The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-10-02
A Visit TO the Public School.-We


or two ago, aud passed very pleasant
hour, witnessing Miss Lille Towards mode
of teaching. Mr.. Hanna, the Principal,
was engaged, during our stay, with hearing
classes in the recitation room, and Miss
Howard acted as officer of the day in the
upper room. Her drill and mode of put
ting the youngsters through their lessons
are admirable, in our opinion, without
claiming to be by any means critic in the
art of school teaching. The system of
teaching we were most familiar with was
practiced before the corps of teachers who
at present manage Elkton Public School
were born, and matters in that line of bus
mess have changed somewhat since. The
system of compulsory education was in
vogue then. We never enjoyed it much, or
admired it great deal, we must say, but
compulsory education has many advocates
nowadays. The compelling process was
something after this fashion: When boy
was backward about receiving an educa-
ton, and his case was brought to arbitra-
ton, he had the law laid down by the head
of the family, Familiarity known among col
lege boys as the Governor, or perhaps
the Governess, next in command occupied
the seat of justice. The word go was
given, followed promptly with we'll pro-
portioned rod of wonderful elasticity aud
toughness, and a smart boy generally found
the school house with commendable alac-
rity. This was the first compulsory step.
The second was apt to be much more inter
esting. There were a number Of unwritten
bylaws for the government of the school
which the pedagogue was rather careless
about making proclama ton Of in the GUS
tomary way of publishing edicts, but the
slightest infraction of any one of these
laws brought speedy punishment. Solo,
mon was standard authority with all the
class of pedagogues which found their way
into the schools of those days, generally
from Ireland. Spelling child by sparing
the rod can never be laid at their door.
Things were made warm and lively for the
boys, and girls, too, in those days, between
home and the school house. There was no
road of easy grades to ascend the hill of
science and learning then. Books were
few and decidedly hard. No books which
advanced step by step, with objects to
demonstrate and illustrate the simplest
question in arithmetic; but Roses, Ben
nett's or Pixies arithmetic was placed in
the pupils hands, and he was pushed
through the difficult problems at the point
of hickory rod, without much explana-
ton by the teacher. When boy found
the "answer" once he wasn't likely to
forget it.
But things have all changed since then,
and from being like the tabled road to
Jordan, hard to travel, the aim of the pres
ent generation OF teachers is to make the
path of knowledge t1owery way, and all
the associations of the school room pleasant
and agreeable. What we saw of the pro-
cess as conducted at our Public School i'm
pressed us with the progress made in this
direction most favorably. To attempt to
give details of the modes practiced in the
Public School would be tedious and moth
ing like the satisfaction of observing the
process, which every one can do by spend
ing an hour or two at the Public School
any day the school is open. The teachers
are always pleased to have parents visit
the school, and such visits encourage both
pupils and teachers; and if they were more
common they would be productive of the
best results. An increased interest would
soon be awakened in the community in the
cause of public education, which would
speedily lift our Public Schools to higher
plane. Go and see the children at work,
is our advice to every head of family, and
these tender shoots of humanity will strive
with redoubled ambition to excel in their
lessons.