The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-07-15
Practical Education.

in which we live is education, that culture
which develops, enlarges and enriches each
individual mird to it's fullest capacity, by a
thorough acquaintance with the laws and
facts of the material world and of the human
soul. And yet what this education really
is, or how it is to be best secured is not very
clearly comprehended by a majority Of the
people, or by teachers themselves.
Two widely different, and in many re-
spects, antagonistic theories of education
prevail at the present time. One theory
seeks "learning for ITSELF, and not for lucre
or any other end than the service of God and
truth. !" The other teaches that education
is to fit man to provide food, clothing and
shelter,--al the necessaries and luxuries Of
life. 1t will accept of no results which can
not be weighed in the balances as so much
merchandise or counted out as so much
ready cash. ''The three persons OF its Di-
yinty are Trade, Money and Machinery
Our common schools are in very little
be feared, all lie in the direction of the last.
Parents are anxious that their children
should learn those things which will he Of
practical service to them in after life. Hence
a large amount of time must be devoted to
Reading, Spelling, Grammar and especially
to Arithmetic. This is well. but still do not
these studies receiveoan undue share OF at
tentien. in our district schools? Nor are
they really any more practical than other
branches which are sadly neglected. In
for instance, how many ever
make use of anything except the fundamen-
tai rules, and interest, while several priNci-
pies which are required in some particular
kinds Of business are not found in our ordin-
airy textbooks, but must be learned after
wards. 4 $50
Many parents and teachers insist upon the
study of Grammar as being O practical and
useful branch of study, bu. neglect compo-
sition writing as in their opinion Unnecessa
nv. Where is the practical benefit arising
from this study as it is usually taught In our
schools except SIS a discipline to the mind
A child may learn so conjugate verb with
all the precision of machine, decline the
pronouns with perfect accuracy or repeat
the rules of syrtax in order without the
omission of word, and still be ignorant of
the underlying principles of the language.
More attention should be gwen to the first
principles, the critical spirit should be
aroused, and the errors in common CONVEX
sation carefully pointed out. And in no
way can this be moro successfully accom-
plished than by systematic course Of in
struction in composition, begun early and
continued through the whole period ofschool
life. 8 @
Again, what can be more useful than a
thorough knowledge of the structure and
mechanism of the human body and of the
laws Of health And yet, in bnt few of our
schools is Physiology taught with any degree
of thoroughness. 4 9a ,efiIf Il u
Botany is another study of q decidedly
practical nature and is deserving of more
attention than it receives. Vague and in
definite impressions lead to mis-statement
and vice. Accuracy of statement and of
observation lead to the most beneficial re-
suits. And yet how little effort lis made to
train these powers of observation? How
many even offthe teachers who read this,
can tell definitely the Office of each of the
several parts offs flower? How many can
describe the difference between the leaf Of
the maple and the oak the willow and the
peach the apple and the pear? How many.
know what becomes of the seed of the pump
kin, squash or bean when the plant rises
above the surface, ofithe ground :? But few
stables which come within the range of the
youthful mind tend more to cultivate habits
OF obs ervation than botany.
Education then. in its broadcast sense. not
the involution of dry facts, but the evolution
of the preexisGent, God-given faculties !; the
drawing forth all that Is potentially In the
child y should ever be the ain of the true
teacher. He should not strive to cultivate
one eet Of faculties at the expense Of others,
but should zealously labor for that full,
harmonious development of all the powers,
that freedom from narrowness and prejudice
that breadth and comprehensiyeness of
thought which charactsrizes the truly edB-
Gated man or woman. Aila H.
5000 CAMDEN, +Neb., July 5, 1875.
As have just returned from the Republican
Valley write to give you some information of
that part of the country. Ispent one week there
five years ago without seeing any one except our
own company now almost the whole country is
settled, with some large improvements and quite
a number OF villages. The crops look well now
bnt the farmers feel some down hearted, as the
Locusts have been flying over fer the last three
weeks, stopping at night fer supper. They rise
n n 49, I,a ru;u %o1zo n