Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-05-08

Ln6m Whlle t1efe WOulO 10 acquires tAO
habit of fixing the mind closely and con-
tinuously upon the business which should
demand its attention.
/ have ever felt it my duty to resist and
contradict the idea that the position Of
teachers in Primary schools is less import
| ant, less respectable than that of teachers
in the higher grades. And if the trial has
demonstrated the fact that any teacher pos
sesses peculiar qualifications for primary
instruction and discipline, let her be re-
tanned there ; and by all means let her
salary not be less than that of those whose
duties are not more difficult, and whose
teaching is not more valuable.
INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS.
OF Intermediate Schools the following re-
port is made:
In Cincinnati, the intermediate Depart
ment stands between what we call the
Grammar Schools and the High Schools.
In Cleveland, as in most towns, this depart
ment is intermediate between the Second
airy and the Grammar Schools. 1t is COM
posed of children whose average age is
about ten years.
The children in these schools have ar
rived at that age when, if their previous
home or school instruction has been defect
i've or injurious, they require most careful
and thorough management. This is especi-
ally true of the boys. Great discretion and
a strong will find ample occasion for exer-
else by the teachers of intermediate boys"
By no means would / intimate that a ma
iority of these bows are disobedient or ether
wise troublesome to their teachers. But in
many Of these schools there are some
" strange children" l think that there is
more truancy and general lawlessnessprac-
ticed by the members of these schools than
- E aElor k-o danorfpoapfe A
few of the teachers of these boys lave failed
of achieving success; but, as a whole, it is
my opinion that we have been greatly for
tunate in our Intermediate teachers. Many
of their schools are models of excellence;
and none Of them at the present time are in
a condition to deserve dispraise.
RANMAR SCHOOLS.
During the past school year 1,OO7 pupils
have been enrolled in the Grammar Schools
Of tho city. The order of exercises in these
departments has been greatly modified.
The Superintendent says:
1 prepared a new "Order of Exercises
which, at a special meeting for this purpose,
the Board discussed and adopted and
which will be found in the appendix to this
report. It allows from forty to fifty min
utes for each of the more important reeita-
tons. 1t reduces the number Of simulta-
neous studies consequently aff1rding more
time to prepare for recitations. These
schools have run upon this new time table
during the whole Of the past year, and |
believe it to be the opinion of all the teach
ers that the new order is a very great i'm
provement upon the old. I am confident
that it has added very greatly to the interest
and success Of the schools. It affords the
opportunity for long and connected lessons.
Each lesson in Grammar and Arithmetic
is nearly twice as long as those
under the former programme. Subjects
are taken in extended connection, and the
relations of the parts to the whole are easily
comprehended. This is an immense ad-
vantsge over the practice of taking very
short lessons of dividing and sub-dividing
subjects which should be considered as g
whole; and of leaving the pupils know
ledge of his subject a mere patchwork,
with the patches very Imperfectly jsined,
if Joined at all. It involves the necessity
for continuous application to a given sub
iect. One of the evils resulting from tax
ing too many studies abreast, is the con-
slant diversion Of the attention from one
object to another; thus failing to secure for
the pupil the ability to concentrate his
thoughts upon the subject he has in baud,
and hold it there. The power of persistent
thought and effort in one direction, is es-
sential to Advancement and t~horoughness
in study; and TO success in any depart
ment of business.
The thorough course of discipline and in
struction is shown by the fact that of ia
pupils examined for admission to the High
School 81 were admitted.
HIGH SCHOOLS.
After answering some of the objections
urged against High Schools the Superin-
tendent proceeds to give reasons for their
liberal support
l. Consider theis incidental uses. Their
influence upon the pupils in the lower de-
partments of graded schools is most salu-
tary. With a large proportion of children,
it is true, that from the day they enter the
Primary school, till they graduate from the
Grammar department, it is their ambition
to become members, at last, of the High
School. This fact greatly influences their
habits ofstudy and their general behaviour;
and the benefit which they receive in the
earlier years of their school life, is much
promoted by the thought that there is
something higher and better for the later
years of their education. That this is true
is most obvious in all graded schools.
Strike down the High School, and every
other department would stagger under the
blow.
2. The High School gives popular re-
s~pectability to a public school system.
Previous to the establishment of Public
High Schools, land there were next to none
in our State till within the last fifteen
years. many were accustomed to consider
common schools SIS very inferior end cheap
institutions. They were regarded as fit
only for the children of the poor; as a kind
of dragged schools" for the masses. Many
parents scorned the thought of sending
their sons and daughters to such schools.
But in this respect public opinion has very
thoroughly changed throughout the coun-
try, and especially in Ohio, during the last
few years. Our public schools haVe no
longer to ask a recognition of their re-
s~pectability.
Go to Cincinnati, to Columbus, to Toledo,
to Sandusky, to almost any large town in
the State, and you will find the children of
a large majority of the best families in the
public schools. After providing an average
of one hundred children into ell the rooms
for our younger pupils, hundreds have been
excluded; and resort to private schools has
been unavoidable. Very many parents pat
ronize our private schools from necessity,
and not from choice. That our public
schools are not quite equal to the best Of our
pIANdbS sCuOOAcy lChy II my pI6t6uu- Out
without our High Schools, it would be i'm
possible to give the other grades a character
such as to secure the good opinion for them
which the people now entertain.
8. Beyond the incidental uses of the High
School which have mentioned, there is an
absolute necessity for this department in
our school system. 1t is for the interest of
all our people that there should be provision
made for the study of those branches which
are usually taught in High Schools. That
our youth may have an opportunity for be-
coming ~acquainted with Natural Philoso-
ply, Chemistry, Geology, Astronomy, Ply
siology, Algebra and Geometry, and that
they may prepare for admission to a collie
giate course of study, is a matter of common
interest.
Many of the youth in our High Schools
are unable to avail themselves of any other
| opportunity for Studying the higher branches
Their parents lave not the means for edu-
eating them in any otEer way; for while
many of the members of our High Schools
are the children of wealthy parents, others
come from homes less favored in this par
tieular.
TIE TEACHERS OF OUR SCHOOLS.
AT the close Of the past school year, the
number of teachers engaged was ninety
eight; of whom fifteen were gentlemen, and
eighty-three ladies. Ten teachers resigned