, 1874-10-25
THE CHICAGO BOARD OF EDUCATION.
t. the Edit1r sf Thx CAicaqo TRIBUNE:

t. the Edit~r sf The CAicaqo Tribune:
Str: Tie attitude OF lbs Board Of Educc-
tiou, and tho evident design ON someLody's par,
to rouse . feeling OF hostility to tho public
schools OF this city, merit the careful attention
OF every citizen. The schools have been grow
ing in public favor. In every quarter OF tie city
families who had long held aloof from them,
aud looked With distrust upon their theories,
and with e1cpticis1n upon their promises, have
cone to think better OF them, and to accord to
them not only patronage and support, but conf
dence and admiration. Tho press OF the ctr has
within the year given them special study aud, up
to the organization Of tho present Board, uni
fo,m1y euloeistic notice. Now. matters hayo
changed. Radical changes nass beeu proposed
and seriously considered by the Bo.rd. Evident
ly inspired by some radical thcorist belonging to
that body. unreasonable and Uischieyous attacks
haye been maJo upon nearly every department
OF the BcLool-sy ystcm Of ths city IN the Chicago
Times.
The High School, which is thorn in the ti!o
Of all the tnan-hatcrs in every city LII the coun-
try. seems to be tie first Object Of attack. lnis
attack is siugularly AMI const icuously dslnSenu-
Gus. Tho clacges osscus'b]y proposed BY the
Committee on the High School we.e proposed
without CONSULTATION wath the managers OF tue
school or tho Superintendent. or without any
adequate personal SnouledGa oa tbs part OF the
COMMITTEES Of the mellts Of tae case. The
changes prof. osed are, TO move the Hleh-School
classes from tho seve al rooms which lncv nov
OCCUPY ID various pats OF tho city near their
homes, to tn. HiSl School p1ooer, CO West
Monroe street, ami To 30 change The methods Of
procedure in thab institution as to virtually or
ganlze two schools. ons-llaif OF the pupils com
ing 10 the morning snd the other half coning III
the afternoon. 1he proposed scheme imposes
double duly upon the teachers. and practically
impossible amount OF wo1k upon the pupils
THIS will be apparent "hcn it IL considered
that it is proponed arrange matters tllas all
study is t. 80 dous out OF school, and tho whole
titne of pupils in school b. given 70 recitation.
ILs actual state Of things will be this: Each
teacher will Lavo forty pupils. lie will be ex-
each during each sesslou. He caa thus devote
during each recitation ono minnse to each pupil,
for the purpose OF ascertsinins how much the
pupil has learned during tbs time deroted or
to lie DEVOTED to study. The necessary
mode OF examination Involved 10 the plan can be
witnessed any day in the Criminal Court when
tho State's Attorney is extracting Information
from witnesses. Moro than TINS. Ihe lessons
are prepared under the most unfavorable orcun-
st,uces. Tie pupil Las no protection from the iu |
teri uptions Of companions che Thousand Thought
less 1ncssascs OF inconside1ate parents. or the |
arbitrary demands OF society. No opportunity is
given to consult reference books Pupils II |
years OF age aud upwards arc assumed to have |
maturity aud strength enough to prepare over
night for three houls' constant recitation. That
section OF lhe school doomed to attend tho after
aoon session IL also doomed to receive the min I
OF feacners whose vitality has been ex-
laubted on other pupils in tho morning seasion.
Who would have thought that committee of
he Board Of Education OF the Ctr Of Chicago.
It the dawn OF the last quarter OF the nineteenth
century, would recommend such pedagogy as
Ills
But there is another feature Of the case which |
n nte}tjrpnt cti7nn8 Af1nulI CONSIDER Under. /
TODD that even tue Committee does not expect
be school to ba benefited by tho proposed
hange. There IL good reason to suppose that
he real object OF the movement is to produce
,1ch 4 state OF popular dissatisfaction with The
chool as will result in tbs establishment OF
Ugh or iDternad1ate school in each division OF |
he city. Now, il shia cou1ss bo necessary, the
ouest and manly way for the Board Of Educa-
No pltiabIe sacrifice OF PIES
Mt good should be mado III contemplate DO
tical e1pedeus to secure popular dissatlsfac-
ion. II there arc insufficient teachers in tho
unsatisfactory. the Board SHOULD remove them;
ut the people OF Chicago havs right to
emand that the High School shall not
. ruined in order to crafty any clique
] the Board in desire to secure popular dis
abstraction. It is not possible in thss age to
bolish the High School. For the credit Of tho
rY-lts reputation for culturc-in consideration |
the stimulus that the High School affords to
tnciency in tho lower schools, and in tho dis
aA1ge OF the patriotic and sacred duty CT pro-
toting the Intellectual progress of tho aoon-to-
. Leading c.tizeus OF Chicago, ths people and 1
10 Board Of Education must see to it that thero |
no reason Of disco7d 1lsoEsanizataon, or retro
5esslou in tho work Of the High School.
There is no reaaon to sunro.e thai. in case | ,
10 attack upon the High School ia successful
10 district schools would be exempt. In fect, I
,e preliminary attack upon the latter has been
ado within week in the editorial i
,lumns OF the Times. The intimation
lat the courBe Of instruction OF the
bools Of Chicago is "too refined" msy possl- :.
= be attributed to tho sorrowful appreciation /
the Times, but the astounding charge that {
,r children sro doomed to illiteracy," andtno ;
ver=l specifications Hereunder, betray the sainc
etorted inspiration that produced ike pre- !
uinarT attack upon the High School Vocal !
nsic, axn1inz, gymnastics, and OIL iastzue-