The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-04-15
Can Country Schools be Classified

~ "NAio oenoo!S III AmGFlcas LnaL we nave
no schost system, but merely a system for
raising school revenue. A system of in
struction still remains to be wrought out.
'ery superintendent Of district schools
has no doubt felt the necessity of well
clgested working plan by which the existing
diversity Of classification in different local
ties shall be harmonized into one uniform
standard. To Illustrate the condition of our
school system in its practical working In
every county in Pennsylvania, and probably
IN all she other States, there will be found
district schools differing widely in the degree
OF attention paid to the different common
branches OF study; in one, Geography isl
carried to al extreme, 10 the neglect of the
otner branches, and IN another Arithmetic is
the f"vorite, while in third Grammar
occupies an undue share Of attention. AL
though this is true Of Arithmetic, more than
OF any other branch, it leads 20 the inquiry,
way this state of affairs should exist. ard
is it desirable that IL should continue The
very cause of tie undue stress laid upon
certain branches, indicates ia great meas
ure It's cure. A teacher whose bias is TO.
History will give the majority Of his pupils
taste for that study, and the same is true,
too, OF almost any other study GAS the
teacher is, so is the school" is emphaticalIy
true considered in the light CT his influence
IN directing the course Of study Of his pupils
Every year, nearly one-third of our teach
ers are beginners, and only small part Of
these have Lad any Normal training: hence
1t is not reasonable to suppose that they
have given any great amount of care or
thought to the best classification, or the
most philosophical course of study to be
pursued but, on the contrary, all is confu-
sion and random work and if the teacher
happens to haye taste for particular
study, Aat will generally be his hobby, and
the other branches in which he is not SO
well informed. or which may rot be so much
to his taste, are neglected or improperly
taught.
The statistics of Pennsylvania show that
OF less than 10000 teachers employed in
Public Schools last year, over 1900 had
taught less than year, and $500 had had
no previous experience whatever; Of the
whole number only three hundred and thir-
teen (3l3) had graduated at Normal School.
TO this mass Of inexperience do we intrust
the systematic training Of our youth, with
out any guide or Plan! Can it be expected
10 mi no
lack OF system is felt in all grades Of schools
outside Of the cities and larger towns, and
1t is the weakest part Of the Public School
system, demanding the immediate attention
of leading educators aud school authorities.
If there is natural order of mental devel-
opment, if there is such a thing as a correct
scence OF the kind. is it not possible to pre-
scribe course in accordance with the hest
philosophical knowledge now extant In
fact, is it not imperative that such course
Should be LAID down for the guidance of
teachers No other subject Is elcting so
much inquiry on the part OF teachers every
whe.e.
Tbs Superintendent Of Public instruction
CT Kansas, in an article published not long
since, thus alludes to the subject "A close
observation Of the working of our country
school system, has disclosed the fact that
there is lamentable want of systematic
labor OH the part of teachers One makes a
hobby of Geography, another of Spelling
another Of Grammar consequently, the
other studies are neglected. If, by chance,
number OF successive teachers ride the
same hobby, the vital interests of the pupils
are sacrificed.
The practicability Of grading and pre-
scribng course of study for our schools
is no longer a question to be decided by ex-
periment.'
The course Of study is to-day, essentially,
almost an exact copy Of the curriculum of
fifty years ago, when the application OF
mental science to teaching received little or
no attention the same round of Arithmetic,
Grammar, Geogra ply, and Reading, is still
pursued with pupils Of all ages with con
siderable improvement in method of in
struction. it is true, but with little more
adoption to the requirements OF mental
growth.
1t is true that the common branches so
generally pursued in school constitute an
important part Of an education. butts there
any reason why these should constitute the
outy studies in the lower grades of schools,
when both experience and philosophy de-
monstra;e the need of 81 change? II any
fact Is clearly proven, 1t is that the percep.
tive faculties and memory are very active
in youth, and that young children take great
delight in inquiring into the nature and
qualities, as well as in acquiring the Names
OF objects; yet. generally. the first Lessons in
cur schools are such as do not, to any ex
tent, call these powers into activity.