New-York tribune., 1874-10-27
COURSES PREPARATORY TO COLLEGE.

tain but be half Of the battle In which eur
pupils shall catch 1t, as by gracious contagon.
COURSES PREPARATORY TO COLLEGE.
BY Prasdeat Porter Of Yah Collage
The course preparatory to college is, regret
to say largely confined to special schools. This resuses
pecisy In two disadvantages division into clearly
defined classes Is introduced even In childhood between
those who should stand much as possible upon CON-
mon footing. O. Those Withdrawn thus TO select schools
their attention diverted into narrowed range Of
acquisition. When there should be general training
n the OF correct English in the fundamentals OF
In geography in the facts aud relations Of
ural history In Its several departments, aud In the
special and wing work. mean say, In other
words that Latin and Greek begun too early, and
pursued too exclusively, and that me which, during
certain interval. would be economically spent In
wider range. almost wasted by the present system
knowledge, which the college bred man rarely
possesses for this very reason There Is NEEDED 100,
public school, with its wider view 10 better lifted to
give than the mere grammar school There Is needed
not less, foundation IN common sense, an acqua1nt
with common things and common people, and Wild
the common aims and hopes OF the masses, which the
aggregation OF the prevailing method prevents look
back years spent-unpr0ftably enough, indeed,
and under methods baroarous enough--n certain od
red sehO0house, as among the most valuable OF my ne
for this very reason and believe that many wil unite
IN Ike testimony ~ m Will Tst e. speak o1 certain genera"
And. first OF ALL as special schools are now consttuteh
Tpe result is that sSs are Kept almost on
the dead languages and on the routine OF these during
petod which vital an Influence over them that
spout aneity Of growth Is seriously checked.
A direct outgrowtn Of this is the extreme wearisome-
ness OF such a Who does not pity from the
bottom Of his heart the lad who, from ten TO thirteen
bound down to his Lin grammar, ms Latin exercises
his Latin transIationsi Aud We pity hun, why should
help him The trouble Is tuat hls work has NJ
connection with living language, aud that not even
what connection might he brought out is shown The
process should be carried sie by sie with an in
tegent study OIL English, ana It should never happer
that only after years of study 1t should dawn on the
pupis mind that the old, dead tongue Is similar it
structure to the language OF his everyday llie Work
so exclusively at speeiaes at so carry period iuD
| OF disadvantages and full Of loss.
The high pressure and the hard work result, thirdly
in mechanical habits OF thought The Doox studied
be committed and committed 10 be reclted aud retained
to be examined on, aud not as intelieent knowledge
which Is to form part Of the furnishing OF workins
mind. Now c0ncede that. as our system now stands
We expect no immediate or thorough change "a
avoid these difficulties In some or our larger cities
boys may be successfully fitted for college entirely al
the public schools but not IN the smaller towns ana
public schoosssh brought as nearly as may be nts
such efficiency that it may do much OF the prepratoy
work. aud that young should be kept long IN then
be, while some dependenceis Is yet placed on ptl
yate instruction or on select or funded schools LOT ha
final touches Of academic preparation
wish to speak Dext OF certain evils OF preparatory
schools as SUCH aud premise tnat many o, them afs
eradication. This, however. should not make us close
eyes upon then but we should rather strive the
harder and intelngeDtly for their overthrow
The first evil Of preparatory schools which would men
the aeneralzing faculties How often fam
lily OF bright children one OF whom singed out and
Kind of oracle And the great point emphasized is toe
fact that child is satisfed unless ne knows
the for everything Often. indeed does sucn
child fulfill fond expectations; but how often, on the
other hand does this brilliant quality, exercised before
are the mental Of tue child Now, our methods o.
classical study deal muchin the case OF the school
Dhonetic and otner changes We bavenI
The good old paradgm TO learn. 6ui
for which he is as yet wise ready should be one Of
the last persons from the nature OF my studies 70 oDlec.
and
teaching mind the generazlng faculty before IL mas
normally grown to H. what the mind needs 10 acquire
macs, geography, history, the natural sciences, the
great events and leading thoughts which may prove
both material for later inierences. and which may stn.
ulate the emotions and keep tho soul at hlgh ana
pitch Fer To ss sSa s no%a or chiefly . %
used at first. And ARID methods OF classical STUDY
and and lay little good foundation OF tue KIND which
have outlined. Now grant that there Is method OF
the highest generalization and the highest philosophy
and those We should have But the secret-ir
book and teacher-should not be unyailee
to the child; the child should be the unconscious pppI
OF hidden but profoundly based and subtle method
which, so used. may De the making OF him. secone
perncOus feature of preparatory schools Is the
growing tendency TO trust in special examinations
These derive much pesige from the prevailing impres
that they used with great success in French
and German schools But we are to notice that French
and German instruo tionls any who have been under
such teachers may readily judge-is by dlctation, ths
pupil spending much of his time in copying into boob
what he Is expected 10 reproduce the next day The
pupil used to this, manifesty thrive under
the written examination stem than can one under thu
system, which aepends:largel textbooks
Another thing which the system public favor II
the fact that the newspapers are constantly nsstins
written examinations and the Ike, AS tho trus
method OF deciding competitions for official position
Now grant that the method OF written eXdmlnatOne
certain advantages when hardly be fouDe
other ystem also cOncede tnat II a1Ordi
discipline OF nerve, OF power OF expression, aud o,
expeditions work. which, at some time IN au edueatlOnal
course, must be highly valuable. But do claim nal
1t IN many respects unfair that the poor scholar,
from facility, may pass credltaOle muster
tnat the real scholar for lack OF tbat facity may sDet
undeservedly. / ask any body VINO is accustomed 10
read examination papers Il he does not always read
| them with eyes enlightened by u knowledge OF tile
scholars real attanments, and II ne does not always
| detect discrepancies,
third perniciou feature OF preparatory school
is tendency ~ rely ON system aud me,hod, and the
various paraphernaa OF well regulated Institution,
TO the exclusion OF Individual aut Personal effort
Easy, easy indeed Is 1t ~ routine questions 10
record the result in "A marking bJoS, to cllDcn the
and years work like manner; far easier than to
put stons in such IA hiOn as TO nnd whether the
scholar has at OF knOwlege or In such
fashion not only each the ear OF tine questioned
pupil but thrill with subtle aud suggestive power
the whole class. But the real power lies In oral it,
structon IN the viDg and vivying force OF the con-
tact OF mind with mind. Oh there is such power Cd
man over man tllt or the mind or thrill WIZ
TRUTH and imparn. with all the force OF bis indi
vidualtyl lAppiau,el would never be teacher, ~
that meant only handle OF never delicate
an organ that went Ny machinery. woI,d not We D
teacher, all my work was 10 preside rectatons,
put well-rounded questions, aud conduct skllifuby
questioned written examinations.
what have said has been put in fragmentary form,
but IL has been the reflection Ia this III
formal manner present t TO you for thoughtful
consideration.