The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1873-01-09
LECTURE.
The Improvement of Our Schools.
DELIVERED BY ]. N. YARNELL, BEFORE THE
LATE INSTITUTE.

The Improvement of our public schools is a
How is il to be ACTON pIished merits our most
thoughtful consideration. It might, however,
our entire system, or elevate the standard of
teaching so high that every school-maam shall
be profound educator. a practical philosopher.
But all, such statements, apprehend, are
about as satisfactory as was the reply of the
Hibernian noun talneer 10 the tourist asking
how he should ascend TO the summit of Mi.
franklin: Patldy's pert and practical direction
was: 'Pla1se Mlstiler, jist take the right track
and kaPe on climbing, its iver so aisy Arthur
yo1 git there; it is indade, indade sir.'' So we
All know tIlat 10 attain To our higher vantage
ground, we too must adopt the right course and
steadily pursue it. We must have more regular
attendance, more close application, more thor
ough instruction, more rational methods, higher
natives, higher Influences, higher aims, and
nlSher results. But as with the tourist, so with
tue teacher; il is not the what-is-to be done SO
much as how-to-do-it, that occasions his in
qulry Each teacher has his school of fifty
PupIlS,more or less, TO direct through the laby-
rinths OF Ignorance. prejudice, and mystery, 10
tnat lar on enlnence of learning and refine
lnent, which may seem native to those already
there, but nevertheless a pathleSs, precipitous,
drink from the elevated Pierian springs, or to
explore the boundlesS, undiscovered and un-
We know that they are to be led up that
empyrean realm; but a question will arise as to
the best way. We Know that we are to govern
and Instruct, but we do not know what more
improved methods might accomplish with the
same classes; what interest might be awakened;
what enthusiasm enkindled; what advance
nent made, by different application of the
same educational forces as are now at our dis
poSal. We may therefore wisely inquire into
| the prOpriety of any proposed change, inyesti-
gate any new theory, try other peoples plans,
test various eNpedients, and by such means
methods nat shall mark a nobler order of work
for our pupils and higher sphere for the future
of our public schools.
In considering the best means to accom- plish
this object, 1t Is necessary to ascertain the
tIciehcS Ol ceItiIln appliances 70 eueGI reg
results We must become acquainted with the
views of others. We must know what measures
succeeded. In short, we must understand the
whole history and regime of education, or we
I plausible scheme. Our fanaticism upon some
utoPian theory, may sacrifice the noblest aims
ourselves OF the most approved auXlllarles
i known to the profession, may subject US to the
charge of fogyiSm, that dreaded and dreadful
/ incubus that ever retards the onward march OF
/ the spirit of progress that, otherwise would
move the educational world. There is class OF
/ people who not only refuse to improve them
selves, but strive to hinder all who would pre-
sumo to take one step in advance. They not
/ only fePresS the ardor of young aspirants but
! they cripple genius, and cramP the energies OF
| all active minds within their influence to move
| in those marrow and unnatural grooves oi
| thought lin which their own mental powers have
force.
/ Il must be claimed either that our teachers
still room for improvement, and a necessity
! that il be Immediately made:. AS it is, ouI
respon nsibility attaches their every action. II
we seek TO avoid all responsibility by doing as
! of duty, for the teacher who comes the nearest
; TO doing nothing at all, does the most enormous
I
tiles of the moral pictures which we every day
/ imprint upon the plastic characters upon which
we stand, as model subjects, these pictures new.
ertheless exist in the mind of every initiating
pupil. They are unconSciOuSly taken, and i'm
perfect as they must be, carried through
| life with all the moral defornity that inhereS
! i'll the subject the teacher.
! If we prefer to view it in the1ight OF a bust
ness transaction. if we teach out our contract
| on time to the minute, assigning lessons with
| as much indifference as physician prescribes
his patients regardless of their gustatory quail
| ties; if we, say, equally proficient in re
page-IessOns each day for six or ten months
sess ion with no compunction, thought or care
| present Iamentable dislike for study. We, il
all probability, create such an inveterate dis
like to School-duty in the minds of our pupils
that nine-tenths of them pursue their studies
no longer than the last day of school. How
these unwilling prisoners out" Book cram
ming, then, is mental Surfeiture instead o
mental culture. 1t induces a loathing of every
thing pertaining to tutorial knowledge. 81
much so, that We see a majority of our youth
with all the means of a liberal education within
their reach, drifting to the extreme of recrea
ton, bent upon life of pleasure, and dismiss
ing with tine recollection of SchOol-boy re
straints, all thoughts of literary accomplish
scientific attainments; for these can be pur
chased only by that ever-to-be despised process
of school fashioned study. They sick o
school i'm patient of all Instruction. Too mucl
false TEACHING, % too much wroHg teaching ha
no one understand me to say that every teache
who sours the temper of promising pupil, VIII
his taste for knowledge to abate, to vitiate ant
to spoil, Is g guilty OF pupil % murder; but d
that for every such bright and immortal bein
thus lost to all sense of Intellectual enjoyment
| thus lost to all the influence of light and love
there is diaden dropped from the fatal bead
roll in the hands of their recording angel as h
| counts his treasured jewels in the presence c
the royal court of celestial intelligence.
! Fellow-tcachers, 1 talk not OF imaginar
/ Things. L
which we have 10 deal. Much as deplore tn
State the whole truth plainly, and look at on
schools as they are, before attempting to stat
what they should be made. For the facts, le
us call upon the teachers themselves. Here ar
many who are employed to govern others. Ma
we inquire do you always govern yourselves
Can you point TO your own example and say t
your pupils, initiate me, as follow the perfeC
moment let il penetrate the future of the mex
, six months. How often during that time Wi
HoW Will ths
in manner that you would be ashamed I
have your friends present to witness? Ho'
must ones conscience tingle at the thought
duty uuperformed those minds, through ou
mind unawakened! those moral nature
E through our imperfectiOns, defilcd and deform
ed Could we but present a complete panoram
of all the scenes of correction and failures on tn
the part OF teachers that have occurred in til
schools of Ohio within the last three month
profession, would not be much frightened b
/ such an exhibition. But every one OF finC
sensibilities would be led to excIaim: "In IL
name of humanity, is that the best we can do
; AS we have seen the necessity of improve
: ment, let consider the magnitude of I'll
thing to be improve. By the Commissioner
| last report see there in Jackson count,
s,0i5 pupils of school going age; and in the Ell
tire State, I,058,04S. OF this rising million
entitled to free tuition, 732 l22 were enrolled
! the schools. To instruct these three-fourthS
! a million OF scholars is more easily talked
than comprehended. To arrive at anythiI
like an adequate conception of what such teacl
ing force can do, we must first ascertain what
single teacher can do with fifty or a hundre
pupils, and then attempt to conceive of q
enterprise $1,000 times as great.
5 More than 132 900 human beings are now,
the State OF OHIO. receiving instruction in ii
y public schools. But after seeing how impe
: fectly our schools do their work, shall an
friend of education and human culture be di
= any one dare to under-rate them7 Do he;
J., any skeptic voice asking, "What is the wort
OF all the discipline gained in the public shool:
l. us reply: lis effects for good upon the teen
= ing millions of youth in our land, mo-
T. potent than all that skeptic imaginatio
can conceive. VINO can estimate I'll
p value to the commercial world of that sing
n impression weighing upon the philoSoph
mind OF Columbus, VIZ: the earth be ci
: cumnavigated; or who can tell heeffect OF TIL
o similar conviction, possessing the soul of
Y Gallileo, that impelled him in the face of II
= bgoted prosecutors to affirm: 1.-THE earth do
move" or as vast Importance to the civilizt
world as was the propagation of these ideas
\, their day, still greater Importance is now il
e among masses the elements of science are worl
q ing, until it will all be leaven, until the pri
cipleS for whic5@~o.i2+ reforneis and ScientiS
c have Suffere.,s persecution, be urIfVeEssllS- a
v knowledg.d. On this point, statistics sho
tAat 1900 inquisitive minds in this state alon
mix