Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-06-05
Written for the Rutland Herald. J
Parents and their schools.
NO. XIX.

family Children from different homes
are brought together and committed to
the care and instruction of teachers en-
ployed for this purpose. These teachers
occupy the place of parents; receive from |
them delegated authority and power, |
and assume their duties for the purpose
of carrying forward and completing the
importantwork of education. This work,
as we have seen, does not begin with the
school, nor is it confined to the study of
books. 1t begins with infancy, under
the influence of the mothers smiles and
tears and anxious care; it progresses
through childhood, in the midst of toys,
and a world of objects which address
themselves to the senses and interest the
mind of the little stranger. These are
the most important periods of life, as
the child now receives the most durable
impressions and forms the most lasting
habits. But the time at length comes
when parental inability, or alb
sorbing home cares and tolls for
bid proper attention to the Child's
higher education. Assistance must
be secured The child must now be sent
to school, but by no means should he be
committed entirely to the care of others.
1t is an hour of special peril when, with
out experience or practical knowledge
of the world he is sent out to mingle
with new associates, to form new re-
lations and to come under new control.
There is need, therefore, of greater pa
rental vigilence and fidelity than ever
before. No greater mistake can be made
than to suppose that the discipline of
the family may be confined to the home,
and that parental responsibility ceases
when public instruction begins. This
discipline and watchfulness and special
care should extend over the whole period
of minority l come now, therefore, to
consider the practical questions that
have a bearing upon the relation of pa
rents to the schools in which their chill
dren are educated And the first ques-
ton that comes to me is, at what age
should children be sent to the public
/ school? School age, as required by law
/ i'm some of our States, ranges from four
to eighteen Some foolish mothers send
/ their children to school even earlier than
/ the law suggests-to get them out of the
way
She has several more, at home, to he
cared for, and she does not realize that the
teacher with thirty, forty or fiftyPupils,
as the case may be, ito govern and III
struct. has no time to care for her rest
less child But she ought to know that
the school-room is no place for SO young
a child.
Such an imprisonment, with nothing
to do. is an absolute wrong, and int1icts
an absolute injury upon the prisoner.
1 He now needs aud has a right to claim,
the freedom of home. with his toys and
nets and sports. The activity which
such freedom alone will secure, is ahso-
lutely necessary for healthy physical de-
yelopment Besides, the object teach
ing and self-Culture of the home school,
are vastly better for the child than the
false system of primary instruction
adopted in most of our public schools.
Another idea in this connection, when
sent to school too early, and improperly
taught, the child becomes disguised with
school-ife, and receives an irreparableln-
Jury, affecting his progress and improve
ment i'm later years. 1t he enters at the
right age, and is taught in the proper
way, he viii learn to love his school.
and win acquire a taste for books and
study.
The question here recurs, demanding
an answer. At what age should chill
dren be sent to school? | answer, bet
2 ter at t2oelDe wears old than three, better
than sic and if the school to which they
must 90 is decidedly poor, they should
delay still longer.
l | have urged the importance of cor.
/ rect primary instruction at home anc
have here alluded to the importance OF
. adopting the same system in the school
This [ call natures method. The 0yec
first and then the sign, which is eithel
the pSctare or the aoord, and when there
>. is a picture, each should be presented t.
. the child's eye, until recognized by it
Looks By this method children arr
taught to read words and sentences, be
0 fore they know the letters of the alpha
t bet, lust as they have, at home, Learned
i to distinguish different objects by sigh
q and by name, without stopping to. ana
1--we or explain. The analysis will com
i naturally afterwards, and the instruc
n ton so given will be much more inter
e esting and profitable. :.
). Parents as well as teachers should un
. derstand that the old system Of instruc
: ton in primary schools, is unnatural an
Il unwise, and they should insist upon tn
q employment of such instructors onl y a
# have been trained to modern methods.
a And it may be proper here to add tina
all parents should be 50 far informed q
sc to the best methods of school govern
$, ment and instruction as to be quall11e
=, to exercise an intelligent supervision owe
r the training of their children sue
parents alone can appreciate a goo
= scool and an efficient teacher. INTEL
81 gence in school matters is indispenslb!!
also in adopting a school system,
1. providing an outfit, and in the gener'
"a management of school affairs. INTEL
" gent parents aim to secure competei
y teachers, and when secured they nev'
p interfere with the management nor ia
r, to sustain them in the administration
ct school affairs. PARENs'
Ia Tho hons