New-York tribune., 1874-12-17
TECHNICAL STUDIES IN TIE COWMON


SCHOOLS.
IF education is to be made imperative by
law, the public schools certainly ought to be
useful enough to justify the law. The people
want no nonsense a little education, that
little being to the purpose, is better thou-
sand times than quantity of scraps picked
up among the 'graphies and the 'ologies
Technical studies, excellent in their way have
no business in these schools, never intended
for special preparation. 1t is unWlse, Tor exam
pie, to talk of introducing photography there.
Comparatively few newspapers or authors need
the constant services of accomplished phonogra-
pliers, and the Courts cannot support any large
number. The profession Of phonoSraphy-
if it may be called profession-does not
offer instant and assured employment. Nor
does it offer hope Of advancement III work
and wages. 1t is the last work IN the world
which should occupy the sOrely-necded time
of pupils in tho public schools. Even Ii 1t
were of more urgent and practical sort II
would be out of place there. Photography,
teIegraphy. and other studies like these, belong
ofright in the technical schools Gree, if possibe0
which we hope to see established before many
years in every large town in the country. Ii
lutely thorough instruction in the impera-
tive English branches, little time could
be found for these trade studies, and still less
for accomplishments like the arts and Ian
guages. 1t is not conservative to say that our
schools are attempting too much. The results
arc to be seen in the young people who come
out of them unable to handle tho ordinary
branches of an English education with instant
and intelligent force. We are glad to see
that authorities are beginning to realize those
results. Mr.. William Wood Of this city. who
has been School Commissioner for several
years, and is therefore a critic measur-
ably competent to speak, frankly calls
the system one of "cheap and mel
"ficient instruction" Without beng too
sweeping it must be said that these epithets
are justified. In the effort to make cOmpre-
hensive course, the trainers have succeeded
only in giving common school pupils smat-
tering alike of the solid branches and Of va
riou, sciences, which could at any rate be of
small use to the majority. These are some OF
the studies which Mr. Wood has mentioned
as imposed upon pupils in the grammar
schools of ages from II to 10 years " Mechan-
"ics, hydrOstatics, pncumatics, acoustics, pyro-
"nomics. optics, magnetism electricity, astrOn-
"omy. and chemistry" This is absurdity with
out excuse. These subjects cannot be studied
thoroughly enough to make them OF practical
value, and they absorb time that should be
given TO others. If anything be added, at that
stage, to the general course, 1t should be
study on government law, and human rights
subjects of which American boys are, as
rule, ridiculously ignorant.
We do not of course wish to be understood
rs condemning entirely scientific studies for
young Americans. We condemn them only
when they push their way into places where
they are intrusive and valueless. We heartily
advocate technical schools which should
prepare for special work those advanced pa
pills of the common schools who need and de-
sire such preparation. In these technical
schools science can be made largely available
In the common schools it is sometimes de-
graded by inapt and superficial treatment.
Drawing is a part OF education which is
apparently gaining ground in the public
schools without support by any glowing pre-
cedent of success. We would advise school
boards to consider long and Well before they
prescribe for all pupils a study which compar-
atively few can use in active life. 1t is Ques-
tionable whether the training i'll drawing will
be valuable enough to young men and women
entering the ordinary trades to compensate
them for the deprivation in other studies \
majority of a committee of the Detroit School
Board has, as will be seen in another column,
decided in the negative, and this careful
decision deserves consideration as grave as
that given to the advocates of the system. II
is sometimes said that the study is a means Of
general culture, but it is not yet proved that
it is the study best adapted to the purpose.
Mrs. Joaquin Miller has written drama founded
upon the domestic incidents of her chequered life.
joaquin is "A character in the play is Mrs JO so