied with pronunciation the most harsh
and improper. But parents too prone to i'm
agine that their children i'll dispense with these
habits. and ''Iearn better they grow older,"
while they should bear in mind that "as the twig
is bent the trees Inclined" But should the chlid
succeed in overcoming those HABITS, it costs him
mighty effort, besides much time and money.
Many terms of schooling must be had to eradicate
evil that, to great degree, could have been
avoided. Personal interest, II nothing nOfe,
should cali attention to this subject. For my
self, [ would prefer proper instruction gwen the
child at the period have mentioned, than years
ii schooling after having acquired the evil habits
incident upon the careless manner III which chll
dren are usually attended to at that period. Ac-
cording 10 the present system, scholars have t.
rxpend full third of their time. in learning over
" hat was learned improperly before, VIZ: correct
ing evil habits
AN OBSERVER.