Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-04-06
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.


i most Puagent showing up of the abuses of the
..Blimberh and ''Gradgrind'' modern modes Of |
education. Amongst the many hard hits dealt |
nv The lecturer il Is than probable that some
of the blows may have been administered with I
more vigor than justice, but of the salutary ma
ture Of the effort as whole there can be ques-
ton.
Our school instruction. the speaker said conf !
monty huctuates between two general systems |
that OF twenty years ago and the present fashion,
able routine. The former depended almost solely
upon the book and the rod the latter ourishes upon
the comprehensive principle of teaching every
thing within the shortest possible space Of time
and with the shortest possible preparation While
the former reveiled in long lessons, long hours,
and long switches, the latter proposes To teach
French in six easy lessons' dispenses entirely
with corporal punishment and inducts the punf
into the mysteries of the classics by moral sua-
Should we take either as a model Should we
h"t remember the retentive memory and precision
induced by the old way of ''driling, 80 nor ought
we neglect 10 combine with il such fresh instruc-
tons from the teachers thought and voice will
ad the pupil to comprehend clearly, and firmly
retain the principles TO which the text book has
been the guide and monitor.
Taking the ground that mere knowledge is
not the direct but the incidental advantage of u-
dicioGs school preparation. the speaker urged
that the great emphasis in school instruction
should be put on the formation Of accurate and
systematic habits. The youngest pupils are
made to study too much and too early. There
are too many big books in little hands. They
should be exercised first in those things which
require least mental effort, reasoning powers an
alySiS, and comparison. We must follow nature
and let them initiate more. Let them sing, dance
il you choose, draw, write. prOnounce-in short
practice the mechanical and physical arts of edu-
cation, and cultivate and pefsevere in producing
habit OF attention more valuable than all the
book knowledge their young minds can I've con-
fused with The testimony of Taylor, Chester
field, sir Henry WOttOn, HOgarth, DOddridge,
Sir Isaac Newton. and other men of note was
quoted in favor of the attentive and systematic
formation OF the mental habits.
In
age, IT was recommended not to load their men,
cries with a melange OF localities, populations
towns; villages, rivers. and capes in arithmetic
To render due homage to Warren Colburn in his
'First Lessons in which is daguerreoty ped the
rationale OF the grand science of numbers in writ
ing Lessons to take care Of the position Of pupils
the desk that the body is twisted into all sorts
of unnatural cOntOrtiOns. that the muscles of the
wrist do not form the outline of cork screw and
most especially that both points of the pen press
equally upon the paper.
The meC hanism of the sounds of our language
Was spoken of. peculiarly the business OF the
Srst teacher; the enumeration of the pupil was to
De made clear and sOnOTous; rapid utterance of
easy words was TO be checked; care must be
taken by the teacher not 10 away from the
mental vision of his class; and only one thing
was to be taught at a time. in short, the first
school should teach little else than what can lie
made interesting and attractive.
The opinion was expressed, (and in which we
heartily COncide) that the instructor is entitled
to as much credit for what he omits to teach as
Tor what he teaches. In our day he is entitled TO
more praise RESISTING the rncldl and
senscal notions of patrons and parents, and the
imposing caravan Of studies that swell the pre-
tentiOus curriculum of many Academies Insti-
tuteS, flor the word school has become almost OBJ
sOlete IN scholastic nOmenclature) than for any
amount of Roman and GIecian mythology and
kindred studies by which children are so unnleT-
cifully belabOred. What holds good for the ele-
Inentary school is equally applicable, far
the order of studies is concerned, to the second
elementary, grammar or district school; viz: the
formation of correct and systematic mental hab-
It's. Place should be given to uaVSiS. IL
son and simple, but strictly inductive exercises
Physical geography and the explanation of natu-
I'll phenomena should precede the enumeration
Of minor localities.
Upon the study of history, the opinion was ex-
pressed that the common mode of merely reciting
or MemoTlZng matters OF historical minutiP is
waste of time that could be better devoted to 9TH
o. studies. especially the study of the English
language. definitions, the distinctions between
words nearly but not precisely synonymous, vocal
reading in the higher sense, parSing properly con-
Quoted. Another proper exercise for the second
elementary school is PennlanshiP and geometrical
drawings both OF which exercise the inlagina
powers and habits OF correctness and accuracy,
% as Mr.. HOlbrOOk used to EXPRESS it, the hand
and the eye.''
The value of these studies as well as of arith-
mctic in inducing prolonged, connected. and con-
centrated thought, was dwelt upon. In arithme
tic the emphasis and labor must be devoted to
proportions and fractions.
Mr.. Thompson stated that he had endeavored
10 show that school exercises and studies should
he governed by the order of development of the
intellectual faculties, and also what exercises
and studies adapted in their nature to that or
der Of natural development. Hewent on TO claim
Tor teachers that they are - Doctors of mind
and being so should they not practice on natural
and scientific principles, and eschew quackery,
The ''hOt-hOuse' and forcing system was
veTely dealt with by the lecturer In explanation
e his discomfort with the present modes of teach
In, he gave this great practical fact. unaccouned
fos by the usual school routine: that academies,
colleges and universities have not produced the
master minds Of the last half century Where
were the degrees Of Morse, Henry Clay, Profess
sO' Henry. Charles Dickens, Fulton, Whitney,
Watt Franklin, Patrick Henry, Jefferson. and
Washington The minds of young students are
SUTfeited and crushed under a nOndesCript mass
ofti;le pages, Rotations and readings, undigest
ell and indigestible. May not the excellencies and
success composing the brilliant galaxy of intel
lect and genius, enrolled under the name of " self
made mea." be- attributed to the self-diScipline
OF their mental habits to their persistent educa-
tioa OF their own powers Of discrimination, anal
ysis and deduction?
The lecturer concluded with an eloouent protest
against the modern styles of fast; superficial
and fashionable; teaching and an earnest re-
COMMUNICATION Of that drilling IF the mental hab-
IL which has already produced such remarkable
results in the distinctive features Of American
character and genus.
ART LECIURE.-The fourth lecture Of the
Washington Art Association was delivered before
full and select audience, on Thursday evening"
by Mr.. =. T.. CoueS. The interest taken by our
citizens in the Inauguration of this institution in
their midst IS daily becoming more manifest. and
the attention paid by the audience to Mr. COues
indicates their appreciation Of his able discourse
The lecturer commenced by saying that the
faculty Of idealitv, deemed OF little comparative
value or use in fulfilling the STEINER duties of life
i. nevertheless. an inherent attribute of every
normally constituted mind. He denied that the
strength given to the love Of the beautiful was at
u" expense OF the judgment. The practical bust
iieNs man was cheered in his struggle for wealth
bF dreams of 1 happy future. and in building air
castles. The Joys and SOTTOWS, the homes and
fears, the pleasant dreams of health, and the FORE
holdings Of III in sickness. Were ever with his
thought, and mainly CO IStituted life. The cues
non, then. was not whether man was an idealist
but what should be the character OF his imagin-
ih->- The color OF a mans thought that wal 10
ti"termtne the degree Of his happiness, and the
'~autIIIl creations of the artist Were to aid in
giving The right direction Ia his idrsfty.
DraM.nO Tie Attention OF The. andienc fn fl,e