Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1862-03-20
HOURS OF STUDY.

hOOho C1 OiO0fs
A very remarkable pamphlet has re
Gently made its appearance IN England
containing statements OF facts tha
ought to command the attention Of tn.
civilized world. The pamphlet is writ
ten BY E. Chadwick, Esq G. B., anc
published pursuant to an address of the
House of Lords. The subject of thi.
pamphlet is education, and It Is devoted
to the discussion Of three ratters-the
organization of schools, tie hours o
study, and physical training. Our at.
tention has been arrested By Mr.. Chad.
wick's statement Of facts 10 connection
with the second Of these three sub
jeets--the hours Of study:-e
"Struek by the frightfpi dispropor-
tion between the powers OF childish at.
tention and the length of school hours.
he had directed questions 70 many dis
tinguished teachers. Mr.sDonaldson,
head master OF the Trainile College Of
Glasgow, states that the limits of vol
untary and intelligent as>ention are,
with children Of from 70 years OF
age, about Is minutes; from z to 10
years OF age, about 90 minutes; from
10 to la years of age, about 55 min
utes; from l9 to l6 or Is years of age.
about 80 minutes" and continues, al
have repeatedly obtained a bright VOL
untary attention from each of these
classes, for 5 or 10 or fifteen minutes
more, but observed il was at the ex-
pense Of the succeeding lesson"
The Rev. j. A. Morrisop. Rector Of
the same College, speaking on the same
subject, says
81 will undertake to teach one hun
dred children, in three hours day, as
much as they can by possibility receive;
and hold it to be an axiom in educa-
tion, that no lesson has been given uu-
I'll it has been received; as soon, there
fore, as the receiving power of the chill
dren is exhausted. anything given is
useless; nay, injurious, inasmuch as
you thereby weaken instead of strength
ening the receiving power. This
ought TO be first principle in educa-
ton. doubt it is seldom acted on"
The truth of these pregnant remarks
is made more and more evident by the
testimony OF all competent witnesses.
We respectful y submit 10 all school
commissioners. teachers and parents
who may read these statements, that
they are not OF character to be glanced
at and tossed aside, but are worthy of
being thought of and acted upon
From Carlyle's pictures of German
schoors and from ali descriptions Of the
English schools. there is no doubt that
in both those countries there is lament
able want Of understanding on the part
OF scholars Of the subjects which they
attempt to learn. The matter is still
worse in France and Austria, and it is
the prominent vice which pervades the
whole American system Of education.
Our failure to secure an understand
ing of the things which we try TO teach
Is, doubtless. in part owing to the fact
that we Pndeavor to teach too much in
given time, but it is also in part at
tributable to the circumstance that we
waste more than three -fourths of the
time trying to impart ideas when the
mind Of the pupil is not in a condition
10 receive them.
This journal has heretofore advocated
the practice of having recesses in schools
of ten to fifteen minutes every hour,
but. from the experience OF the oldest
and ablest teachers in Great Britain, it
seems that the recesses ought to be
granted even to the oldest scholars, as
often as once in half an hour. A teach
er might as well expend his efforts up
on carved wooden images of children
as upon scholars after their minds are
tired out.