, 1865-08-25

-uCICIItI GIIG CCuOOI COIIlulSSIOn nor JlC
Government are at all likely to dismiss
them from their present positions for pre-
terlng the Phonetlcal system to that which
they practise-nay, | shrewdly suspect
that it would rather have been pleasing
than otherwise in some quarters, had
they expressed opinions contrary to those
which they have given. Why then should
they hesitate to speak against the system
which they now practise {?
The second objection is one which is
very characteristic of the superintendent
method of condv4.s-r his diScussion-an
anSjnNahon against these Teachers-either
against their abilities, or their faithfulness,
or yet against their characters l hardly
know which. But certainly had these
Teachers proved either inefficient or indif-
ferent in the dischar-e Of their duties in
the Country Sch0ois-or had there been
anything in their characters to deprive
them Of the couDJ"uce Vi the pub.ic, and
Of the Authorities, they would never have
Been selected by the GOVERNOR, at the
recommendation Of the Chairman Of the
Town School Commission, who is also
Chairman Of the Rural School Commission,
to fill the more important positions which
they now do in the Town Schools with so
much credit to themselves. / consider
then, and | am quite snre that | carry the
universal feeling of your readers with me,
that the appointment of these Teachers to
the public Schools in Town, subsequently
to their severance of their connection with
the Country Schools, and with q full know
ledge on the part of the Government OF all
the circumstances which may have led to
that severance, is a much more than sutli-
Gent REPUTATION of any insinuation either
against their abilities, or their characters,
in which the Superintendent may, after his
manner, be pleased to indulge. These
Teachers have been placed by the deIibe-
rate action of the highest Authority in the
land beyond such reproach, and require
therefore no further defence at my humble
hands.
But we are told again that Mr.. Bailey's
rs Readers speak more loudly in favor Of
the system than any verbal objection OF his
against it can possibly do. 4 do not no.
tice the insinuation of ~faI8ehood here in
duIged in against me by the Superinten-
dent.) But | ask-When were these IS
Readers produced Immediutrly after the
nelU system araS i~ntr0duced, and ,rhen IL waS
building entirely on The f0uodation oiready
Mid among tie Scholars by tic old SyStrm.
The public know, have been very much
puzzled to account for the Superintendent's
going so far back as to the first year in
which the change Of systems was made,
for evidence as to its superiority, instead of
appealing to present results in its behalf.
Let me explain this. Every intelligent
Teacher who was in the Schools at the
time that the change was made observed
this tact-that where the Children had al
ready learned the Alphabet, and, to a GER
tain extent, the combination Of letters in
sylIables, they readily saw the application
of the new system of sounds, and were
quick in applying it, and so made rapid
progress under it to a certain stage. At
this time therefore the Teachers were led,
except in the case of some who had the
perception to see through this temporary
effect, to form very hi4h opinions of it.
AS time went on, however, and this mate
rial prepared by the old system in the
Schools was exhausted, they found that
the system, working entirely on it's own
merits xvo Oui+o q d;fforont tbinr +ba+