The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-04-08

built during the year. Barbour county
Ohio county, and several OF tho most
prominent counties in educational mat
tiers, urge strongly the compulsory sysleu
Of education as the most effective mean
Of saving the youth Of the land from ig
norance. Nine states Of the Union have
up to this time adopted the system OIL
compulsory education. 1t is coming Ia
be recognized us a public necessity. The
interest in 1t is SO great that it is almost
impossible to take up any prominent
periodical or paper without finding some
reference to the subject. The compulsory
system, us is well known, has
been in existence for u long time
iu PRUSSIA. The famous rule Of 1918
obliged every child between Z and II to
go to school regularly, There was some
difficulty at first in enforcing this rule,
but Fichte said at the time that "the first
generation will be the only one upon
whom 1t will be necessary to use con-
straint, for those who will have received
the proposed education will voluntarily
send their children to school," Time has
shown this to be true. In 1868 only seven
persons in all Prussia were punished for
failing to comply with the law. France
has spent much on education, but she
has not compelled her children to bo edu-
Gated and her efforts have been in vain
to secure universal attendance, A strik-
ing comparison can b. drawn between
Saxony and Belgium, Saxony enfOrces
attendance upon schools, and Belgium
does not. All saxony Is educated, Half
the Belgians, according to the last census,
cannot read and write. The Belgian plan
is the one pursued in most Of our States.
Schools and teachers arc provided, but
children and their parents arc left to de-
eide for themselves whether they should
learn anything or not, In New York city,
before the compulsory education law took
effect, there were 100000 registered schol-
ars, and less than $4,000 regular attend
ants, These figures lake no account Of
the mass Of poor children who were not
even registered at any school and never
entered one, The trial Of the system in
England is especially interesting to us.
There has been long fight for national
education there. Macaulay was one Of
its strongest advocates, lie 1t was who
said that "the right to hang involves the
right to enforce instruction" England
owes her progress in educational matters
almost wholly to tho compulsory system,
and we can see no better means that can
be used to bring Indifferent people to u
sense Of the necessity Of education than
the compulsory system.
Superintendent Byrne gives some inter
esting details in his report in regard to
the kindergarten system Of education,
which is attracting the attention Of many
Of our best educators throughout the
country. II has not yet been introduced
into our State, as far as We know, but we
hope to see il adopted in all tho principal
towns in this and other States. II was
only thirty.two years agO that Frederick
Froebel exclaimed: n have got Kin.
dergarten" or the "paradise Of childhood,
rs the Kindergarten has been properly
called. The real purpose Of the Kinder
garten education is to develop the child
and all Tia faculties while checking all
promnsitics to evil. II is to associate
children with children in II pure
atmosphere, amidst pleasant surround
ings and under special guidance. The
children are educated by the object sys-
TEN. Ready-made toys are almost ell
tirety excluded from the kindergarten.
Something rcady.made, however, isneces-
Sary, only il should be simple and not too
plentiful. The kindergarten gives what
Is required in the shape Of cubic bricks,
tablets Of wood, paper for folding and
cutting out figures and ornaments, and
other similar things. II Is wonderful to
sec how skillful the little hands become,
and how much more their minds are III.
tent on constructing than on breaking
things. The dress Of the children must be
simple and calculated to stand wear and
tear. An incalculable amount Of moral
injury Is kept from the children by
the kindergarten, which removes them,
at least for part Of the day,
from persons unfit for infant training
II il one Of the chief merits Of the sys-
TEN that II saves small children from be-
ing exposedto the care Of uneducated per.
SONS. In Germany where the system has
been tried for many years, The objects Of
the kindergarten have been considered
under three heads. In the first place, II
is 10 protect children from the hurtful in
lucnces Of nature, and from the corrup-
lions Of society. Secondly, II is to pro-
vide the most improving kinds Of play
and occupation for children, as well as
the purcst and most devoted moral guild.
ance, when tllat Of the mother has been
removed. Thirdly, 1t is 10 afford the
basis Of Cultivating the principles
Of education among women. Tx.
cepting mothers, no other class Of per.
sons can be more NJ or worthy to reign in
the kindergarten than the we'll educated
and accomplished young ladies' Of mod
ern society, the very class with whom at
present we do not know what to ilO. Let
the Kindergarten become general and
proper employment is found, to the
great benefit of future generations. In
Germany, the land Of education, It llas
from the beginning been favored by the
leading minds. Even princessea have, in
the Kindergarten, tried their hand at In.
f.nt 1.at.t.. AnI t,o,nU,,, r1onatins,