, 1873-06-19

s possible to acquire In tho public schools. Tho
aim OF tho public schools is to fnrnah tho chil-
tlren Of tho country will, tho moans of obtafr-
ing, FREQ Of COST knowledge Of tho elementary
branches Of education. For this purpose tho
sohools Of this city teach oil matters pertaining
to practical education, from tho alphabet to
algebra. This inoludos grammar, writing, goog-
raplhy, aud history, to which are addod Bono
vocal toaohng and instruction In tie r11dl-
moutg of drawing. Tho City OF Chicago
Inns supplemented this plan Of education
by tho establishment Of Bsiil highor course Of
instruction for thoHo who pass through tho pub
lio schools 1t matntaina High School, In Which
Latin Crock, French, and German aro taught
whore advanced instruction in mathematics, gon-
oral litorature and political economy is givon,
and pupils arc prepared thoroughly In four yoara
for collegiate course If Desired. This
oortainly is a. liberal provision "a can DO main
tanned under any general systom Of public In
struction. That tho systom ls porfcot Is not
supposed. What the country moods Is q number
Of polytechnic schools, whore instruction In tho
practical aud exact sconcea can bo obtained
FREQ Of cost by all who seok It. That tho sys-
tom of public instruction will eventually include
= largo and sufficient number OF thoso schools
wo hayc no doubt. OF all othors, they aro Of
tho greatest utility in tho preparation Of mon and
women for engaging III tho practical occupations
OF life. uowavor valuable auxiliary to this
hlglor education tho German language may bo,
TINT question has no bearing upon tho matter
before our Doard Of Education. Tho City OF
Chicago will e1pond IN 1854 tho aum Of
GUST 900 for education, and oron at that great
outlay cannot afford al tho children Of tho city
school accommodation. There aro at thiB timo
from 10000 to 10000 childron Of school
ago attending private schools and paying
for their tuition. Thoro Is m avorago Of $4,000
children enrolled in tho public schools, Of whom
8,528 aro studying German. Tho avornge time
giyon to this language under tho prosont rulo is
about two hours por wcok. It is confessed that
tho result Of tho present System Ia failure, and
TINT tho coat Is pretty nearly 30 much money
| thrown away. It should DO borno In mind also
| that 81 per cont of tho children who intend tho
public schools leave these schools aftor pasang
through about oue-halt tho courso Of instruc-
tion; that IL, leave tho schools u soon aa they
can read and writo and hare passed through
arithmetic as far as long division. The great
| majority Of those nevor go to school again.
| They 60 out to work at tradeB, III stores, and
In yarious other occupations, To compel
those to learn German, or so without
| instruction in EngliBb, could hnvo 10
| other effect than to drive thom from tho
schools altogether. OF tho other 18 por cent,
ono-half leave nt the end OF another year, 1eav-
Ing not oyer per cent to attend during the Inst
three yoars Of tho schools. OF the whole 1000
not ovor GOO pupils pass through tho district
schools. To thoso tho High School is open,
where German, Frcncll, Latin, and Crock, and
higher mathematics nro taught during course
Of four years' practical study but of those who
enter tho High School 80 per cont leave beforo
completing tho course. It will bo seen, there
foro, that OF those attending tho public schools
81 por continually attend them long enough to ac-
qui1u the primary clements Of education. OF
tho othcrs, II tho study Of German bo mado COM
pulsory, 1t is possible that tho largo majority
such instruction as thoy need elsewhere. Evon
those who havo free opportunity to learn
German In the High School abandon that school
without passing through half ts course.
To mako German compulsory branch Of the
common school education would be to destroy
tho usefulness OF tho schools. To make it
compulsory in tho higher grades would DO to
drive the comparatively fow children who attend
those grades away; for cortdnly, II the free
tuition in English is not sufficient to retain
them, tho compulsory study Of German would
not do 80. Tho State has undertaken te
educate tho children. shnll they be taught
English7 II tho instruction In Engliah
is mado conditional upon being instruct
cd in German, then tho schools arc
made practically German schools. Experience
has shown that not over 10 por cent of the chil.
dron over try the German language; and we
think 1t great violation Of duty for any author.
lily to compel any child to cavo tho public schools
or study against the will Of his parents any Ian:
guago save his Own. Whilo tho German Inn
guage would be q valuable addition, instruction
in Englishis tho grand necessity. The great mis-
fortune Of tho public acoola is that tho children
lowe them at such an carly stage that their In
struction is limited. ANY measure to encourage
them to give few yoars moro to their Euglisl
education wonld be Of public and genoral bong
fit; but to intorposo md make the schools stil
moro rksomo, by coorciYe rule to learn Gar
man, would not only bo destructive to tho Bchoo