, 1865-07-14

than that already quoted from our former Co.
vernor-"I have frequently found that even
those children who attend regularly at the Sa-
turday Schools retrograde instead of progress
ing" Indeed nothing better than this can be
expected from Schools meeting only at intervals
of a whole week, for some four hours instruc-
tion-the children can hardly be expected to
remember what little they may have gained af-
ter a whole weeks mental idleness and, at
any rate, all wEO are acquainted with this mat
ter, and who can give a disintereSted opinion,
will unhesitatingly endorse the late Governors
observation. The value of the Saturday
Schools then, according to this high authority,
and the experience Of all who have given any
impartial attention to their working, Is absolute
~ moMamg-they VIGOROUSLY accomplish moth
ing-what the equivalent Of this is it certainly
is not very difficult to decide. Even therefore
if the proposed arrangement offered no adyan-
tage whatever over the present one, there
would be no injustice done in this respect.
But does it offer no such advantages? |
think it undoubtedly does in the following res
pects-lst. 1t provides fve gears uninterrupted
daily imStruction-a point of vital Importance to
success. End. 1t reduces the number of child
rem under instruction at each session, during
the whole term of five years, to about one halt
the present number-which the Superintendent
must admit to be a very great advantage, or
abandon his claim to indulgence for the failure
of the School, on the oft urged plea of over
crowdedness. 3rd. 1t places the children III
each division on about the same level in at
tainments, thereby making their classification
much more simple, afording much greater facil-
tiles for their combined instruction, and saving
much loss of time in the School room.
Now I think that | will be borne out by ey-
cry impartial practical educationist in the as
%sertion, that these advantages combined give
far more than an equivalent for the useless Sa-
turday Schools and that if in five years OF
such continuous instruction our children are
not taught to read and write, as the Superin-
tendent seems to fear, the fault will not lie Ell
Their with the children, or with the arrange
ments Of time and space made for them. But
besides all this it is not correct to say that our
Minority proposal gives only one year longer
in the day School. In all cases where it may
be considered necessary, it expressly provides
for a second years additional instruction, should
the Parents desire it. To my mind this seems
to be far more reasonable, and much more just
TO the people, than an additional year of CON-
pulsorg attendance could possibly be, simply
because, if a child has learned to read and
write at the end Of the first additional year, as
with a proper system of instruction the vast
majority undoubtedly would, there could be no
possible reason or justice in compelling him to
attend one year longer, thus unnecessarily vast
ing time which might otherwise be proftably
employed for himself, his family, and the com
munity at large. And Notwithstanding all that
has been said by the Superintendent as to the
wishes of the people themselves in this matter,
/ am quite certain, on better grounds than any
he can possibly have, that, if left to their free
choice, this arrangement would meet with their
unanimous approval, What is meant by the
Parents enjoying so little freedom Of action
with regard TO their children, | am at a loss to di-
vine and this certainly seems a strange argu-
ment to advance against a measure which is
expressly calculated to give them perfect free
dom Of action in this respect, and in favor of a