The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1873-05-08
NOI UMF MI


an unknown tongue
We give 10 oar classes u textbook TO
Be iulshcd iu certain time; bat the
tilnc is too short, and Il II. close their
halt.iouncd conceptions Of lhc snhjcei ate
speedily crowded eut by new set equal
II vague and Informed; these IN turn 10
give place to others Of their Kind until
Il, last the mind has lost rs powerto form
a clear, distinct conception bccsusc, alas
lt has u1ycr formed one.
NOW, We cannot too often call to mind
the hscl that the school i not a erammiug
machine 70 which pupils nc sent 90 be
stuffed with facts, or even with kuowl.
edge Of auy SORT, that thcir main business
4 Is not to gain knowledge bat 60 gain the
/ power 10 gain IT, Aud thu. II becomes Of
. The utmost Importance, not what the,
I learn but how they learn H. let the
power to form conceptions CLEARLY TO re-
( tain them permanently aud apply them
correctly, let thi. power be developed
and disciplined, aud II matters little that
our pupils make but poor show Al eN-
animation; itmatters little that they car
ry away but small supply Of facts in
physical science, IN history OF Ia ltera-
me.
For intellectual power, property cult
waited, will make its owu acquisitions Ia
after life; aud il will make them all the
more surely and rapidly, ifitis not too
much forced anu crowded IN it. early de,
yeIopcment
We run to extremes IN every thing.
Not long ago our state awoke to the start.
ling fact that our pupils were leaving
school IN shameful ignorance Of every
thing pertaining TO the geography Of Yer
mont.
Thercupon textbook was put Into
our schools aud in some Of them the
teachers, not content with making the
pupils learn the main facts compelled
them to commit the names of all the
towns IN every county in their proper on.
der, and TO bound them all
A few years ago the organization Of
our schools was wretehed enough; now
they are graded as perfectly rs a stair case
! where every step exists only as a means
/ to reach the next higher
What matters II that some clcar-oyed
teacher, surveying her class all ready for
promotion, sees three or four nervous,
restless, puny little things, whose minds
are growing faster than their bodies, and
>. knows that TO send them up will ensure
. their certain harmi What ayails IL that
I she pleads for liberty to keep them back?
, Parental vanity viii not hear word
the committee are satisfied IL the required
examination is passed. aud so the chill
dren are hurried along, and the little
mind, feariully aud wonderfully made by
4 God, Is fearfully marred by such wretch
4 ed treatment.
g Aud the very slow oues are not less In
/. jured by the same process. A slow child
. is not, therefore, fool; there is often
. more latent power in him than in one
: ofqucker wits, but il often remains for
ever latent, because its growth is check.
!. ed by over-pressure at the very outset.
q Ii Is doubtless true that this evil of ea-
cessiye graduation does not at present ex-
q ist in most Of our Vermont schools, but
n 1t is an inevitable tendency of the sys-
h TEN, against which we do well to guard,
: lest there come before long too strong
/ reaction in the opposite direction.
I But not the least evil because the pa-
: rent Of 80 many others, Is our cumbrous
i system Of making, reports aud merit
cards For the wee little ones we confess
we like the merit cards just because they
q like them Aud tho the little rogue
/, who can meyer sit still aud never wins q
: card, wins Jour hearts just the same for
+, all that, yet IL is pleasant thing to zee
h, the childish delight with which they
:, carry home and show 10 loving friends
/. these trophies Of their first great victofies.
=, Iy chillhood aud have entered our schools
= expected to demean themselves like
young men and young women and TO be
treated as such, the custom seems
-. strangely puerie, Aud as We recall some
Of the classmates and friends of our own
-, school day, inspired rs we knew them
f., with lofty purposes aud noble enthusi.
agm; we see them smile at the improved
:. system that would give them little card,
as a reward Of merit at the eud Of every
week
% As to marking, suppose all teachers
will agree that IL i at best only neces-
n safy evil; but our system cxalts il to
a such rank that it would seem to be the
=. main object ofthe puplPs life 10 get good
=. marks and Of the teachers 70 give
~ them. We Say nothing Of the temptation
to give too high marks which every
a teacher feels and which but few can re-.
4 si.t We say nothing of tie jealousics
-, aud hard feeling, too oflen caused, moth.
"a ing Of the icyefish excitement Omen seen
4, IN our best aud most sensitive pupils, the
dread least ihey should miss "A question
=. aud lore Il perfect mark, 50 strong as "a
lake away ul the pleasure and profit ot
The r,eiHfipn. Al these thing. ARE ryi.
Dr. deul enough. liui here !. ono poial at
III would like 10 -uggest f3r the considers
.Fc tion u teacher the school exists fol
she degelolement ~ character 30 ies.
flan ior mental discipline, mas there mol
"' b. something positively harmful IL gig
Ir- iug pupiI- their reports ~ often a. once
,Iy 8rcs ~ once fortnight of eFep once
~ month";
Does Il not itaeh Them 81 aim At imHe