Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1868-07-01
PRACTICAL, VERSUS CLASSICAL EDUCA.
THIN


PRACTICAL, VERSUS CLASSICAL EDUCA.
TI0N.
The recent speech Of alr. Lowe, in the
British Parliament, is remarkable indi
cation fthe temper Of the times, and
must eventuate iu permanent good to the
interests Of education tbycpehcut Christ.
endom-not so much. perhaps. from the
able character Of the speech itself, as from
the antagonism it has invoked, aud the
truth which must he clictcd from o
thorough discussion of the subject
The ablcst literary paper an this side
Of the water, Tie Round Table, has taken
up the subject with avidity, and evineed
rare appreciation of the situation, in a
series of spirited editorials. decidedly
leaning toward more comprehensive
and practical course Of training in our
first class colleges 1t is matter Of seri
Gus porteHt thai while in every depart
ment of practical life, the progress
of the fifty years has entirely re
versed old theories and opened up connt.
less new avenues of thought and action,
SO little has been done to shake the dust
and cobwcbs from the technical schedule
of our famous seats Of learning" which
claim to be, and should be, the very foun
tains Of knowledge. The point in discus
siOn-which, We think, should be nc
point at all--is as to the intent and
sphere of education the olassicists claim
ing that the only true Object of mental
discipline is development aud culture
even going so far as to assume that nc
more abstract the study, the more pure,
e!evating aud beneGccnt its discipliu'
ary results; while, on the other hand
the advocates of reform, or, as theil
opponents style them, the material.
ISIS" adopt, as their motto, tht
tcrse sentiment attiitu'ed to the Spartan
king, "'lcach your boys that which they
will >pr4ctiec when they become men,
and claim, as the true mission Of educa
tion, the preparation Of the Student for
the cxigcncies of life. 1t SO happcus thai
men cannot live on air alone An ethe
rial lifc-though possibly pleasant one
and worthy of dcvout aspiratisn-mus
commence. if at all, on the otller side o
the grave, On this side
..Life is real life is earnest"
and those who would answer lis PLANES
demands, cannot stand aloof from th,
great enterprises which mark the prog
ress Of the century, having thci
spring as we'll as their procession in tb'
practical adaptation Of means to ends.
1t is the ignoring of these simple facts
which has caused SO great reaction up
OIL classical education, ard given health
fu! yigcr aud material prosperity to spec
ial institutions having charge of The
practical sciences 1t has been a matte
of scrions concern to enlightened friend
of classical education that, the best col
lcges of the country have suffered iron
want of patronage, while the "so.called'
colleges for business training have beer
filed to repletiou. The reason is palpa
bic to any rejecting mind and when OF
best colleges and classical schools opel
their eyes to the world moving about then
and learn that where one person require
the "disciplin9" attendant upon lie cul
tivation Of the roots Of Creek verb. on
hundred wiH hare the instruction neces
sary to a fair understanding of busines
; transaction. there will be less need 0
Business Colleges proper, and less objec
tion TO classical culture as the foundation
and charm of all professional training. =
PockarTa Monthly.