, 1875-03-25

|
GERMAN IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
lilo proprioty OF making the German 1a,l-
gsnBe ono OF tile Studies in our public schools
1s rather warmly disputed in New York; aud
thero aro many In the Wcst, where the fan-
Euago IL more generally taught thnn In tho
Eaat, who question 1t too. Naturally enough,
o1r ucrfnnt fclow-c'tizens are strong nlyo-
Gates Of their mother-tonguo rs branch of
popular education. While many Americans.
"to tito manner born," are opposed to fts bo-
/ ing taught in the schools BECAUSE they think
1t serves to porpotuato foreign element in
the United States, the Gorlnans look upon
any attempt to exclude it from tho public
schools as evidence Of disposition TO refuse
ts1etn equnl rights with other citizens
| 1t seems to lis that Mother Of these posi-
tions is tei'ablo. Tho Germans anvo no right
to demand that their language shall be taught
i'll tho public schools. Nor is tho teaching of
it ut ail dangerous to tho country or neces'
sar1!y un-Anler1cau. Those who contend TINT
to teach German in the public schools is anti
American, forget that tile 6tndy of any foreign
language, md OF German particularly among
modern languages, Is most excellent dis
| clpline. 1t il scarcely fair to look upon tho
tcnching OF German IN tile public schools MS
| desire to mako Germans Of those who
| ought to bo Americans, mud to forget en-
tlrely tho part it 1nny be mado to
rlay in tho development of the mind
| The experience of ages han shown that the
Study Of languago is calculated to sharpen
tho powers OF observation, to strengthen tho
reasoning faculties. 10 exercise tho judgment,
and improve tlie memory. Next to the San
scrit and tho Greek, thero is no tongue tho
| study Of which lots tue student into tho mys-
tories Of tic nature of language "a does tho
German. 10 tho student of English it is of
tho worry highest value, related rs 1t il to the
Ang!o-saxon, ono of tho parents Of his Own
language, tho Latin being tho other. If ev-
cry American know Gcrmnn, lo would be
better acquainted with his own tongue, and
mono the less patriotic.
But If it in not on principles OF patriotism
TINT tho language should DO excluded from
our ptbllo SCHOOLS, neither Is 1t because its
study ID very desirable discipline, and the
knowledge OF It very convenient, that it
Rhould be taught there. There arc many
things Which are Calculated to teach tho
young 'uea no" TO eloof' ant Which it would
10 exceedingly convenient to know, which
CANNOT Do thuene In tno nnbi1c fchools. Tho
question whether German should DO taught
IN thcm' and TO "hnt extent. is ono which
must 10 determined by practical considera-
tons.
In the first place, tho study of tho hn-
Gaa9o shouhl not 10 mado obligatory. IL
Should DO optional with tho parent
or gaarsilan to Say whether tho pupil shail
tako 1t up or not. Many German parents
wo'iltl elect to haVo their eons and tlaughterB
study it. And this they might do with nd
vantage, Tor, as German chlldren have oppor-
tunitles to speak tho language at homo, thor
school training would servo TO impress it's
| grammar upon their minds. Not 10 with
American children. VI nli the children OF
Enghsh-speaklng paronts who study German
in tho Western public schools Mt tho peoples
cSpcnse, not one in GOO lcarns it well enough
70 speak IT with any case or tluoney. The
little they 10 learn OF 1t they carry about
with them Tor while, as dead language,
soon to forget it entirely. In viow Of
this undoubted fact, it may be askod
whotl'er 1t Is best that tho children Of Amer
ican parents, except in very exceptional cases,
| should mt wasto their timo on tho Gcrman
language.
But there is nnotllcr side to this question.
Lfe ia short aud art il long. School life,
especially, is Short Tho majority Of the
children who attond Tho public schools Gun
atrord to devote but very short timo to their
education. At tho age OF 10 they begin to
drop out, and at III very fow aro left in
school. Such being tho case, 1t Ia not doair-
able that their time should be taken up
| by any but tho most Indispensable
studies. To make German IN obligatory
study under such circumstances would DO
to do great injustice, ainco 1t would
hinder the adyanc emcnt of tic scholar in
those branches Of education whlcl. arc most