Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-11-05

EDUCATIONAL PAPERS.
BY AUTHORITY OF KENT COUNTY
TEACHERS ASSOCIATION.


No. 2.
But there are some persons who, admit
/ ting that an unnatural method may be pur-
sued in child's education, argue that in
| the end, the same result will still be reached.
/ To say the least there will then be great
/ loss of time If nothing more, /; Of time that
| might be employed more to the purpose.
five try, for example, to teach relations be-
/ fore we teach the facts upon which whose
relations are founded, we may succeed by
much forcing to a certain extent, but how
much more would have been accomplished
f II we had begun in the right way The
stock of valuable knowledge gained in the
same time would be more than doubled.
! The mind is so constituted that some things
can at certain stages of its development be
more easily learned than others. In the
circle of human knowledge some facts are a
preparative for others. In fact the whole
sciences are based on few simple facts. -
. lfthen we know the character of the human
mind as well as of knowledges, IS It difficult
to see how the latter can most successfully
and easily be impaired to the former? The
time that is employed in, or can properly be
devoted to, preparation for the active du-
= ties of life, is with most individuals not so
great that they can afford to squander any
oft. Time unemployed is as much loss
as that passed in positive idleness.
But there is another loss, in vicious sys-
tenn of education that is perhaps more seri-
Gus than any others,-we mean the loss Of
physical health. If child in any stage Of
its education is put to study for which il
has not yet become prepared, so that time
to the utmost must be employed in getting
its lessons, and proper amount of physical
exercise is neglected, the most disastrous
consequences must ensue. No amount d
learning ought to be considered an equivalent
for i'll health, especially as it is every ones
duty to make preparation to take an active
and stirring part in the duties of life.
1t is sometimes said that children can no
be forced to study while young, to an exten
that will injure health, but we can all recol
lcCt instances in which children had to b.
kept from school, because the confinemen
there began to destroy their blooming cheek
and light step. We have thus in this ant
the preceding paper tried to show that W,
ought, if possible,t to ascertain natures cours
educating and follow it. We are certain
that If a system of education be conducte,
on this plan, the highest object for whicl
We exist will be obtained. We shall hay
the means of ascertaining our duty, we vii
all be imbued with spirit Of love to Go
and desire to benefit in every possibl
way those by whom we are surrounded. s
many Of those barriers that a mistake
course of education throw in our way woul
not exist, and we shall be able to see what
grand system nature is enabling us
secure-the highest happiness of which tn
human soul is capable.
We will now propose some consideration
on true order of studies. We purpos
following mainly course laid down b
Rev. DR.. Hill, President of Antioch Colleg
Ills system is SO excellent that but lit
seems necessary to be added. Besides,
man who has had experience in teaching, al
who has made the careful study of the hi
man mind that he has, is as little likely
any one to be wrong in his views. He cor
bines both the theoretical and the practic
in his system. or course, we shall not u
his language, nor make our remarks
lengthy as he has done, but merely folio
the thread of his argument, and try to NAL
sufficiently intelligible. We begin by ia
ing general view Of the field of educatio
We take for granted that there is a ration
order development in the course of t
sciences, and that it ought to be followed
aeourse of education.
Some reasons for coming to this conc
sion have already been given in this and t
former paper. We find also that there ,
i've studies or subdivisions of knowled
that must be followed in this order,--A
thesis, Physics, History, Psychology, a
Theology. Every one Of these, in eve
grade of school, must be taken into cons
Grafton, and no one of them omitted until
student has entered upon his profession
llle. There must also be rational or
Of development in the human powers {
studies can be so arranged as to devel'
these powers in their order First, there
The perceptiye power, next the imagnati
thirdly the reasoning, and fourthly the p,
er to decide and act upon the conclusi
reached by reasoning. If then we can
range these studies so as to develop IL
powers in their natural order it is
sumptive proof that we are right. 1t is
that in certain sense all the faculties c
child are developed together, but some
them come to maturity much sooner I
others. For example, the first few, yeai
childs life are spent in learning to re,
nlze things by their material forms. 1t be
tae study Of Geometry when only a few
old, and at the age of fifteen the percer
powers are frequently in the highest sta
development.
The imaginative powers do not man
( themselves until the age of eight or ten,
0 The reasoning powers still later. The
and the reasoning powers seldom com
, maturity before the age of thirty. N.
herself then indicates the order of stu
, man must first learn facts, then con,
h hypotheses, after which he is prepare
. abstract truths and deduce laws OF {
FIRST perception, next conception, theG
!. soning and judgment. CHAs. w. Supl
MILFORD, DEL.
The official Republican majoritis
he State ticket In Indiana, range from
!. down to 96l.
e IGalusha A. Grow, and Thomas M.
+ snali OF Pittsburg, are named to su
BuckaleW In the limited States Senate