New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-19
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
NATURE IN EDUCATION.

Among the conflicts of thought that are going
in our day none are more significant and practical
than that which is waged in the field of education
The protests of recent years against the traditional
schemes Of study are npening into a formal demand
shat modern knowledge-the knowledge Of nature
shall be made the basis of New Education. Inc
reformers draw a strong indictment against the oid
methods as embodied in all grades of educa'ion"
institutions Professor Agassiz not long since wen.
before the Legislature of Massachusetts ana toiu
them some unpalatabe truths about the ueieoss Vi
their bOasted New land education high ana io"
He is reported 10 have said that, instead oil using
the rieh and growing intellectual material our COZ
Ieces teach chiefly the traditional iearhlhg Oh 'ne
Middle Ages Harvard is not university Is
only a tolerably we-Organized high schooi' NOT 10
even this learning the best Of it's kind; 1t rs merely
1he dreSs of scholarship AS for natural science,
.hsra 10 an inter want of thorOughness In It's teach
ircs The faut ia that of the teachers who have no
so,t If thorough knowledge in this direction and
who cannot get il from the Normal Schools, where
instruction is given from text books alone and IN
the poorest possible manner Owing to the misplaced
confidence of the public in the school system ne
thought il might be easier 20 push new course OF
education IN State rather than IN New
England
Nor do the friends Of educational progress stop
with the mere criticism Of outworn methods; they
snnerSede Them Professor Agassz's sharp condemna-
fion of the current system Of teaching was quickly
followed lv the establishment of school OF natural
history designed to eXemphfy better system. 10
ms students assembled at Penikese Island he de-
rared It's leading principle to be the direct study OF
o,,u,e IN contradistincton to the all-prevalllng
habit of studyinV books. He said: Whenever we
study books We are one remove away from the
things that we would be better acquainted wlth
Instead Of the things themselves we appropriate tne
report Of somebody concerning those things; and II
we have appropriated correctly the substance
Of book we nave yet to return to make new
stndy Of the objects themselves whenever we turn
IN them. You can hardly realize how strange
studeut feels who has had a good deal OF DOCK
knowledge when he undertakes to study the things
themselves. He feels as if it was an entirely new
world of which the best description ever given I'M
parted but a faint and sometimes very incorrect
idea. What | want you to do is to work yourselves
shall turn your attention instantly IN that dIec-
ton Don't read OF ask questions. l shall not an
swer them. as Won know you must understand things
yourselves 1t is poor service to render 10 pupn
90 give him ready-made answer"
These views of Prof. Agassiz are very widely
shared by thoughtful persons, but the serious diff
Guilty is how TO get relief with teachers ignorant Of
nature and victims of the observation-disclosures
system. Miss Youmans has made her contribution
90 the work by the preparation of two little manuals
"The First and Second Books of Botany. She
assumes that if nature is be studied eectuay the
work must be begun in childhood and continued as
n regular branch Of common education. In the
introduction to the Second Book" she says 4" Our
plan Of general education includes not single
subject that can secure the mental advantages
arising from the direct and systematic study Of
nature. We do a great deal in the way of mental
discipline but the order and truth of things around
us are not allowed TO contribute TO It, For calling
out the more important powers of the mind by
actual exercise upon the objects of surrounding
experience our educational system makes no pro-
vision whatever. Neither reading, writing, gram
mar arithmetic nor geography. bring the mind into
contact with nature at ALL" Miss Youmans there
fore maintains that there is need of fourth funda-
mental branch of study to be introduced into
all schools for the purpose of training the faculties
of observation, reason, and judgment 10y direct
exercise upon natural phenomena. For the attain
ment of this end she maintains that botany
has claims superior TO all other subjects, but as
botanical books have been hitherto prepared in
subordination TO the question and answer
rOntine Of the schools. there needed such
treytment Of the subject as would secure the
regular aud constant study of vegetable forms
themselves. Prof. Agassz complains Of the inca
pacy of teachers the great obstacle to the study
ths fact but thought it could be turned to account
in promoting the self-edueaion of the Young by put
ting into their hands a simple guide to the Observa-
ton of plants for out of school use Adopting the
schedule method happily devised by Prof. HenslOw
for leading the pupil along the path of examination
and description of plants, she issued the " First
Book Of Botany three years ago on so simplited
plan that children eight ten years old pursue
the work themselves without assistance, OF with
.l.lt, nrfQ are
give. This book has been most successful where
teachers have not interfered and defeated It's pur
pose. Ii was designed never to be used except IN
connection with specimens. but in some schools 1T
was employed as Speller and Definer;' it has
been memorized like grammar, and taught from
the blackboard by the " oral method" Many
teachers however have put it TO its proper use and
with the results so marked that its author has been
extensively urged carry ont her plan more fully
which she has now done by the publication of the
Second Book of Botany" This takes up the sub
ject where the First Book left off, and by the
of magnifying glasses observation becomes more
careful and complete. The schedule system is car
Jied ont in its application to the flower, and the
pupil is introduced to the leading principles by
which plants are arranged and set TO making groups
of those that most nearly resemble each other In i'm
portant characters.
Miss Youmans's botanical method has q two-fold
claim 10 the attention Of the guardians of education.
In the first place. il lays thorough foundation for
knowledge of the science IN the only way IT can
e truly done by the careful and constant study of
the plants themselves. Her books are anything but
pleasant botanical reading, but botanical reading
never makes botanists They are constructed TO
Keep the mind Of the pupil in continual intercourse
with the vegetable world, and IL properly used they
IL. I,ee ia i'm ma la