Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-09-26
German I'm the schools.


German I'm the Schools.
AS the fact Of the failure Of the experiment IN
teaching the German language in our public
schools has given rise 70 considerable discussion,
il may be worth while to note the results of
similar experiments elsewhere. In Baltimore
the other evening, the committees Of the school
board having charge Of proposition for intro
ducing the study of German into the grammar
and high schools of thar city, held a meeting to
hear the views of Superintendent Cresry. He
stated that by order OF the School Board he last
year visited q number Of the larger western
cities for the purpose Of makiCg personal obser-
vatioDs in reference TO the expedlency OF hay
ing the German language taught in the public
schools, subject which was considerably
sgitated In Baltimore last year. He examined
the pUbhc-schoOl system OF Cincinnati, St.
Louis, aud other cities In that section of coun-
uS, and found that their manner Of TEACHING
German was not mana aged on the system con-
tenplated 10 be introduced hare. Instead of
having the language taught in all the schools
II was the custom in those cities to establish
in each section OF the town as many Ger
mani English schools as are thought necessary.
Parents DESTROYS Of giving to their children
instruction in the German tongue can in that
case send them to the schools where that Ian
guage is taught, and where the English is not
neglected. After speaking OF the disadvantages
OF the Introduction Of this new department into
al the schools, which would necessitate COM
plete reconstruction of the curriculum, Mr..
Creery closed by expressing himself In favor of
establishing in Baltimore one German English
school in each section of the city, and if il
should be shown that they were we'll patrOnized,
more can be established at a future time
After considerable discussion the board ad-
jourDed without coming to any conclusion.
avn arfr - ~. "
schools, the following, from the TreFusia. Ger
man, OF the 10Th instant, is OF interest "a
showing the views of intelligent Germsn-Amer-
leans upon the matter
'For some time past the Germans and the
German press have discussed with rnncb Dar
uanty IOr thelr subject, the German school
question and the far more important question
as 10 the admission of German instruction in
the plan Of study in the pu bic schools. ana tba,
especially considered the adoption OF the latter
az great step in favor OF 1.-THE foreigner. 'ever
II only few hours s week were Devoted tn the
Language and the instructions confined r. The
elementary principles. The writer of these lines
REGARDS this latter proposition as exceedingly
pernlelous, and will briefly give his reasJns
Since the children of German parent. ac,rI,s
the language as their mother tongue. liz + far
them a great loss Of time to compel them IN 70
cite In the same classes with those not of Ger
man descenti because with the latter the Ger
man souics are entirely new and strange, aud
IL viii require years OF study for them 10 &C
cure that seility Of speech which the German
child possesses when he first enters the school,
It follows that the German child il rbrSUin-
away hls time learning the elements, or rather
receiving lessons in the elements of a Ianp1a.ya
with which be Is perfectly familiar, and al for
the beneht aud accommodation OF his Anglo
American cOmrade. 1t will not be dispuret
that learning 20 read the German presents
but few ditiieultles 10 the pupil OF German de-
scent, but forms one of the greatest tiffi cultss
Tor the american pupil, 70 whom the sounds
&c, OF oar language are entirely stranrs
Again, the scholar not Of German descent
must receive his German lessons in his nEn
Vernacular, and there is certainly the sar,e ne
cessity that no OF German descent shOJII ha
taught the language in his mOther tongue. N.
IneIeLOIs, herman instruction 10 the pub
nc SCHOOLS Is to be considered sDsti1T f4r3r for
the GeTman-AmericAD, then let his Children he
Instructed in separate classes and by Gsrmln
tesSheis. Ihls system would result bsnefciany
10 the Anglo and German-A merle An D1oiIs but
more especially to the former, who in time conIi
participate in the instructions Cfysn in tbosa
classes composed Of pupils ef German Descent.
~ would be no great mister Il ae 70 rs if the
school board sbOlid re fuse to afIlit Carraan in
suuctiOn in the course OF study of tue nuLIi.
schools; because, from what has been said, il
VIII De readily seen that, according 10 the pres
ent sy stem, all benefit is reaped exclusiveiv nv
the ADglO-ADerican scholar. II the school Al.
Tectors should strike out German instructon
from the course OF study in the public sehooIs
let not the Germans oppose II; the nyIo-A mari.
lean pupil alone will suffer by the measure,
Inc errors above pointed out would quickly
be perceived II the Germans would OnIy insist
that their children should lot be c0mnsile Al 70
learn German as a foreign language, hat "a a
language as much the rsrnGculGr as the English.
II the Germans viii take the trOublA ~ 40
cover what IL the real need for the proDar 81,
cation OF their children, they will come TO the
conclusion that that need j good private schools
~ Nollu soon De seen that these schools would
pe ate ndeG far more nnmerOuSly By the chill
cren OF sensible Angola merican parents than
would the English schools by children Of sensi-
bic German merieaD parents.