The Portland daily press., 1870-02-16
'erms $500 per- annuns, IN adrance.

wouiu nave upon other and larger States, that
the publishers fight uniformity so hard among
US. The fact that foreign publisher. al, on,
pose uniformity, is one of the hos, roo,o,so
why the people should go for it. The intares,
OF the publisher is antagonistic to that Of ,bs
schools. The publisher, in order to mul,,nlv
his gains, would sell many and large book,
as possible; the schools, in order to econo.
| mize money and instruction would have few
and small books as possible.
0. But it is said that State uniformity will
not give us cheaper books. Are they in ear
nest who make this assertion? Uniformity
does give cheaper books everywhere else. We
are now paying about three times the original
cost of every book used in our schools. Five
years of uniformity would save to the people
of Maine Two hundred thousand dollars. Why,
it would save at least twenty thousand dol
lars year, now paid to book agents; for all
the expense of introducing books comes, of
course, out Of the consumer. The book
agents cost the State more than county super
vision.
TO- 1t is gratuitous assertion made by
'X," that the teachers of Maine are "very gen.
orally opposed to uniformity, that it would
be established in opposition to the wishes OF
| large majority of the leading friends OF edu-
cation in the State" know about the reso-
luton to which he refers, presented at the
State Educational Convention in 1868. 1
presented that resolution in favor of uniform
ity, and | withdrew it, not that had any
doubt then, or have any doubt now, that 1t
could have been carried; but as 1 thought
that the Educational Association, whatever
asking of the Legislature, should speak With
a united voice, withdrew the resolution
when there had been scarcely a dozen words
said against it. should do the same again.
As for those who have signed remonstrances
against uniformity, their number Is but small;
| and already some of them, yes, one whose
name is published by "X" in the PRESS, have
withdrawn their remonstrance I doubt not
that others will do likewise, when they see
just what is meant by uniformity.
Very naturally "X" ignores the sixteen
County Supervisors, because, with single
exception, they are for uniformity. These
hundred schools, have come in close contact
with the people, school committees and the
| great body of teachers. 1t were natural to
| suppose that the views of these men as to the
wants Of the public schools and the feeling of
the country, would be entitled to some re.
spect. For myself have found scarcely a
person in the country, teacher, school COM
mittee man, or citizen, who was opposed to
uniformity. The people want uniformity be-
| cause it will save money and make the schools
better; the teachers want uniformity, be-
cause it will help classification, give them one
kind of book to work with, and make their
work easier; the school committee men want
uniformity, because the textbooks cause
them more trouble than aught else connected
with the schools. Several school committees
in this county are now putting off the ex-
change of textbooks, in the hope that the
Legislature will establish uniformity and re-
leve them of the disagreeable task. Other
towns did the same last year, hoping for
State uniformity.
II. In conclusion must say, that, without
State uniformity / see but little chance to
make the country schools more practical by
the introduction of the natural sciences.
have found Natural Philosophy taught in but
one of these schools, and Physiology in one.
Twenty years ago these studies were found in
large proportion of our country schools. In
two or three schools 1 have found cl,ss
reading history, but not one studying the
Constitution of the United States. Once, a
much better exhibit would have been made.
The large and numerous textbooks in read
ing, arithmetic, geography and grammar, by
multiplying classes, drive everything else from
| the school. The only rational hope for an
/ e"..J ~.~ ~~->----A-.A of things lies in State
uniformity, which would reduce the presea.
studies to their proper proportions by reduc-
| ing the textbooks. There would then be an
| opportunity for such towns as desired to do
| so, to put into their schools somewhat In ad-
dition to the regular curriculum, and thus
gradually adapt the common school to the
present educational wants of the people,
which are so much greater than they were
fifty years ago, before our industries had mul-
tiplied and competition become so intense.
c. b. STErsoy.