Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-02-08
School Text Books.

| W Ho"e"Ho" y! ne'. " H. H. SaNnry, 20. sup
GENTLEMEN We have met here to dis
cuss the needs Of the Daily Public Schools
and the difficulties In the way Of greater
results. ] shall not be judged, I trust. ou
Of order If. without pointing out SURE
remedy, only state certain evils and em
barrassments, now existing.
wish to speak of the Textbooks.
Even, II a perfectly clear way cannot be
| practically opened to secure better text.
books than at present, II may do good to
investigate it. such observations and con.
illusions. partly borrowed. as nv work has
/ given TO me. have thought suitable to pre-
sent to the Board in response to the call OF
the Secretary.
! srrrLY.
/ /. There is no rural district school where
| there Is not more or less loss to the scholar
! from an imperfect supply Of the needed
Textbooks. And I wish to notice first,
the imperfect supply.
There are everywhere pupils in straitened
circumstances. Such as these begin the
term without books; and are apt to borrow
a. they can from their mates. We have all
noted the friction IN this part OF the school
machinery: that a scholar without books Is
clog on the wheels. The whole motion
of study and recitation is seriously affected.
Whatever plan will reduce the cost of text
books Is of great moment. We want now.
TO note this item OF the furniture of the
l. =. -
even, where We will suppose, no other en-
barrassrsent exists. This fact appears from
one end Of our visits to another Taere l.
a general accepting OF the fact on the part
of teachers, a. one of the everlasting un-
avodablc evils of free schools.
UNIFORMITY.
Next. comes want OF Uniformity. Th,
has Leen discussed on all possible sides.
and engaged educators first. and ia,t. aud
always An added difficulty follow. from
the fact that to-day. there i no exchange
Of old books for new once. In many towns
Committees began TO exchange aud found
themselves (oflen through their own de-
Laws, unable TO finish. The schools In some
towns thu, suffer grieyou- hlnlraacc IN
the classification. T. l. hard. eiih the or
binary committeeman. to enforce this Lcn
Of hi duty in regard to Uniformity Par
enis complain Al the requi-iiioo 81 new
book while the scholar can brin. hi. old
one IN decent shape.
~uudry Readers. Arithmetic. Gca-raIlrs
Grammars are thu, brought. term after
term. when the rule OF the Committee cs-
tsbii>hes o,,e BET Of Textbooks only All
educator. know THE exprrimeaisli,.
.ouKcE oF Conf SION.
We notice thirdly. the source whrnc, -
much confusion - allowed. Authors and
Publishers Of school books, We Will ven
.urc to say. are host that no man can
number. they sN.rl.. Ike the frogs and
locus;s which 1cre scpI upon the opprs>.s
or. 81 the l-rcaliics. Even Il they desire
only good. their work. and competition
generate harm. II l. Impossible fpr tho
boy-EXcclsior. not to pause before the
awful avalanche" What /. Ia come next.
A hundred soric, Of Beading books Four
hundred Arithme;ics. each the o.>t "''t 80
Two hundred Crammar,. eace four time,
the size ~ the good Lindley Murray
thousand Geographic. designating all the
fresh water ponds in Siberis. and naming
all the Islands ofoccanica. Then We have
Beading Card, aud charts, aud Key. and
Bank Booas and patent States. all ia all -
monument Of the ler;ilit, y the American
inventive .enious.
SORTING.
Can the average committeeman Judge
with competent Intelligence what Ia take
and what 10 reject,
We know very we'll THAI the adoption VI
textbooks is chance affair. Sometimes
teacher secures the use OF the particular
book he learned from this, in order TO iacil-
iiaie instruction. or Ia save work outside The
,chool-house. Very many Committees are
entirely a, the disposition OF the per>i.,en,
plea Of the teacher. who Is temporarily on
the ground. Thus. | know Of no more
serious evil than the utter lack OF com
mon standard. by which to judge what
tools are best on the benches Of our pupils.
Here is fact very vitality related 10 the
Common School System. The Board OF
Education do no, demand state L Uniformity.
and possibly cannot, though agreement in
this direction, Is most essential! In our
country towns, and throughout our schools
the chance drift Of things. is all we have In
the determination Of the quality. price,
size aud number Of text books. | submit.
gentiem0n. whether Ne ought TO leave
stone nnulrned To change the existing laws
In regard To the selection and purchase Of
school books. Ought We not 20 profit By
the example OF other aad larger states:
The sorting and comparing and criticis-
| ing of books. which are now absolutely
necessary TO protect the pupil; the great
variety ofthe piles offered in every branch
the danger OF psitipg scholars at a COM
| parative disadvantage. are most seighrv
concerns. By continuing the present plan
which gives the School Committees abso-
| lutte control. there must continue to be I'M
| limited disorder.
The Publishers. or their Agents, now
engage in vast competitive traffic with
| bewidered committees. The most serious
! mistakes are possible. involving the limo
Gent parents who must pay. every time.
dearly. In some Instances. school books
are retained for years that were not intelli-
gently chosen. Many towns follow the
chance lead Of the more active committees
in their immediate neighborhood. No
where are the scales set up TO supply true
guaging or sealing.
Now, ought We not to have some COM
mon arrangement and scheme of school
apparatus? Can any single item compare
with this Of furnishing good books?
or how many, a series shalt consist !;
What shall be considered enough in each
branch of study: seem to me. question.
primarily for the State. To say what shall
, constitute Common School studies. and
leave unsssd the order and character Of the