Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-02-08
For tie Spectator.
Thoughts on Education

fOT TIC OPSo$e<oW''
+ Thoughts on Education
1iesus Editors 1T may not be imprcp'
er for me, to give few notions OF mine
concerning a certain matter, which th,nh
Of great importance. 1t is now becoming
the practice with nearly all parents, to Push
their children 10 school when very young
thinking they must learn to be men and VIC
men when but children. They must learn
their letters and spell at TIVE, read at three.
write at four and five. and at six Arithne-
tic Geography and English Grammar rnos'
be commenced; and SO on until twelve.
when they will of course he accomplished
scholars, and the pride Of their parents.--
Now tins is utterly fault among the peo'
pie, and all persons who have had expen.
lence in the instruction of youths will say
So myself am close observer, and
have had great deal Of experience in the
instruction OF children and in the course
of nv observations and experience have
always found that child sent to school Il
the age Of ten years, and kept constantly
going, with one of the same age that went
to school all the time from five years old.
would in less than two years be far in ad-
vance, and in the same ratio would keep
progressing, until at the age of sixteen he
would have the name of being good schoI-
ar and smart youth whilst the other would
be dull stupid fellow and destined SO 10
be all the rest of his life. -.
These things may at first sight seem
strange, but after thorough investigation
of the causes they will be apparent. Tho
secret of progress depends more upon .
desire to study than anything else; that
desire in children is rarely to be found.
and fit does in slight degree exist It 10
all extinguished by the ferule.
Children cannot bear close confinement.
yet they are subject to the order and dis
cipline of school, which at once sours
their disposition and renders them incspa-
BILE of enjoying themselves so ighi-hearted
and free. They are beginning 10 count the
hours; each hour seems day. and each
minute an hour. Thus their minds are oc-
cupied with those unpleasant anxieties, ana
the little time they are forced TO attend TO
their studies is looked upon with loathins
An impression is therefore made which
time cannot erase, and it will have very
unhappy tendency through life. tits true.
they may for little while De interested in
certain study or studies: but very soon
that childish excitement wears of and il
becomes burden. Yet the relinguisbing
of study is against the rule; it is there
fore impossible. And the important maxim
never 10 Leave off anything useful once begun,
cannot be violated it must be strictly inn
pressed upon the youthful mind, and the
father is almost sure to think what inter
ests him will interest his son. This is a
sad mistake. The child cannot compre-
bend what the father does, and if it cannot
comprehend il will not be interested. II
is even so with most persons of mature agei
what they cannot comprehend will not in'
terest them. And can We expect more, or
even hall, so much. .tlom children. Liiile
they love so dearly, and send to school e.
ven so young in order to give them SUPERB
or advantages, are injured every day they
are at school. Hence the complaint: Il
have sent my boy to school ever since ne
could walk, and now he is grown and yet
knows nothing. The teachers did not do
their duty-or he is a natural blockhead.
(Can call my son blockhead y But }
have done my duty, for | am sure could
have done no MORE" Here ] would say
Hold thou mistaken man Thou didst moro
than thy duty. Hadst thou sent thy 500
from the age of FIVE to seven one month IN
the year. and from that to nine one and q
half months, and from that to twelve three
months, and from that to fourteen six
months, and so on, and hadst kept him alf
the rest of the time busily engaged at some
useful domestic employment, would say
to thee he would be another sort OF man.
And / would even 60 so far as to say.
Hadst thou not sent him at all until he was
ten, and from that time three months IN
the wear until he had arrived at the age OF
twelve, and then six months to the age OF
sixteen, he would no doubt be scholar.
And being under fathers care at home
would have been saved many lesson OF
immortality.
Some will think this altogether a Few
theory, but it is not 1t has long since
been the opinion Of learned men. And
were in the habit of writing for the pub
lie, would certainly endeavor to correct
IN the public mind an error which is so Us
niversal and doing such an amount of miss
chief. do not think that child ought to
be allowed to have either an Arithmetic,
Geography. English Grammar, or Philoso.
phy, or whatever other study, except spell
ling, reading, writing and catechism, before
he ha, attained the age of twelve years.