Litchfield enquirer., 1873-03-20
Education In Holland.

Elementary instruction has rested since the beginning of this century in Holland upon the leading principles which secure to each child not only useful knowledge, but the fair development of his intellect ual and moral powers, and which rely up- onEthe Church to give the requisite dog matic discipline without perplexing the school teachers with this matter. What is called the secular system of mixed schools still continues, and the people appear to prefer to have their chHdren study the Bible itself at home and in church, in- stead of having rival teachers quarrel over it in school
 There is one aspect of the Dutch schools that ought to interest our American peo- pie, for 1t bears on an increasing disposition among our own families. In 1856 the old school laws of 1906 were revised, after a half century of experience, and without any change of essential principle. Meas ures were taken to make popular educa- tion more efficient. It was seen that the number of scholars in the public schools had been declining, and that an increas- ing proportion of the children of the more prosperous and ambitious families were going to private schools. These schools were obviously inferior In discipline andi ferior in discipline and instruction, as they must of necessity be, since they de- pended generally upon the mind of the teachers, who were but too ready to make study as easy and superficial as their pet ted scholars desired; while the public schools were under the supervision of en- frightened statesmen and were taught by experienced masters who knew we'll how to teach, and who were responsible to the of fhn ctn4n and ot, kIo power of the capricies of children and parents. The result of this preference of private schools by the upper classes was the inferior education of their children, l and the superiority of the children of the poorer and the middle classes in the es- sentials of instuction. This change began to tell upon the state of society, and even to threaten an alarming social and politi- cal revolution, until the government came
 to the rescue of the aggrieved parents
 and established private schools under public supervision, where the rich could
 send their children at their own charge and yet have them we'll taught and disci- plined; and where, also, families of mod crate means could, by paying small fee,
 secure for their children moro select as-
 sociates without loosing the strict rule
 and thorough methods of the public schools.
 Little IS said of this very tendency here in our republic, but it exists to a great and growing extent. Rich and ambitious parents are reluctant to send their child ren, especially their daughters, to our public schools from dislike of the mixed companionship there, and the result is that they patronize schools generally of far inferior merit, and that in this city, for example, the children of the great mid ding class are far better educated in the solid branches of learning, and far better trained for the serious work of the world, than are the petted scholars of our pri- vate academies and boarding schools. This tendency is increasing, and it is prob- ably sometimes brought into connection with sectarian and priestly iealousies to disparage our public schools and to build up private and ecclesiastical seminaries, where caste and creed may he safe from secular laxity and vulgar association. We cannot we'll introduce the Dutch method and establish class of private schools under public control, for such distinction would raise great storm, not only among our fierce democracy, but among the qui- ct patriots of the land. Our only hope IS in making our schools 80 thorough and so we'll disciplined, so healthy in manage ment and so courteous in manners, as to be suita ble for all classes of scholars.- ~. Y. EVening Post.