Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-12-25
written for the Herald
miscellaneous Suggestions.
NO. xxxvI1.

/ take it for granted that parents who
read these pages feel the greatest inter
est in the results of family discipline, as
applied to their own children, to say the
least. Indeed, who can contemplate
these results without the deepest solicit
tude? And if this feeling is cherished
from the beginning, and constantly, dur
ing the whole process of training, until
the period of maturity is reached, it
will tend greatly to secure the end in
view.
| have pointed out the danger of mis-
management, and the true system of
government, in the family. / have at
tempted to make clear the duties of
parents in relation to their schools, the
system to be adopted, the outfit to be
made, the laws to be enacted and en-
forced, the necessary qualifications of
teachers, and the sympathy anc cooper
alton which they have right to expect
and claim from their employers, in their
difficult and important work. But, L
have not spoken particularly of the err
roneous views so prevalent in every
community, as 10 the nature and object
of thorough, practical education. L
may here, therefore, suggest, with a
view 10 correct some of these false
theories.
By many, education is regarded as
valuable only so far as it imparts certain
mechanical accomplishments. If child
can read and write and cypher so as to
be able to transact ordinary business of
life, some parents think that the end Of
the school is attained others would add
certain higher scholastic attainments,
such as drawing, painting, music and a
smattering of two or three modern
languages, that their children may be
literally educated! Such branches as
these, they suppose to be all that are
necessary for a practical and finished
education. They seem to forget that
the child has powers and sentiments
which, if uncultivated in early life, will
be stified or perverted, so as to become
useless or mischievous in after years :;
that his moral and intellectual
character must be formed, and fixed hab-
its of thought and action established.
Whatever the man should be, or should
do, must result from the training of the
bog. These mechanical accomplishments
are proper and desirable, in their place
and time, but do not constitute a practi-
cal education.
Another prevailing error, nearly re-
lated to the one Just noticed, makes edu-
cation to consist in acquiring E71OULedge.
1t is true that knowledge as attained in
the process of education, is a discipline
~ agent, and is indispensable to the end
in view, but il must not be mistaken for
education itself. That consists in the
development Of power. and not in the
attainment of knowledge.
The popular error which / here ex-
pose, assumes that no study is practical
which cannot at once be used. Hence,
when a solid course of disciplinary stud
les is recommended. the multitude cry
out, with Falstaff of honor. "Will they
set a leg E? No then I'll none of them"
With this false notion, the study Of
the higher mathematics and languages.
is. of no consequence to those who are TO
be engaged in the common avocations of
life. They need only q little k75slczeGge
of arithmetic, grammar and history, and
perhaps, in some instances, a few facts
in natural science.
The same delusion has flooded our
country with professional schools and
so-called colleges for mare boys, who
have not had time nor opportunity for
the culture necessary TO fit them for n
course of public instruction. And still
they are rushed through TO graduatiOns
ia the shortest possible time. The beard
less boy who has attended one Of our
commercial colleges for four short
months, comes home with his diploma.
and is supposed by his deiuded father to
have become a full grown man. He has
gained some knowledge. it is claimed, of
practical business, and hence, is educated.
And why do the learned professions
turn out 50 many gHHebS and Eottif0lgerS.
il not from the mistaken notion that
education IS the attainment of knowl-
edge merely, and is designed to fit the
person for some special trade, art, Office
or profession ?
Under the influence of this same false
system, science even has turned quack,
To suit the impotence AID impertinence
Of money-loving and labor-saving age,
and extracting the quintessence Of all
subjects, she has pat up morals. phys
les, politics, literature yea, all things, in
convenient, and portable forms. labelled
with suitable directions. so that the
mere child, by swallowing the diluted
and filtered condensation, shall, in an
incredibly short time, know vastly more
than his grandmother.
And from this same soil of perverted
public opinion, there has sprung I'D a,
new crop of school books and school
systems adopted to this practical age.
The old subjects are made new and at
tractive; difficult principles are simpli-
fed; hard examples are solved, and the
highway to learning which used to be
up the hill Of science, " is now not only
a level road, but the journey may.
be taken, at our leisure, in salo0n-cars.
Indeed, under this new system, it is
much easier TO be educated than to live
in ignorance. And this happy era in
the book-world, is graphically des-
cribed by one writer, in the following
language: "Fhe same book-stuff is
hashed and cooked in a dozen different
ways; pictures now at the top
of the page, and questions at
the hottoml Then pictures and
questions reversed Then pictures in
the middle, surrounded by a frame of
Grabbed looking questions in small type
Wonderful VARIETY 1t furnishes big
and little potatoes to-day, and little and
big potatoes tomorrow. PARENs.