Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-06-09
Tor the raily ra.riot.


| .The rules of the Board, copy of which
viii be delivered TO each pupil on admis
sion," gay, The books usedend the studies
pursued in the Public Schools shall be such
| and such only, as the Board of Education
may prescribe"
This is the Rule" of the Board, and yet
the practice as shown by the minutes of the
Board, and by the reports OF committees
has been to appoint committee
not among the Board, but outside of the
| Board, 4. committee composed of the Saperin-
tendent and some eff the teachers. Dear
/ ing in mind the power and control he has
over teachers, would there be any danger
! that publishers would try TO exert undue in
huence over SUPPLEMENTARY Yet strange
to say, some Of the elementary books, re-
commended By committee thus composed.
and prescribed by the Board, have never been
the text books in either department of the
| Schools, and yet stranger still, for the last
| four years, printed statement that said
| books are so used has been sent home TO the
parents. Take for instance one of Mr..
| Mulkey's works. Among the records find
| Resolved that We consider Prof. hnlkey's
| system of Orthoepy contained in his treaties.
| a compendious and methodicai digest of the
rules Of Phonetics, accent and syllibication."
| This is signed by the Superintendent and
six teachers. 'Mulkey's rules on Orthoepy'
are mentioned three times in the 'Course Of
| Study The work is also put down as one
| of the text books. l have made considera-
BILE enquiry and am thus informed that these
| rules are not taught to either of the four de-
partments, or the said text book used. If
the book is as valuable as represented. why
| is it not taught? If taught, why are those
who have been there five years unacquaiut-
cd with it? If it has not been taught why
send word home that it has? If it is correct,
the schools stand selfcondemned for using
the other plan. If it is not correct, the in
stitution stands selfcondemned for recon-
mending it and sending word home that it
is used. No explanations can justify such
inconsistencies. The printed statement of
the Board carried home by the children, rep
resents that, for the last four years, Pho
netic teaching has been done in the Primary,
departments. Such has never been the
teaching in either of these departments. l
have had many of the pupils of these schools,
and at the request of parents have examined
others, and have seen but two pupils con-
nected with these schosls, who were ac-
quainted with the Phonetcs of the language.
One of these was the son of Mr.. Mulkey, and
the other. found on enquiry had been taught
in New Hampshire two years before. If it
could be taught in New Hampshire, why not
here?
In nothing are The people Of Nashville more
grossly deceived than in regard to the value
of Phonetic science, and il the object lad
been to deceive the people as much as posi-
Die on the subject, ] cannot conceive how
better plan could have been devised than the
one that has been pursued, and this, too, in
full view of the fact that, testimony enough
can be furnished to fill every daily paper in
the city, to show that Phonetic science makes
a saving of two years in the education of
every child. The light of this testimony is
constantly sending forth its rays from all
parts of the Union; from Boston, New York.
Philadelphia, Charleston, New Orleans, st.
thousands of smaller towns, and an equal
amount from England, ireland and Scotland,
and from Prussia, a country that has the very
best school system in the world, where, for
more than twenty. years, Phonetic teaching
has been the bases and starting point in the
education of every child.
Is Nashville forever to groan under heavy
taxes and yet be deprived of those vast ia
cilities which are blessing other places? Oh
mol A Phonetic spelling book is 10 be in
troduced A great change is to be made
for the betterl Well, would be in favor of
this change, but for the fact, that Phonetic
reading might be taught in one-twentieth of
the time, a nd at one thousandth part of the
expense for books, and one-hundredth part
of the cost for teachers, and the fact that the
Phonetic reading; and the still further fact,
that Phonetics and Photography might both
be taught together, since it is impossible to
teach the latter without teaching the former
The former is the OILY common-sense way of
commencing reading and the study of gram
mar, aud the latter an easy, common-sens
way OF writing, and the best mental dscip-
line ever devised; both of which branches
might have been taught to every pupil, not
only without expense, but with a positive
saving of several thousand dollars and q saw
| ing of much labor TO teachers and pupils I
! cho box bo vi, -.
have kept pupils from coming to me.
By the use of Phonetic sheets hung upon
the wall the Phonetics of the language can
! be taught in six hours, to one thousand pu-
pills as easily as to five. The cost of these
sheets is fifty cents. To supply all the pu-
pills with the spelling books viii cost above
a thousand dollars. What a vast saving in
cost of material
But it is far more important to save the
time, toll and drudgery of pupils and teach
ers- Phonetics, Reading, Spelling, the mean
ing of words, Etymology, Syntax, Geogra-
ply and Writing eau be laugh. in one fourth
of the time often consumed on them, and yet
the teachers in both ways might be equally
conscientious. There is vast difference in
speed and comfort, between trudging YEARLY
over heavy mud road, and comfortable
sest in Railroad car. There is an equally
great difference between right aud wrong
mode of teaching.
The change in the mode of teaching con-
[ sequent on the adoption of these books is a
confession on the part of the Board that the
! mode of teaching for the last four years has