The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-04-06
"EDUCArIOxAL PROBLEMs.n


at Ptte's Tonight.
Hon. Carl Schurz is to lecture at Pixies
this evening on educational Problems" !"
The following is full synopsis OF the re-
marks which the learned gentleman will
present to his audience:
He will begin by the statement that
the question of how to educate is no
where more considered nor should it be
better understood than in this country of
free institutions. Popular education
should furnish remedy for all or nearly
all of our social evils. But very few, he
will say, know how or have formed opin-
l ions Of their own as to the manner in
which this should be done. The amount
oflearning acquired by our grandpar ents
at school was confined to reading, writ
ing, arithmetic, and occasionally a for
eign language.
This amount Of education for those
who move in the same circles of society
as did our grandparents, at the present
day will not be sufficient; we must be
taught more in order to keep our stand
| ing. 1t is better to teach children how
to learn after their school days are over,
he will say, than to cram them with spe-
cific knowledge that is generally forgot
ten. He will give instances OF juvenile
precocity as it is generally considered,
but which he does not believe were eX-
traordinary. John Stuart Mill at three
years of age acquired from his father a
knowledge of Greek, that-he will say
was no more difficult than for German
| child to learn English from its play
mates. To show the great facility with
| which the infant mind acquired language
and that too without great effort, he will
cite the case Of his own little girl. In
the family at home she learned German,
from her playmates English, and from
her nurse French; she spoke them all
| correctly, did not get them mixed up,
and that too before she was three years
of age. He will say that he does not
doubt she could also have acquired the
Greek language in addition as well with
out doing her mind the least harm or
''straining it,"
Children should be taught to see and
hear correctly, and then to describe in a
proper manner the things seen. The
kindergarten is designed to and does eff
iect this, its principle is "object teach
ing" and children from one and haM
| to four years are here taught. AS an in
stance of self-culture which illustrates
correct sight in woman, he will state
that lady promenading the street In
meeting another lady would, at single
glance, not only determine the material,
quality, making and style, but the prob
able cost of her entire wardrobe, and
she would get it nearly correct every
time. The education of females should
be SO conducted that they will be ell
abled to work their way through life
{ without being obliged to depend upon
marriage for subsistence. No man or
| woman could know too much. No sys-
| tenn of education, however, should be
., .lnkn 60. Ct~ly
their way through the world alone. He
wants woman to be married, and yet he
wants her to be able to be above the ne
cessity Of depending entirely upon mar
| riage for subsistence. He does not want
| to educate woman only for household
drudgery.
The wife or mother is the being, before
all others, who holds the leading strings
OF society in her hands. She has her
highest duties to perform, and therefore
our girls should learn how to establish
and organize family home. He will
condemn clearinghouse life. This lite
is resorted to in a majority of cases be-
cause the young woman can't keep
| house. To keep a family home requires
culture of temper, the training of mind
and heart, which inspires children with
mental and moral training, and which
| make husbands happy. The wife and
| mother are the natural queens of the
household. This position requires
thought and judgment. Education
should implant in the minds of girls
notions of economy and order. Our
girls should also be taught the art of
pleasing.
This is not produced by girl making
herself scaffold tor hair, and gewgaws,
and furbeloWs, and the increase of these
scaffolds is more and more occasioning
young men to visit clubs and remain III
single blessedness. This, he will say, is a
thing of melancholy significance, for
when in nation marriages are growing
less in proportion TO education, and the
number OF children is growing less in
proportion to marriages, the very roots
of society will begin to rot, the nation
| will crumble into nothingness; and moth
ing should a girl be taught more earnest
| ly than this. Woman has been and will
| be the center OF luxury, but she will also
be the center Of homely virtue. AS she
understands and performs her duty, she
will be the good or evil genius OF society.
Our girls should be instructed in house
mold economy. They should know what
food and exercise is the best. They
should know how to bring up their chill
| dren with health and propriety. Our ma
tional disease is dyspepsia. 1t was said
! that during the late war doughnuts and
pies-sent by friends at home-kiiled
more of our soldiers than rebel bullets.
He will say that he is not prepared to
vouch for the perfect accuracy OF the
statement, though he believes there was
some truth in it. Our girls should be
taught sanitary cookery as well as ac-
iquire knowledge of the best and most
healthy articles Of fruit. The number OF
deaths of children under five years Of age
III our cities is positively appalling; it is
the result of ignorance OF the proper
manner of feeding chilulen.
He will say that there is also great
| Ignorance regarding proper ventilation.
All these things girls should know.
They should acquire that mental activi-
| ty which will make them know their
duty and know also how to perform it
we'll.
What we want are properly educated
mothers. A lady once asked a teacher
"When she should begin to teach her
childW "How old is the childW was
the question. 'Four yearsW "You have
lost iour years already" The mother is
the first and most responsible educator
of the child and she should learn her
work at the earliest possible moment.
What then should q girl learn? What