Daily American telegraph., 1852-10-16
then the Board adjourned.
OUR PUBLIC scHooLs.-No. XIV.
By S. 8. RANDALL.


The system adopted in too many of our public
schools and other institutions of learning of CON-
petition for premiums, consisting frequently of
gold medals, silver plate, &C., bas long been re-
garded by the most judicious and experienced
friends of education as eminently iRe1 r,.t II
unwise. 1t appeals to motive of action ...t =
into play passions and feelings vii p .ru,,.d
have no place in tho youthful brca H. new
table tendency is to stimulate iu oi, .,raust pre-
ternatural activity the very class ol intellect
which stands least In need of encouragement, and
to depress and dishearten that which needs 1t
most. Like all hot-bed culture, it is forced and
Fictitious, and in the end proves deleterious to
the native strength of the soil. 1t overlooks the
process, and fastens it's regards wholly upon the
results obtained.
By far the larger proportion Of the pupils to
whom these attractive inducements are presented
find it utterly hopeless TO contend for the glitter.
ing prize, and abandon the arena, at an early
period Of the term, to the most advanced Of their
comrades. Seldom will it be found that Of class
Of from thirty TO sixty, more than one-sixth are
induced to enter the field Of competition. With
these hew fcverish is the excitement how intense
the struggle, how ardent the desire for suprem-
aey and success! For the first time, perhaps, in
their young lives, they are forced for many weary
weeks and months to endure the sgonies Of alter
nate hope and fear, exaltation and discourage
ing depression. This tremendous pressure upon
their as yet undeveloped physical and mental en-
ergies is Of itsef eminently disastrous but tho
bitter disappointment, modification, anguish, and
sickness Of heart consequent upon failure failure
known to all their comrades, and TO oil who feel
an interest in their welfare failure publicly pro-
claimed, amid every circumstance Of aggrayation,
in tho presence of parents, brothers, sisters,
friends these, these constitute the bitter-oh
L., limit Of N rubigh hop
drain to the very dregs Too intelligent to ex-
pect and too proud to ask for sympathy, they
conceal under the transparent mask Of careless
indifference and unooncern an aching heart and n
wounded spirit and with the keenest sensibility
to that public opinion before whose searching
gaze they have heard their doom, they are forced
to counterfeit an scquiescence in it's awards
which they are far from feeling; submission to
its dictates against which every impulse Of their
nature rsvolts Then follows bitter heartburn
ings on the part Of parents, i'll repressed mur-
murs of partiality, favoritsm, unfairness, incom-
potency, and sometimes even of fraud and that
mutual confidence and good feeling which should
prevail among the patrons, officers, and teachers
Of the school is wholly and perhaps irrecoverably
gone.
Nor is the effect upon the fortunate competitor
always of the most beneficial kind. He il may
be, although successful, has in fact undergone
erted himself tho least, has made the least prog
ress, and evinced the least improvement Look
ing at the result merely, and from the nature of
the case wholly unable to appreciate the process
by which it has been attained, his judges have
awarded him the palm Of excellence, when
closer scrutiny and more equitable standard OF
opinion would have produced very different
verdict, But, whether deserving or otherwise OF
his distinction, feeling Of undue elation, Of tri-
umph, of pride, of superiority, is exceedingly apt
to be engendered in his breast, which may exer-
else a most disastrous influence upon his entire
subsequent career.
have no room to pursue this subject further
at this time. although | have but glanced upon
some of the more prominent objections to the
system adyerted to- l am happy to perceive that,
the good sense of this community has been at
tracted by late vote of the Board Of Trustees
Of our Public Schools, to n thorough and deib-
crate consideration OF its evils aud dangers. I.