The New York herald., 1874-11-22
German and French In the Public
Schools.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
AT least one member OF the Board OF Education
viii be glad to see Dy an editorial in your issue of
Sunday, November Is, that you accord with him
In the opinion tnat the above mentioned studies
should form no part OF the general course of in
struction In our common schools. / allude to
commissioner Baker, who has advocated the ex-
clusfon OF these and some other supernuous
branches ever since he became member or the
Board. Nor is he quite alone in this belief. There
are few more In the Board who think and vote
as ne does on this subject Unfortunately for the
cause OF thoroughness IN English, however they
arc greatly In the minority, as the Board is at
present constituted. II Commissioner Baker
would ind earnest allies, and plenty OF
them too, to support his opinion, let him
seek them lrsr among the teachers themselves.
and secondly, through the press. among all
classes OF true American citizens 1t Is perfectly
safe TO assert that ninetenths OF the principals,
and still greater proportion OF the rank and file
In the profession, would vote for the immediate
dlscontinuance OF the studies in most Of the public
schools. Were these branches taught In a few
schools in some favored localities where parents
are able to send their children to school year
alter year, long enough to attain reasonable
degree OF proficiency IN these as well the
english branches, IL wonld, perhaps, be well
enough. At present almost every grammar
department has one II not both OF these branches
poor aiike-those who may attend school and COZ
Jlege till ,wenty.one and those who must GO to
to fourteen years-are obliged to devote hour
after hour every week to the acql islton OF u
the circumstances, great majority OF them Wi
never become good SCHOLARS IN reading. spelling,
geography, history, grammar vocal music. draw
ing. philosophy astronomy, algebra and half
to teach and pupils are expected ~ TO learn. it
Is high time that little sound common sense
na ee eros s the 10 and on the inns SGr ars
in their majesty and DO away with this and lew
otner knnred evils forced upon the public schools.
1t may not suit the Germans; 1t may not satisfy
the French; 1t may not please the rich man who
keeps his childrenin in the public schools TIL they
are men and women grown, not only because these
institutions, In his opinion, are the best in the
world, but because they can be graduated through
both school and college without money and with
, out price," But the schools not founded for
the particular satisfaction or benefit OF either Ger
mans, Frencn or miihonnaires, but ior the enlgni-
eminent the whole American people, especially In
the ordinary branches OF an English education.
The Evening High school is an institution de-
be well Tor the Board OF Education to begin re-
,renehmeat 6y dong away MIN ths .pes lnstitS-
ers' average salary OF $40 or sl2 per week is cut
down on the score OF economy, II would be well to
reduce the salares OF this close corporation OF
tra0rdinary teachers rom IS night 10 $3 the
sum PAID TO experienced teachers IN the other
High School Is paid $40 per night, and each assist
ant is PAID SS and then, TO make this wonderfully
gOOQ tHlnB as as pOSslDe, the befm
Is engtnened out SIX or eight weeks longer
than the form oil the other evening schools. Now
either the teachers OF the High School are paid
too much, or the other evening school teachers
are paid loo little. The principal of an evening
school, ho registers, examines and classifes from
two to three thousand pupils, and who manages
school OF twenty five or thirty teachers, having
an average attendance OF 1000 pupils or more IS
paid the princely sum OF 50 per night ior 400
nights; the average is only 999 the want Of
pupil more on the average register costs that un-
lucky pe,lagogue just Sl00--ln other words he
will receive but $5 per night. But the teachers OF
such common things arithmetic, writing and
bookkeeping, as wen as those who teach French
and German, each receives the snug sum oil IS per
night, provided ne Is fortunate enough TO be In
the high evening school, Now, do not object TO
good salaries for good teachers; but rings ana pets
ana close corporations are, In my humble opinion,
even more out OF place In our schools than the
studies OF French and German. CITIZEN,
NEW YORK, Nov. 16 1874.