Nebraska advertiser., 1861-08-22
BRoWNvIILE, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY. AUGUST p, 1861.
Uniformity or Text Books is Ne
ceSSarI and Advantageous.

CtSSuEl anu Advantageous
Its now generally recognized and ad-
mitted by all progressive and enlighten-
ed educators that our schools, in order to
be most successful, and efficient, must be
thoroughly classified. Not unaptly has
1t been said slime is money" and man
ifestly a system of classification in schools
which will enable the teachers to impart
the most possible instruction in the time
allotted him each day is of prime impor-
tance. The old practice of calling out
the pupils, separately, to "say their les
sons" might serve the age when scholars
were few, books scarce, and men lived a
thousand years. But in this day, not on
ly is the teachers time, but the few brief
years of tutilage which can now be gwen
to our children, are very important, and
should be economical to the best possi-
BILE advantage. To this end the pupils
in every school should be so classified as
to enable the teacher to instruct as many
pupils as possible at the same time.
On entering a new school, the first
work of the teacher should be to ascer-
tain the attainments of his pupils-the
studies they are to pursue-then to ar
range them IN as few classes as practi-
cable, and prepare programme of daily
recitations, intermissions and exercises
assigning to each due time, and then not
allow the time allotted for one recitation
to be encroached upon by another, but to
adhere to we'll arranged programme.
To secure such classification, and the
many advantages resulting from it uni
tormity of Tsrt Books is absolutely neces-
sary; without it, such classification can
not be made.
To illustrate, let US suppose that the
most advanced pupils whose attainments
are such that they come to be classed to-
gether, were to bring spoilers, readers,
arithematics, Biographies, grammars, &c.
by three or four different authors, on ev-
cry subject, the same lesson could not
be assigned to all, nor could joint reci-
tation be had from all and the teacher
must necessarily make as many different
classes as there are different kinds Of
Text Books; and thus be able to devote
but one third, or one half as much time
and instruction to each class. Whereas,
if all had the same kind Of Text Books,
they could be classed together, and thus
receive three OF four times as much aid
and instruction from the teacher, and
this is not all, where there there is a di-
versity of Text Books, and so many class
es must recite, all are necessarily hurried
not enough time can be devoted to each
to fully explain the subject under consid-
Grafton, and thus for want of time on the
part of the teacher, the scholars loose
their interest in their studies, and make
but little progress. But, where there is
an uniformity of Text Books, enabling a
proper classification, the number of class
es can be so reduced that ample time can
be devoted to each recitation, for the
teacher to fully explain, and the pupils
mentally digest the subject under consid-
GRAFTON. And by thus bringing a larger
number of scholars together, in one reel.
tation, they will by free exchange of view:
and free discussion, awaken a lively in.
terest and spirit of competition, which is
guarantee of the greatest and most
thorough progress, and it is a well estab.
lished fact among practiCed educators that
such an interest on the part of the pupils
is the surest pledge of success and one
the greatest helps in the acquisition Of
knowledge.
When we take into account the expense
incurred in the erection of school houses
in the employment Of teachers, the cloth.
ing and feeding our children, and wher
we estimate what is of far more value anC
importance.-our children's time-it would
seem like "penny-wise and pound-fool
ish" policy, to thus cripple the efforts anC
destroy the interest, and dwarf the attain
ments of our pupils for the mere want o.
a uniformity of Text Books, especially a
the present day, when books are so cheal
and the expense so trihing. The artist
the mechanic, and the American laboreI
understand the economy of securing the
best tools to work with, and most eminentlJ
is it economy to secure uniformity of the
best books for our students.
Coming together as the people of oul
Territory have, from different section,
of the country, the school books they have
brought with them, are widely diversified