The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-10-12
The Study Of German In Our
Public Schools.

FuDllc ScnOOlSs
From the National TcaChen' MOnthly-Published
In the Intelligeneer by reQuest.l
German is now taught in the common
schools OF so many cities Of the Union
that II fashion were the measure OF true
policy, there would be no disputing about
the correctness OF the plan. But many
customs are common that are by no means
proper; and among these the study of the
German language in the common schools
is one which, il not strictly improper, Is
at least Of very questionable policy,
The same studypursued in high schools
and academies, Us a branch OF scholarly
requirement, is beyond the suggestion OF
criticism; but taught to children in the
public schools, il defeats the very ends
intended to be subserved. In the first
place, 1t Is not taught but triiled with.
The effort to grade il with the English
branches is always futile, on account Of
the mixture OF nationalities in the schools
and the impossbility Of having Child's
knowledge OF German compared to his
advancement in the English branches,
In many instances it is introduced for
political purposes, and the teachers EN-
plOyed are the proteges Of OtfCe-hOldGrs,
whose only Recommendation Is the vote
at their backs which gives them official
existence. The study itself il n failure
everywhere, even in the private school
where nothing else Is attempted to be
taught. The children of such schools
learn neither English or German, but a
vicious mixture Of both-plgeon English
worse than Chinese worse than ChOClaw.
This is m American, English'speaking
country, aud the children, whose instinct
always tells them the true fitness Of
things, will not speak any language but
English among themselves, even though
School Boards COnspire to the contrary,
We're children preserved from this
GermaniC persecution until they reached
the high school grade, where they
might appreciate the value Of German
literature, and the Use Of the study M a
means Of mental discipline and u source
OF information, much more good would
be accomplished, much more culture
would accrue, than Is now done by the
absurd attempt to force n jumble ofill-pro-
nounced, ungrammatiCal German pro-
vinCialisms into the heads OF ubelliOus
young Americans.
Every attempt 10 keep German in as
u branch Of common school education has
exhibited the cunning OF Bismarck COM
bined with the physical force Of the Prus-
sian army. When the teachers Of the
branch are proved incapable Of maintain
ing proper order and securing proper re-
spect, 10 the poor English teachers must
do both for them, or they run the risk Of
losing their official heads.
All the arguments In favor Of this study
from business point Of view are clearly
falaciOusp for there are 80 many more
Germans who can speak the English well
than there are Americans who can speak
the German well, that competition with
the former in the labor market is out Of
the question. The arguments In its favor
on the score OF culture are Just as false;
for culture demands the grammatical study
OF language, whereas German ms taught
in the common schools Is not presented in
n purely grammatical or II purely cOnver-
salional manner, but in Il mongrel style,
Nmixture OfboIh, which has just enough
ofboth to have nothing Of either.
In what city is the study Of German
successful in the public schools In what
city does child learn more OF German in
tho eight years Of his common.school life
than he could learn in four days attend
anCe at high.sChOOl under competent
teachCr2 In what city was German intro.
duced into the public schools for any but
political reasOns2
There Is no speculative philosophy in
these remarks. They are the result Of
ten years observation Of the effort to
make German successful In the grammar
and primary schools Of the United States.
The result "a in every case waste Of time
and money, and u hatred engendered
against n study which, in n higher grade,
might be both pleasant and profitable.