Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1852-05-29
False Education.

Of oi1f day 10 It's snpsrfciaIity. There is
constant aim In the education Of our
youth to give to all, without regard 10 the
stations or positions they nro designed or
compelled in ufter.lifc to fiil, and without
regard to the period Of time allotted to
their education, little knowledge Of
everything, emattering acquaintance
| with every branch OF study.
This appears first IN our school books.
The grand controlling idea which posses.
ses the minds of the compilers Of these
works Is to make tho. subject easy, aud
thus to relieve the learner as mitch as pos
sible Of all mental labor, and facHitate to
the greatest degree the process Of aequisi.
ton.
| The same thing ID visible In the man.
agement Of onr schools. II appears often
lin tho mode Of conducting the recitatopN
and imrartng instructions. The teoches
lectures rather than teaches; talks TO hia
pupils upon o. subject rather than drills
them IN ile knowledge of 1t explains
and illustrates, when he should be exam.
ming his pupils upon the subjects Of their
studies, aud testing the extent Of their i'm.
derstanding Of those subjects, and the
measure Of their application and attention
10 them. The consequence is that the
pupils listen, but do not learn; are inter.
ested. but not instructed. They receive
some fragmentary and disjointed informa.
ton, but no real and genuine culture, ,----
| The work which the very nature Of thugs
has inpefatively imposed upon the pupil,
II any real mental progress Is to be expec-
ted from him, is thus performed by the
| teacher
| The same tendency manifests itself In
tho multiplicity Of the studies which 1t Is
very general incur schools to assign at
the same time to pupils. The pursuit OF
too many different stndies Ut the same
time distracts and confuses the mind oi
the learner, greatly weakens the impression
made upon It, and induces in him a super
fetal habt Of investigation alid Of thought
Az, on the other hand, the continued up.
plication Of the mind to single theme
exhausts its powers, distorts the medium
of its vision, and finally oyerwhems and
rues it.
| The great element of successful progress
Ia man IL stigeness OF purpose. The
| highest success will therefore be attained
In the tuition Of the human intellect when
the fewest studies are assigned for its con.
ltemporaneous pursuit which are compati.
BILE with ntlording to its efforts the requ.
site change and relief.
/ Parents, too, are generally More fatter.
cd with the number and variety Of tleil
chidren's attainments than with tile ex.
tent and depth Of those attainments.--
They seem to consider it OF more conse.
quence that their children shall have stu.
died many things than that they shall have
understood one; to regard the ability al al
times TO talk readily aud appear knowing
Of more Importance than the power &c
think clearly and profoundly. and 10 acI
promptly and correctly. ALI this proceeds
| from a radical misapprehension Of the very
nature and end Of All education.
The object Of ali education il to cit mer
for action. In the comprehensive Ian
|guage Of Milton, we "call complete and
generous education that which fits a mar
to perform justly, skillfully and magnan
mously oil the Offices. both private ant
| public, of peace aud war;
1t is to prepare them for the proper per
formanee of the actual duties OF life, te
act well their parts in the great drama O
human existence, that our youth are edn
Gated.
To this end oil the faculties of the hu
man mind require the fullest possible de-
velopement. 70 accomplish this devel
opment is the business of education. The
actual amount Of Information, therefore
which is communicated during the bre
period OF youth, is comparatively Of little
moment. 1t is at best bnt small.
| Bat the training which the mind re-
ceiyes during that period, the direction
which Is given to its tastes and iuclina
tons, the strength and energy which il
impaired TO its faculties the force, the
depth, the reach, aud the certainty which
it acquires in all it's operations, its ability
and facility TO grapple with all the reali.
ties and emergencies ol life, in short, the
preparation which it has received to ena.
Bile its possessor ITO perform justly, skill.
fully and magnanirnonsly all the Offices
both private aud public. Of peace and war;
these are of the last importance.
/ or what avail is a well filed quiver ol
"air-cleaving arrows with barbed points
unless there be strength in the bow?
/ Of what advantage Is a well stored
mind without the power and facility Of
using its acquisitions with effect ?
The great object Of education, then, is
The attainment of mental discipline. AZ
the soldier is drilled in order that he may
acquire celerity aud egecr in the use o.
his weapons aud ID the evolutions of the
field as a preparation for the day Of bat
tie, SO should onr youth be educated, not
with the view of making Of them fiippant
takers or walking encyclopedias. Of learn
ed prodigies Of any kind, but that they
may possess the sslf.comnand, the inteIlec-
tnal clearness and hardihood, and the full
mental and moral discipline necessary for
snconntering and efectnalIy discharging
| the serious duties and business Of life.
To this end, far more is accomplished by
requiring the pupil to understand one
thing thoroughly than by instfucting him
| ina hundred things superiicialIy. For this
purpose the mental labor, the intellectual
effort put forth BY the pupilin the process
Of acquisition, is Of far greater Importance
than the acquisitions themselves
Constant Iappings at the various sour
ces Of human knowledge without one
/ fIaers Inn0.drasrn firaughf from auy. vi