Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-03-28

We dan point the editor of the Age to a
city in this State where, when the old sys-
TEN was 10 force, the, principal qualifca-
ton of the teacher was to be able to
''knock down and drag out" Scholars
studied reading, writing, and arithmetic
rom four years of age to twenty-one
years. and the majority of them gradua
ted with no very profound knowledge OF
any of those branches. Grammar was
tabooed, as many of the higher branches
are now in some quarters. Who wonders
that boys kept to such a narrow field OF
study for seventeen years, employed them
selves occasionally in whiting seats,
desks and doors, or in playing tricks upon
the teachers and sometimes tossing them
out at the windows? At last the schools
were graded. The work was thorough
~ done. 1t was not accomplished in
one day nor one year, but was task OF
several years. duration. requiring persist
ent effort and the exercise of the best
judgment of those who undertook it. The
change within the last ten years has been
almost marvellous. There is no special
demand there now for muscle or dexteri-
ty at boxing on the part of the teacher, in
order to governthe schools. Nine tenths OF
them are taught by females the year
through The schools average upwards of
thirty weeks a year, against some twenty
under the old plan, and are of the same
length in all parts of the city. Poor and
rich attend them alike. The son of poor pa
rents at fourteen years of age. the time
when. perhaps, he may be put to labor in
the summer months, is a better scholar if
he has fairly improved his advantages. than
his father was Under the old system at
twenty-one; so that should his schooling
end there the new system does as much
for him as the old, in education, and gives
him seven years of surplus time. The
studies are all practical, and the children
are instructed in them alike, by teachers
qualified for their business and following
it constantly. The high school is not a
fancy school, but place of hard work,
from which have graduated already many
successful teachers, and others who have
gone out to fill places of responsibility in
the world. No one is obliged to study
the dead languages, but may take an Eng
| lish and modern course.
In grading these schools those who had
it in charge encountered this very difficult
ty which the Age finds in Belfast. But in
stead of excluding the class of boys re-
ferred to, from the schools, they estab-
lished a winter school specially tor them,
provided it with competent teachers, and
allowed the scholars to vary their studies,
to go for instance, from arithmetic to nav
igation or algebra. as circumstances seem
ed to require. This prevented interfer-
= ance with the graded schools by these
transient and untitled scholars, and at the
same time provided for them the exact
course they needed. 1t was held to bt
, the duty OF the city to furnish then
= schooling, and in this way it was done
n without destroying the grade. We com
!. mend this example to Belfast, if some
;, thing of the kind is not there already
The people of the city whose schools W,
have mentioned, have shown their appre
citation Of their schools by expending to
% wards $4,000, we think, within the las
!. four years for school buildings, and rails
o. ing their appropriation for the support o
q q schools, from S600Oto $Il 900. They beini
the Judges their schools are success
n The Mayer. in his late annual address
At spoke Of them as a source Of pride to tn
% city. And We notice that Superintendent
10 johnson in his annual report mention
+, the working of the schools in that an
70 two other cities, rs examples worthy G
l., imitation.
70 Now what is done in one city in tn
70, way of grading schools may be done i
n another. Every failure that occurs is al
VS. tributable to inefficient management.
re the schools are not practical and success
lie full it is not the fault of the system. TIL
ye Age is clearly right in demanding priv
)i leges, instruction for all scholars, bu
" wrong in supposing they cannot be give
,e under the grade system. The Age is ais
it clearly right in insisting that studio
d shall be practical, but very decidedly
Ie wrong in holding that no studies ar,
m practical except reading, writing ant
arithmetic. There is no doubt that on,
re may find plenty of cases of stupidity an,
h ignorance among the scholars of on
ty schools, like the one mentioned in tn,
De Age, bnt it is not reasonable to charg,
ID lack of brains to bad teaching. n,
4 schools will furnish them
10 Nor because the colleges adopt what i
d said to be more practical course o
d training, does it follow that they hay,
u less faith in the old method. They hav
O to adapt themselves to circumstances |
G is matter of dollars and cents in som,
= do sn.nA = Ar ao1,rna.J ,,o,o fEl1o,o