Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-05-28

hi Mis-, MARY a. NNhNiANs
How shall the masses be educated is a
question which just now, perhaps more than
any other, occupies the public thought.
That 10 some way this must be accom-.
plishel, seems no longer to be doubted by
any thoughtful person. The lower classes,
sunk in Ignorance, in physical and moral
rious danger the future Of our country
and wise craftsmanship, as well as a true
philanthropy pleads earnestly for th,ir en-
ightenmeut. The public school, it is urg.
cd, must penetrate this darkness, must dis.
pei this ignorance, must secure, by the
authority of law if need be, the early
years Of every future citizen, and prepare
him to meet iuteligently the responsible
ties Of o free government Thus our pub.
lic school, winch has already accomplished
so much, is yet to become the most potent
factor Of our national life.
1t is pertinent then to inquire a little
into the nature OF our public school system,
wh4tber it is the one best adapted to secure
the end desired, what are It's defects aud
how they may be remedicd Whatever
may be the intrinsic excellence Of other
systems, however superior in some respects
they may be to our own, yet | suppose il
may fairly be assumed that an institution
which has grown up with our country is,
in its essential character, the one best
adapted TO It's needs, aud that therefore no
fundamental change iu our system is desira-
be even if it were possible
The most casual glance at the history OF
the past few years will suffice to show us
what vast improvements have been made
in all that pertains to the organization, dis.
cplino aud furnishing Of the school The
old-time school house, notorious for It's W.
illness, is giving place to finer buildings
while for the comfort and beauty Of the
school room we have improved desks and
seats, improved maps and charts, improved
states aud globes, aud improved text books
good enough and numerous enough for u
to quarrel over until the end Of time. In
short, in all the paraphernalia Of the school,
from the childrens picture cards TO the
most elaborate scientific apparatus. we arc
certainly far in advance Of anything in our
own past, and are said TO be far in advance
Of other nations.
But just here, it seems to me, in the line
OF our greatest excellence, lies our greatest
defect and our greatest danger. In look
ing SO closely after the mechanism of edu-
cation we have lost something of the life
anu spirit OF our teaching. Our methods
are tending more and more TO become for
nal, mechanical and superficial. We Sc
cure ine recitations, it may be- but we fail
to tram cur pupils to independent thinking.
Aud here' that iac's may speak for them
selves, trust shall be pardoned for al
luding to my own experience. Not long
ago, as was at the house OF friend, she
asked me 1t l would help her little boy in
DIS arithmetic. The new ways OF teaching
she said, we're 50 different from the old
that she could not help him much
found the little fellow IN tears over
some example. OF which the following Is a
specimen ga boy had twenty-seycr
apples to one companion ho gave ., tc
another s. to another . how many had h,
: leit2' Thinking this neither beyond my
own comprehension nor that Of the child,
tried to help him. but seeing still th,
troubled look, | said, Don't you understand
it?" Understand it2 OF course | do
but that amt getting it; we have TO say
over some words, and don't know wha
they are" or course | could not tell hin
the exact form Of words in which his teach
or required him to say 1t, so had 10 le
him 60. Nor is this a solitary instance tC
prove that in much Of our teaching the form
is made Of undue Importance. A lady o
fine intelligence and genuine culture tolC
me recently that she was deprived OF th'
i pleasure OF helping her children IN mathe
mates, because the new methods OF explain
ing are so different from the old. Now,
she said, "it seems to Inc that any methol
is right which reasons correctly upon lh'
prlciples involved; but whenever | try t.
help them, they say, No, mother, that lsn'
the way the teacher tells us we must sa.
it, Aud who OF Us has not attended man.
a drcary examination where all the pupil
/, would grind off their explanations in pre-
clsely The same words, with exactly tn
same Infections, aud after an iumens
amount of verbmge, bring out the triumph
aut therefore at the close, all making
grand show if only one admlres unliormit.
and smooth lOW Of words more than any
thing else
Bat If there Is any power that ought t.
: be cultivated in school, it is the power L
discriminate between what is worth learnin
and what is not; between the essence o
Z kernel Of truth and the husk which may en-