Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-02-11
LOCAL, INTELLIGENCE.


LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.
THE LECTURE AT THE Hon Scnool~--Proessor
Bacon delivered interesting lecture at the llIGn
SCHOOL Of which he is the worthy Principal, on Tues
day evening of this week upon the subject of defects
in our present system Of education. The Lecturer
showed that not enough attention is paid in our
schools to physical exercise and training. Wcare too
much occupied in stuflng our childrens heads with
book-knowlelge at an early age acquired alway, at
the expense of health and good sound constitution
when we ought, by conversational practvc in the
bosom of the family to lead them cnquirngly into the
knowledge that lies EMBODIED in Nature aud which the
present system but seldom develops. Ancr pointing
out the prominent defects Of our present system Of
primary Standardization, the lecturer then went on
to suggest a remedy. lie said that--'1he first step
evidently is rs acknowledged by all observing, think
ing miud., to begin Mt the foundation Of the matter
by nj once ovcrthrowng our system of infant schools
those hoi-bcds Of nervous diseases, consumption,
puny bodies and over developed and useless heads
No child under the ace Of 10 IL years should
the inside of what is now considered q model
school-room; indeed it cannot do so with any degree
Of safety. Infant schools, however must bc had;-
but they should be places Of nearly purely bodily cdu-
calon until the child mas reached the age o AZ least
Year,. Not book should be allowed within them;
in the place Of reader, spoilers, grammars, gcogra-
phc-, phosophics, and that sum iotum in the eyes Of
lankees-thc arithmetic, there should be large
yenient yard well lighted and perfectly ventilated,
roomy building. furnished with every imaginable ap-
paraiu- for developing the muscular system and pro-
noting the health OF the whole body. There might
even he, whou, improperly, comfortable little cots
beds where the little ones could lie down and rest
or sleep ~ nature dictated or inclination led for by
our present system children are deprived Of many
hour~ Of sleep actually required for keeping the body
in health
During the eighth year Of age no child should he
confined to books more than one hour per day; and
during the ninth year the hours of study should not
exceed hro Ii the child should be weakly it would
be far better study but one-that is real Joaa fde
study, no; mere leaning over books as pupils do much
Of the time n, the present div During the tenth and
,lerenh year,, hrte hours Of study should hc the
maximum and for the trelM perhaps four hours
might not he injurious After that, during whatever
course may he pursued be it long short, fr hours
ont of twenty-four is all tha, should spent in actual
study, with due regnrd to the health both Of mind
and body; for it is the testimony Of many great;
scholars that this i about tie extent Of the healthy
endurance OF the mind, and ali beyond is an injury
Ihe system oi education thus partially described,
T. lh'nk' the only one worthy the maine; and any
one thus promoting both bodily Development Ms
| well n mental culture Is the great dc-deraium Of
| the times. Under such system, the body cannot
fail TO be vigorous and sirong and much Of the sick
ness now caused by inactivity Of body and over
eXeriion OF the brain, would be prevented.
The remarks here made apply more to cities and
villages than to rural districts where there is long
walk between the home and school-hou'e, and not I'M
frequently quite an amount Of "chores' to be done
both before and after the walk; yet the evil Is fast
| finding It's way even there.
There is other point connected with this subject
to which | would draw your attention, viz: that Of
ventilation. And what little may say on this point
design shall be strictly personal; for think it has
received but little attention in this vicinity, certainly
as far as our schoohouses concerned. As for
dreMng houses, have nothing to say; coufne my
self to our school rooms.
To favor the healthy and successful action Of the
brnn, pure air is necessary else all its labor must be
| performed ut the expense of the vital powers. The
brain in It's action is much more injured by vitiated
air than the body is during its labor. But how stands
the actual practice amongst us? Why, the school
house, which is place expressly designed for the
ton of the brain, has next to ventilation. There
is hardly place except the cracksdelects called
in the building, where pure air find access; and
yet, in such II place are our children Gagged for six
hours of the day. No wonder they frequently
come home with aching heads and exhausted bodies
But parents are ever ready to think that they have
overworked themselves; and such, under the circum
stances, IS perhaps really the case. Those se-samC
tired exhausted bodies have received enough cnrboniC
acid gas into their lungs to PROSTATE them quite, in
dependently of the mental labor performed. And i,
it strange that i'll health and sicky bodies should fol
low AS consequence
Are those parents whose children attend school il
this room aware how much i'll health and disease lhe
children daily breathe into their systems during The
hours OF study spent here? l think not. Let us fo
moment look at one feature of this revolving fact.
We start back in disgust Mt the idea of our children
receiving breath directly from the lungs of their mos