The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-01-07


recognize il as belonging 10 that class oI
words: and hardly one stu
dent in = hundred thousand become,
able to supply words which are under
stood with tolerable degree of readi
ness and correctness"
| This is strong language indeed, but
we must acknowledge that it contains
more than little trnth, though we may
not be prepared to admit that the wri-
ter's prescriptions, namely, his text book
is an infallible remedy for the disease If
this is true of the taught, when they grad
uate, it is true OF them when they be-
| come teachers. But after due allowance
has been made for the deficiencies of
| teachers, there remains a poverty of
| success which must be accounted for in a
want of adapta ion in the study itself
to a large class of the minds which pur-
sue it,
Take an average pupil from of our
graded schools, which is conservative on
this point, and does not require technic-
al grammar until the last year but one of
the elementary course. Having entered
the primary department at the age of
six, lie is now twelve years of age. A
great disproportion exists between bis
mind, with its six years of school culture
in its vocabulary, in its power of analy-
sis, in its ability to compare fine shades
of meaning, in its knowledge of the
power of words in a sentence, and the
demand which is made upon these quail
tiles of the intellect by the study of
English Grammar.
He rises to recite; begins fair but soon
hesitates; blunders along little further
and stops; a dismal smile breaks over
indicates the cavernous depths in which
he is searching, and from which he
struggles forth with such a caricature of
the words of Mr.. Harvey that were that
honored educatorpresen | fear the dis
NAL smile aforesaid would be transferred
to another face. He has labored hard
to imprint upon his memory words which
might as we'll have been Chinese for all
the ideas that they brought to his mind,
in the hope that this dull drugery was
an education. Poor victim of misplace
ed confidence
But some one says ''That is not a
good recitation" Am not safe in say
ing that a few well directed questions in
regard to the Iheaning of words used
will take the excellence out of maiori-
ty of the we'll memoriZed recitations in
English Grammar by this srlde of pu-
pifs.
Surely we need rot go to Brighton to
find DIR. Blimber. nor Mr.. Feeder, b. A,
nor Miss Blimber, with her spectacles;
and if we do not see upon our streets
Mr. Toots and 'poor little F..ul Dom
bey," it is only because a slightly differ
ent treatment has caused little varia
ton of the symptoms.
But what has been gained at thorough
knowledge of English Grammar! 1t is
answered, s'They have acquired valu
able discipline of mind" Very good;
and that discipline has trained the
mind to scientific methods of thought,
to accurate and systematic classification
of ideas, as far as it is possible to accom-
plish this with such an unscientific sci
ence.
Now, what is theSvalue of the knowl-
edge gained? Shall we find good English
clear and accurate, flowing from their
pens, Let our social life and epistolary
correspondence answer. Macaulay says:
1--WE cannot perceive that the study of
grammar makes the smallest difference
in the speech of people who have al
ways lived in good society. Not one
Londoner in ten thousand can lay down
the rules for the proper use of 1cdt and
shall. Yet not one Lnndoner in a mil
lion ever mispl,.ces his 1CW and shaH.--
DIR. Robertson could undoubtedly have
written a luminous dissertation on the
use of these words. Yet even i'll his
latest work, he sometimes misplaced
them ludicrously" If this be true, ele-
mentary schools would suffer but lite,
if this study were banished from them.
| believe that the text book study OF
the English language as science, til 1t
Algebra, and that considerable part OF
Arithmetic, as at present taught, should
have no place in our elementary schools
for these reasons: the minds in such
schools are two immature, either in age or
culture, or both; those who can nevera at
tend higher schools can spend their time
upon other studies which are better suit
ed to their age and capacity, and will
give them more useful knowledge and
richer mehIal culture; and thosewho do
attend higher schools can pursue these
branches there to mach better advan-
tage
Let the places of these branches he
filled by the English Language a. an art,
by Physiology and L. S. History and if
there still be room, the elements of
Physics and the Natural History sci
ences stand close by, anxious to reveal
themselves to the understandings of
those who, without their aid, will wan
der amid the beauties and harrnonies of
nature with blind eyes and deaf ears.
As step towards the accomplishment
of this end, / would suggest that several
of these branches be added to those of
which knowledge is required in order
to obtain a county certificate There
would be difficulties attending such a
change, both in respect to teachers and
examiners, but they are not so great as
might at first be thought. Fortunately
this is not an untried experiment, and
we can have the benefit of Others ex-
perienee.
Early in 1872, the Illinois Legislature
passed law of this character, in regard
to which quote from the report of the
Superintendent of Public instructions
for 1S71-2:
The new law went into effect July /,
1872 Teachers are requiredt to>be ex
annined in the elements OF the natural
sciences, physiology, aud the laws of
health. in addition to the branches