New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-09-09
A THOROUGH EDUCATION.

RESULT or THE EXAMINATIONS AT WEST POINT
DEFICIENT TRAINING IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR,
HISTORY, AND GEOGRAPHY REVEALED.
TO the EdftOr Of TIE Tribune.
SIR: 1t may be worth while to inquire
whether the money so generously expended oduca-
tion in these pinching times is producing eommen
surae results. Any unsupported opinion reply 10 tbs
inquiry would be unsatisfactory, matter how respect
able It's author Nothing less positive than series OF
impartial examinations, made by competent persons,
should have any weight I'm deciding this question The
may not be generally known but such examinations
are made annually aud readers Will be able 10 draw
their own conclusions the results are laid before them
The Military Academy at West Point and the Naval
Academy at Annapolis are both recruited by the appoint
men OF one cadet each Congressional district and 40
eat large" 40 annually. The appointments arfor the
most part made arbItrary brit I'm many instances can
ddates selected by competitive examination AHer
appointment candidates examined at West Point
lat Annapolis In tie Of the nav u cadets by board
composed of professors Of the Academy. In order to
insure strict impartalty the examination consists OF
written questions, TO be answered in writing, and the
candidates are known only by numbers Tho papers Of
all candidates examined az sitting identical and
In order TO satisfy all inquiries In the case Of rejected
candidates the questions and accompanying answers OF
each candidate are filed at the War Department In WASH
ingtnn II is clear that these examinations can hardly
be otherwise than fair and impartial and that in the
average attainments of the young men Of the whole
country The ages candidates are for West Point
between IL and ~, and for Annapolis between IA aud
49, The subjects Of examination at West Point are his
tory geography, arithmetic, grammar, spelling, and
reading. No catch questions are employed, and
the range subject not greater than any l4year
old boy OF average capacity properly instructed, should
have mastered.
AT an examination Of IS candidates few days ago at
West Point no less than 20 rejected uDsatisfac
tory and this result Al cent Of failures was not ex
&c 0nay dsasIons AZ inc Go eUiIespO11ns td
The June examination usually affords little Detter e-
nrcntae of failures "A very heavy An examination in
history aud geography could be made to cover so meh
thoroughly prepared fact however the examlnatOn
sub eots not comparatively more severe than
In arithmetic which j. limited To the four ground rules,
fractions decimal and vugarl, and proportion IL VIII
be observed that no Latin no Greek, no modern an-
guagea no higher mathematics, are required-n0thlng
but the English branches-rom boys ABOVE the
ordinary age for leaving school, VINO have hd several
mouths notice OF their appointment and who, In many
instances hayo been specially coaehed for er eAnl'
nIton The eourse OF studies at West POINT Il not en
ceptOnaly difficult. Brains and industry arc certainly
essential hgn standing Ia ones class bnt any boy that
has fairly passed his entering examination without
speca Coaching ought graduate, II his habits stu.
dous and hs conduct good But large percentage fan
after entering and large number Of these sRbsequent
failures are clearly attributable to imperfect Preparation
-grnoray TO insufficient knowledge OF the English
distinguished West Point that candidates
are well prepared as boys were 80 years ago.
many ges, but they cannot spell real they have
"been through" course OF higher mathematics, but
they know almost nothing OF arithmetic; and they
drporaby deficient in grammar history, aud geography
In short the young man OF the present day. who
takes prizes IN our expensive Summaries and high
schools fails IN the very studies which were thoroughly
taught In the district schools OF the country so years
There Is NO opinion on this point. The facts
developed at TIE West Point examinations, for several
years past are unanswerable In the improved educa-
tiona which include drilling in arithmetic,
reading, writing spelling, geography, and history d
ada pied tue probable wants OF young men OF the
present generation, there is nothing TO be- said. One
ng IL certain however II the common branches 20
be acquired at all they must be learned and thoroughly
mastered In early life Whatever the girls may be doing,
the boys on leaving school, up TO the mark.
Where The difficulty Hes and how much OF 1t Is duo 10 the
substitution OF principal with young ladies for assist
ant teachers in place OF masters for whose physical
well mental force boys naturally nave some respect,
Ia large question 10 be entered upon at this writing
SiRg Sing, N. T., Sept A. 1875. C.H