Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-06-26
The school Examinations.

VOW that these areOvcr, a word OF two OF crit
ic'sIn in regard 10 some points il their manage
n 1t may not be considered as invidious or as
aimed al particular schools. And in the outse.
We may say that the examinations showed Our
81 CCls e. &c IL a condition comparing fayorabIy
with the lest Il the country. Our school build
ilCs.w-th a few creditable exceptions, are not IN
to The marx, and the schools are too much
crowded 20 enable the overworked teachers In
ali css-s 60 do al they have the zeal to under
take. bat under al drawbacks the progress made
u ~ schools Is marked II some ornamental
brsTches, schools elsewhere may surpass orrs,
Tut in the solid studies tie pupils in our Dubl.
schools are trained, we believe, with n thorou1h
r,s- and knowledge of principles second to none
The admirable mode of training established by
one OF two Of cur veteran grammar school teach
CT. las served as a heaven to make our mode of
public school education eminently practical.
aiming 20 theron yhness in the studies certain tn
be seIviCCahle TO the student in after life.
There i sefR9 disposition now, however. IN
1rirg II ornamental studies. To this there can
lie 10 objection, 50 long as they do not supplant
the useful branches; but nicely tinted drawings
IN crayCn do not afford an equivalent for a fail
Ure IL grGnnar and arithmetic. And the study
Ct Craving II the public schools, beyond giving
tie pupil tie ability to illustrate subiec, off,
o.
rated display specimens, occupying weeks of
valuable tine in working up, have no business
in the public schOOl-rOom. Physiology is a use-
full study, but not when il is made sEo,o stu,lv.
a in a case We have heard OF. a young laslv
vas sent UP 70 the blackboard to illustrate the
human eye. She did il bea1tifully-iris. punil,
TetiDa and al. "That Is very vel - said the
eX2n.EGT, ''nCv let Us see what the next Young
lady IN the class knows about the eye., ooh
said tie teacher sshe hasn't studied the eva she
illustrates the ear"
OF course each pupil thus trained could make
g hEe display in her specially, but as a study Of
physiology il was farce. The trustees shopId
see &c il that the show business is DISCOURAGED.
II hasn't made much headway yet, and can be
readily checked.
Another thing. II has been remarked that
vCul- ls,'ics who have attended the female
Grammar schools for five or six years, and who
have receive cd certificates as teachers ara r,ac,I
~ keECaCs q classes as sort Of advanced mari
Ter ti-ejT Juniors on examination day. In soma
csses, these very meritor5Ou5 and accoraDIishe,l
youUE ladies are engaged II teaching, as ternto-
rary- substitutes, during q large portion OF the
VCaT, N other cases they are permanent en-
TIoyCs ct the Board, receiving the usual salarv.
Tie suggestion has been made that the effect oY
'his CveTshaCoving scholarship Of these Lads
teUcs 10 obscure the proficiency and render loss
ambitious their Juniors, whose shorter tsrros of
school life render them unable TO COPE with tI,sir
veteran rivals Tor academic LOnorS. II a iadv
ICPL Ct our public schools ever graduates. ia
might be Supposed the teachers certifca.e,
awarded after the scrutinizing ordeal of yrft+o,
examination by the School Board. ou1It IN D.
a sufficiently honorable diploma. In anotha-
aspect OF the case, this practice Of RENDERING
etass iron-elad, and inyuineralse aoainst
tie assaults Of the examiners, Is that il is cal,
2ted 20 daze the Intellectual vision of tbosp ,,o,-
u II, y who perform the sometimes very die;c,I,
Ltat q ascertaining how much the pupils bavn
SCVa-cCc In their studies during the e,r-,sn.
sChCCl term. The result Is that at the cloS nj +b
-Xereises the examiners, particularly the younoar
~nd lore susceptible, indulge in an amount or
.onPlime ntary rhetoric which, could the n, KS
Iapers furnish a Photographic report. ~ MID
present flights OF fancy that would be hs DIV
compatible with the character OF sobex-mfndad
philosophers and learned pundits, such as our
esteemed Board OF Education, present and past.
are presumed TO sustain 1t is but Just 10 ada
that one OF the forces which brings the poet;eal
atmosphere more rapidly 70 the point CT precir,-
ItatOn, and consequent showers o. praise. nav
be found in the fascinating appearance OF the
lady pupils themselves,
Ii would be better, we think, If the examina-
tons for al the scaools were not crowded into
single month The primary and secondary
schools might be examined in April, for Instance.
and thsD al could be examined Systematically
and fmIaTtially.