The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-08-25
From the New York Tribune.
M III
Industr iat Education in C0mmon SCHOOLS.


| =, To those who look below the super
ficia.agitations Of European politics to
the deeper agencies of social ameliora
| ton, the movement for the promotion
! oftechnical education, or the instruction
| of the working classes in the arts and
industries of life, is full of encouraging
promise. Both in England and on the
Continent this subject is occupying the
| earnest attention of the best minds
With the advance of ideas there is
| growing recognition of the educational
deficiencies Of the working classes. But
| the European system is tolerant of in
congruities, and yields slowly to meas
ures ofimprovement which have, no other
claim than considerations of justice
and right. These considerations have,
however, of late been powerfully re-
inforced by others of a more urgent ma
ture; national Interests are found to be
| involved in the question. The inter
national exhibitions of industry which
have taken place within the last twenty
years have revealed the fact that the in
dnstrial rank and precedence of counties
is virtually dependent upon the instruc
ted skill of workmen, and consequently
upon the provisions for their proper ed
ucation. The present European move
ment for the Introduction of science and
art into popular teaching is thus found
to be closely linked with the growth of
industry and the advance of civilization.
AS Prof. Tyndall remarks, it is nothing
less than phase Of the energy of nature,
as necessary and as irresistible us the
motion Of the tides or the flowing Of the
Gulf Stream.
But this is by no means an Old World
question; it is equally urgent and equally
agitated here. In the theory of popular
education, in its complete secularization,
and in the magnitude of the appropria
tons for it, we are undoubtedly greatly
in advance Of Europe; but as regards the
adaptation Of our teaching to the real
wants of the people, we are not whit
ahead of them; the same question is be-
vor the working it out in more efficient
way. In the absence of well organ
lied common school system they are
driven to the necessity of establishing
agricultural and industrial colleges, but
it is evident that these institutions can
accomplish the end only partially, as but
few can gain access to them. On the
other hand, We have an educational
system belonging to the people, estab
lished IN their confidence, capable of
indefnate Improvement, and accessible
to all. To a great extent indeed, the
common schools May be said to have
charge of the mind of the country. The
education Of nearly all the people is be-
gun here, and that of the great majority
is completed here Whatever 3educa-
tional reforms or improvements are to
reach ana benefit the masses must take
effect upon these institutions. That the
common schools Of the country are the
only adequate instrumentaiity for the
general diffusion of that technical scien-
tiic teaching which is now contessedly
the great desideratum Of the industrial
classes, seems, therefore, beyond dispute
The idea that these subjects can only be
taught in colleges is a serious mistake
The common schools are undoubtedly
designed to teach reading, writing, and
arithm etic; but not these alone, for they
are but the means of working with ideas
and acquiring positive knowledge The
true aim of the common schools is moth
ing less than the intellectual preparation
of the greatest portion Of the people for
the work of life, and this to a very con-
considerable degree they can be made
to accomplish. They have charge of
the children of the Republic from the
ages Of five Or six to sixteen or eighteen,
and to say that it requires dozen years
to get the simple use of the intellectual
tools is preposterous. Indeed, this is
mainly the work Of early childhood
Education begins at home, and is there
generally carried to the practical mastery
of spoken if not written English. the use
of the mother tongue, with usually the
rudiments of writing and an elementar
knowledge of numbers. There is plenty
of time then for the study of the familiar
objects of nature and for acquiring the
elements of tho sciences. Some knowl
edge of the physical and chemical pro-
perties of matter, of the growth and re-
lations of plants, of the habits and his
tory of insects, of the characters and
classification of animals, and the laws of
breeding and improving stock, of com
mon minerals and the local geology, it is
perfectly practicable to acquire in the
| time generally allotted to the common