The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1862-03-25

Public instruction" has recently been obtained
TO the effect, that It Is both their right ana duN
10 do So His authority 20 make such . decision
= NAV be learned from the sih section o' the Sch"o
lns OF 1861, There are now IN use IN the county
four different series Of readers five different his
tories six different grammars; seven different
Biographies three different algebras three dli'
f,rcnt natural philosophers; six different prac'l'
,al arthmetics six different mental arithmeties'
- and four different spoilers But FIVE schools are
furnished with uniform series by order OF the d'
Iectors. The result Of this is that the average
number of exercises per day In each school ~ Tue
county, is tfenfv, Ggh or five exercise per hour
This estimate i made upon the assumption that
the whole FIVE and a half hours are consumed IN
| ,f,ycis,s each day allowing no time for calling or
dismissing classes; no time for instructions; no
time for general exercises no time for perfect.
ing the discipline. II will be apparent that when
tho dine necessary for these things j. deducted,
there cannot be more than H0C minutes allowed
ioreach exercise Add To this the fact that the
average number Of studies pursued Is five and
YOU have all average of more than Ne, CLASSES u,
each study IN each school in the county Suppose
each class in the county is engaged upon all these
five studies at the same time; and that there are
nine scholars in each class Then f,t minutes
day is all the time that any scholar can possibly
have u. which 10 rcie lbs f,e lessons If he stud.
les but four branches, he will be limited TO four
minutes day; if three branches, TO three min
utcs; II two branches, TO two minutes; II one
branch to one minute
As iung as this state of things continues little
improvement can be made in classification eve
ry effort 10 grade the schools will be unayailing!
and they will be conducted according 10 the old
formulas Of :wguty.tiye years agO--cach iudlNids
ual ploddne along his way alone, spiritIcss aud
objcc,lcss II boy is dispIea.cd with his own
or his classmates improvement IN one class he has
only TO get new book 10 be placed ~ another
or to add another daily exercise to til" labor OF
the oyertaxed teacher But were every school IN
the county supplied with the same uniform series
Of text books, every school could be graded and
classified 80 that scholar could be brought into
direct competition with scholar; class with class;
school with school; district with district aud
township with township Ambition would re-.
ccivc an impulse which would more than double
the amount Of mental labor now performed and
the schools, If guided by wise educators would
rise up from their passive incihcicucy, to be- the
highest honor and distinction Of a free people
This j. no visionary view, for the same opinion j.
entertained by the leading minds OF our time and
practical experiment proves it indisputably true.
The following is brief statement of the text
books, and the number of schools in which each
variety j. used: Rcadcrs--McGuIy's in II
schools Sanders in AZ; Wilson's in II and
Parker aud Watson's in .. Observation-Disclosures
in l3; Frosts in Goodrich's in . Wilson's
in 3; and Monteth's in l. GrammarsPinnur's
in 40 Smiths in II Cark's in II; Grecnc's in
s Wells in 2; and Brown in l. Biographies
-Monteith and McNally's in 81 Mitchelrs in %
Cornelfs in s; WaTcn's in Z; Camps in 5 Col
ton and fitchs in 3; and Morsc's in l. Arth.
metcs-Rays in 90 Davies in 30: Grccnlrai' /.
in > Adams IN = ; smiths in = and The West.
cru Calculator in |. Mental Arithmctic,-Col.
burn, IN /; Stoddard's in 3 Ray in q, Da-
a vcs in il Robjnson'- ia , and Thompson's in
n . Spcllws-Wrh in ~, Towns IN 70.
o Sanders in a.; and Parker and Watson's in ..
n tn" difficulties presented 20 directors are form
i idablr ones. How shall they select, introduce
20 and enforce the Us" of the best book, and how
shall they arrive at uniformity througout the
, county, The first j. the most difficult since mos
~ Of the directors are Uuacquaintcd with rcccu
80 school books, and the commissioner can only SUI
+, gc-t his preferences, All NAV bee met and over
: come By cmGeItiiDH Of drtc,orS. Let couvru
= ton be- called, and every district in the COUNT
& send its best representative. The best educators
Il OF the state would unite with them in such a no
bic undertaking; every man who has an acty,
D. interest in schools would lend hi, influence an,
c his aid publishers of school book, would prcscn
ne the merits Of their respective publications. an,
" the terms upon which they would exchange th
new books for the old teacher. wOuldcXrrt thci
utmost powers to -"Cur" that which would at one
~ place them upon an equality of labor, and brin
- them into direct competition for the honor, All
Tor the cmoumcnts; public opinion would be c
lightrncd and elevated By the effort, 80 to r
move the otherwise serious obstacles which lie
the way and every educational interest of Il
Of county could be conc"nt"r"d to focus upon &
the attainment OF 'us great ohJrcL |. 1t rauslh
raj but impraCticuhle Let those who can concc
u more feasible plan, or more efficient means pi
ave sen; them, for too much cannot be said upon 4
ent subject viii not your honorable body at
ID nc&trrguIar meeting, propose time and pla
hey for holding such II convention: and issue {.
ncr Iurity Such action would lladIatc every tow
ye ship aud iuiusc an influence into the people Viii,
On. cannot otherwise be readily attained. In Il
ur. meantime the preferences OF the commissioner t,
DIS any particular text books from considerations
to policy, wi be withheld. There j. one suggestion
he however, which may be made now. Erery Scho
la. district ho,m be sUpyied ,rM IV,dHers UnabrIg,
ris- D'cfonny. It's at once the most reliable an
Indispensable aid of teachers and scholar
Scarcely subject can arise, but that some ace
rate knowledge of il, some reference to Il
the place where such knowledge may be obtained ca
Of b" toundiu it. And when Il pupil has earu'
we. Just where to find the knowledge he seeks. Il
i'm. battle for an education is half won
''a . ERRORS ~ TEACHING.
red This includes errors in heating and ycntilati
scs rooms in the adapt alton and arrangement of fl
SO niture; in discipline and instruction, in the .
ere gitct OF professional reading; and in clas-it,
ere ton.
or Most Of the rooms are ovcT-hcatcd; some ran
ur ing a> high as 9O@ Fahrenheit. Sixty dcgrc
Ter should be the minimum aud 70 the mari,nu,n
Or Discipline and intellectual culture can only
ere successfully attained, by strict regard to the pc
IN: sonal comfort OF the pupils and il may be safe
tn asserted that threciourths Of all the listlcssnc.
idlcncss, confusion, and mischief of the scho
DOL room, is directly attributable to the positive d
ut. comforts to which pupils are subjected throua
tn gross ignorance or carccssncSS the part of Il
of teacher otthc simplest and paincst laws of hcal
In one OF the schools visited, not one scholt
pa ttherc were % Of thcmJ all being seated ON Il
on lowest benches, could touch his feet to the foo
,ar. q, the aching limbs, the weary bodies, the con
the pressed lungs and the dizzy efforts of those lit
ms. brains Wa, il not ii shame: Yet the CENT
un- man who taught that school, could. by the a
Tvs Tive use of q saw and chisscl for Il single hou
cv- have transformed his room into a model of con
are tort. lie could have sawed off the legs of Il
an. benches; and cut away the support of the upp,
ere windows, to lower them at will, thus hriu
in ing the feet of his little disciples upon the foo
IN and THEN heads into pure air Another scho
nd room, presided over by Il gentleman, who, in h
M early days a graduated physician, was flthi,
re than bar.roOm There were coal ashes. CIV
n, ders, refuse food, kindling wood coal coats hat
Ut Shawls bonnets, dinner baskets books states al
" all the paraphcrnaa of thirty.tive scholars sea
Is. tered about the floor and desks half doz,
H. large boys were splitting liquid tobacco upon ii
floor and stove, ~iMMe teacher, who setting Il
ut example for them, and there was Il thick coati
e. of dust upon all the furniture The visit was te
IS minated only after the mercury indicated IS
IN and the atmosphere became so enprvatinr NJ +