, 1874-11-13
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
DO tie Pupils Have Too Much Mon.
tAl I.illtbr !

toll could accomplish; but unevonly- balanced
ni'as or minds not thoroughly informed, often
run into ridiculous oxceHacs, Which injuro tho
cauBo moro than their opposition wond
Some people complain Of the greater amount
Of labor children ara compelled to perform now
thnn was required ycnra ngo, nnd cannot SEQ
tho smallest foundation for such Btatemonts.
PerhapH my experience has bcon much different
from that Of tho majority, b1,t doubt 1t.
Boys generally, at ]oavlng tho grammar schools,
aro IL or 15 yoara Of ago, and tho studies In
which shoy arc supposed to have made soulo
proficiency are arithmetic, far az suuare root,
History Of tho United statoB,-a primary work !;
geography, spelling, music, reading; aud, In nd
dtion. fow general ideas, which arc c1asscd
under tue head Of Oral, which ovory intelligent
boy Or girl ought 10 hnvo sufficient interest III to
develop by foadlng, far in advance Of what IL re-
1urod.
Nov, any ono can 800 that boys Of tho ago
above mentioned would not be aIlo to eltor
decent college until they wero ut ieaBt II years
Of ngo. should huye safd. perhaps, TINT the
average age Of tho scholars leaving the Grammur
Schools III, in tho case of boys, much creator
thal what havo moutipned, md adding three
yenrs OF least for collcge-proparatiou would
naAc them Utmost it not quito 20 years OF ago.
Nhuil 1t III considered that these scholars havo
beep roguiar i'll Rttotdauce for long poriod,
and tho MINORITY sons aud daughters Of iutclli-
gent people, IL it possible that they hayo beon
comrellcd to Labor 80 hard to accomplish 30
littlo7
Boys used to have pretty good knowledge Of
tho first bouhB ot Euclid Ut ii they had perInps
gono through several books III Latin; had begun
to ssfuEgle, with Greek, aud, bcsides, had, in
Physics, mud Logic,--al! this in addition to what
i'll retlulod Of candidates. Tor tha High School
with Thu exception of Music md perllapa Draw-
ing. These buys 30 overtuxed did not al dio !;
for many man who entered college ut 1G lived
to hoarty old age, and worked hard enough all
hiH Iiio to kill these sensitive people, were tAoy
eveu to think HeriouAly OF 1t.
My boy [or my grill is very delicate; you
must study hs Or hor dlsloaisiosl. and not drive
ioo hnrd," people are saying to tue teacher con-
tlnuA]ly. The tazy boy will 80 to bis parouts,
nnd present things IN such light that they may
actually think ii IL 30, mud, though senabo PEG
pie, thoy often appeal to tile public through the
columns OF Bomo paper. without ever thinning
room, ace what that boy has to do in day and
how no does it. before accusing the Board aud
tho te0cherd OF IN attompt to murder their da1-
ling.
WHO bvlieve every word told BY their children,
without attempting to inquire into tho truth Of
the matter r,-f0rgoItng that tho average boy III as
prouo to lio W water to run down hill WHOM it ia
for his interest to DO so. Many. too, oomforta-
BIS situated III ilto hut ignorant NJ it ia posslble
for petauns to bo who see newspapers Bolnc-
times, roally aro AFRAID Of their dear cl,ldreu'a
bral.1s beli.G hurt by 20 mich knowledge osnm-
mod into tAem,--thay sometimes haye reason,
toO,-anl, to show their suciA Importance, tl,oy
protest luudly againss tue imposition, thus doing
their children srea,er harnl by making them OBJ
Btii,ate, and uudoiug all the patient lauor Of tho
teacher; for, though nln humble member OF
t4o profeeBlon will insist that tho most irasc-
whom that quality was pretty woll Developed
was to be credited with moro pationee tlan ia
commonly attributed to that old Asiatic 10 oftou
mentioned as our o1omplar IN tho aiiug virtue.
Let sensible people, thon, givo as much atton-
ton tn their Children az they would to pct ani-
NAL syou; Het apart day once III a while to
visst them a. school see Whoihor they have to
work 6u Very hard !; md tloy will soon cry out
for more stringent examinations aud severer
study. They will also encourage tho teacher
more thnu it il possible to descrlbo,-thus dong
two thlnga ut ouco.
Tho trollbloiH paronts think 1t fine thing to- del
ogate tho caro- oi thor ctlidron to anybody olso,
glad to bo well rid OF them, but reserve tho right
reasol. II y nlan consigned q lorso to somo ono
IN the country, ho would bo sure to visit tho
place to soe how llo fared; but his child is uot
WORTH tue trouble.
70 conclude: any man or woman Of common
eenBe who visits the schools Of tho city, mud
watches their working, will 10 satisfied that
there s not enough required of tho scholars in
lnaliy of tho Grammar Departments, where Ger
linn Or Elemonts oil Geometry are omitted; that
ITO private schools or public schools III any coul,-
try arc filled with healthier lot Of boys aud
girls; md tlat tho only fault to DO found il,
teachers arc changed too often in the lower
grades, Wl,ere tho ln0at careful work ought to be
1one; aud some peualty ought to be Rttuohad to
teachers, just as they are beginning to be uso-
full. Ruspootfully yours, W. j. II. HOGAN.
The Insufficient Iilno Allowed Schol-
tlrk for FL