The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-10

tentive, and the vulgsr-minded are generally |
stupid. The intelligent child Of any rank Is |
stimulated by the competition, and ambitious |
to avail himself Of the advantages and honors |
so freely open to industry and merit.
Where parents are able to choose between
the two systems, and where they are unable
or unwilling to undertake the instruction OF
young children at home, perhaps the new
schemes of tuition by "objects," and the
varied methods borrowed from the German
under the name kindergarten, may be prefer
able. But even this exception we would
trace, not to any fault inherent In the public
system as much as to its being as yet too re-
stricted in its operations. The teachers are
too few in number, and the pupils are there
fore necessarily Intellectually classified.
Many experienced teachers urge that one
person is incapable of paying sufficient atten-
tion to the individual requirements and idio-
synoracies of each member of class exceed
ing twelve or fifteen in number. II this be
correct, or even if it approximates to the
truth, what can be expected from the opera
tions even of the most thorough system, when
each teacher is compelled to superintend
thirty, forty, and sometimes even sixty pupils
In thus urging the advantages of the public
school system, and striving to combat the pre-
udice against il existing in the minds of
many parents anxious to perform their duty,
we would not be understood as opposing the
private schools as they now exist. But we
would like to see the question fairly tested
and the children of the community mar
ohaI1a ad ;ptn tha nHa NJ ha 1io
tions, under even larger number of instruc-
tors than are now included under the systems.
No matter how excellent the free schools
may become, or how much money may be
spent on them, there will be always ample
room in prosperous country like ours for the
employment Of all persons fitted to be in
struotors. Methods of tuition adapted to Sc
curing success in special avocations will
always be required by a people so eminently
practical. Polytechnic schools, commercial
colleges, farm schools, and an infinite variety
of institutions for direct instruction in the
professions, sciences, arts, and mechanics will
become more necessary and popular every
year. But as basis for all this, we should
devote most serious attention to the compile
ton and perfection of our present public
school system, as the ground from which all
higher and more special instruction must
arise. The High Schools for both sexes in
this city have already achieved great sue
cess, and are fairly entitled to rank as col
leges. They furnish an education amply suf-
fcient to the requirements of any citizen not
intending to pursue any special science or art
to its ultimate issue of professional excellence,
and even in that case provide very complete
preliminary course of instruction fitted for any
later superstructure.
Subdivision of labor leads inevitably to in
creased excellence in every department of
industry, and an additional number of in
structors would have the further advantage
of restricting each professor to speciality.
Both public and private schools suffer from
the necessity that compels one individual to
supervise great diversity of studies. 1t
cannot be presumed that the adept in mathe-
mates is therefore fitted to teach elocution, or
that linguist must be a superior penman;
yet as schools are now arranged teachers are
often required to teach a variety of branches,
often including those in which they are unin-
terested, or even naturally deficient.
A teacher of even ordinary capacity, re-
stricted to that branch for which he is best
fitted, must achieve greater eminence than
when his attention is distracted to variety of
subjects, and the increased number of instruc-
tors would ensure not only better and fuller
attention to the peculiar requirements of each
scholar, but improve the quality and method
of instruction.