New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-06
ANOTHER FREE ACADEMY.

The public OF the city 90 not Vince unuer AAos
for educational purposes, but still we would mildly
remark that before they indorse the proposition Of
The Superintendent of Common Schools to estab
li.h Free Academy for girls it might be we'll to
inquire little more infinitely into the subject.
Is the school, like the present Free Academy, to
cost twice as much as the original estimated Will
it, like that, soon seek to change its character
from sn academy to q college and confer medals
and diplomas giving its chief attention to things
least contemplated, or not contemplated at oil
among the reasons for it's establishment The Free
Academy for boys was advocated by THE TRIBUNE
when it needed friends, because in the memorial
to the Legislature applying for the charter, it was
promised that it should be an institution where
chemistry, mechanics, agriculture, navigation,
would be thoroughly and practically taught
If this were granted its authors promise that
it would soon raise up q class Of mechanics
" well skilled in their several pursuits" We are
not here censuring the Academy, nor are we look
ing too soon for the promised fruits It's yet an
experiment-quite a costy one we acknowledge;
but while we would not trouble it, we know not
why we should have second edition at the same
price, when en- equally desirable scheme is pro-
posed by two different Boards of Ward officers
True, it lacks that appearance of lavish expense
which all things under the Board Of Education
assume. How the Superintendent awoke to
sense of this destitution in education among grls,
after the officers of some Wards had been for years
LAYING out their plans s worthy Of note In the
Eighteenth Ward they have opened their schools,
and in the Fifteenth will shortly open one. Others
may, if they choose, follow such an example be-
fore the Superintendent arrangements are ef
fected.
If the Superintendent be in favor of special
legislation, we would find less fault with him if his
efforts had been more actively directed to the
Thousands who never enter our schools at all. II
in bis spare time be can elaborate some practical
and udicious plan by which the ward officers
and the Board of Education could induce all the
vile and the ragged, the dirty and the poor, to
come forward and be educated, the public would
most cheerfully sustain him, although such educa
ton should cost as much per head as it would for
each young person in his proposed academy
The complaint is that neither girls nor boys can
be kept long enough at school to go through the
established course. If so, who would gil the new
builcDg1 Iftoo, as is affirmed, the teachers are not
qualified with their present salaries in our female
schools, whose fault is it = Has not the Board of
Z ducation the Normal school under its control
Cannot that be increased in efficiency, elevated in
its course Of instruction, and made to keep pace
In some degree with the continued increase in
teacbers salaries? When the public are in
formed respecting these and kindred matters it
will be time enough to talk about the new inst
tuition.
Above all, let the results of the Free Academy
for boys be what was expected, before We enter
upon new experiment. Let as hear less of the
classics and more of the science Of the century at
that school. In such an institution the English
precedent for acquiring 5 classical education to
the neglect of the positive sciences is certainly
out of place. Besides, it is not what was antici- |
pated when the project was originally brought |
forward.