M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-09-13
4 IFor the Macarthur Democrat.
Advantages OfIhe Union or Ora.
ded School, ?.

>
ded School r
For the benefit Of those who may be
unacquainted with the principle work
Iings Of the Union or graded school
We propose to enumerate a few of its
advantages oyer the ordinary or m
graded school. 80 o.
THE PUPIL Is BENEFITED.
In ordinary or ungraded schools
the children,..in every stage vf advance
ment, from A B Q to the highest
branch taught, are collected together
in one room, under the care Of one
teacher But in union Or graded
Schools, the pupils are classified &C.
cording to their advancement; and all
OF those, who have made nearly the
same progress, are placed under the
same teacher Thus giving to each
teacher a less number Of classes than
he would have in the ordinary school.
This will enable him to devote more
time to each recitation; consequently,
the children will become more thor.
oughly drilled in the several branches
in a graded school, than they would in
an ungraded one.
But some one may say, have seen
pupils come from the.ungraded school
good scholars, in at least several of
the branches. That may be all true;
but it is to be attributed to their own
industry, often, rather than to the
drill they have received at school. 1t
is true that a teacher in the ungraded
school, may take a few scholars, in
two or three branches of study, and
push them on rapidly; but he mnst
DO it at the expense OF the remainder.
How seldom we find even teachers
well acquainted with the elementary
principles OF an English education,
our school examiners can testify
The cause, we think, must be sought
for in The school, the crowded state of
which often forbidS anything like o
thorough drill in all the branches at.
tempted to be taught:
IT is BETTER FOR THE TEACHER.
No teacher should ever appear be.
fore hiS school without first having
reviewed every lesson for the day
But how can this be done ia the un-
graded school. The teacher having
80 many branches to teach cannot
give that attention to each which it
demands. The consequence is, some
are neglected. 1t is not so in the
graded school. The teacher, having
but few branches to teach, has an op,
poytunity 70 make himself thor.
oughly acquainted with them, and,
consequently, will be better qualified
to teach them.
1T IS MORE ECONOMICAL;
Mott that cheaper teachers will answer,
for the cheap teacher, like cheap goods,
proves the dearest in the end. In
graded school, one can teach fifty pu-
pills more easily than thirty in N IN
graded one. Upon this hypothesis,
which We think is correct, let US make
a calculation OF the advantage, il dol
lars and cents, the union school will
be to us in this district. Say we have
two hundred and fifty scholars at.
tending school, under the graded sys-
TEN, five teachers can instruct them,
and do it better than eight under the
old system-requiring three teachers
less, which, at the average price of
$25 per month for each teacher, will
be $75 per moth, or 750 per year of
ten months, the usual time is kept in
operation. Thus we see that the
union school has the advantage in
every particular. S.
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