The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-01-01
Our Public Schools.

49, e'~ -ANH7- 9@'N-F'a%NfttJ fN@N%N~s AfaN VIZ
Amerieaa thinks otherwise; to the small
towns and country schools ii aseribes the
best results in scholarship. Thatcommou
school education should not be able -
eradicate rowdyism from the populace Of
great city should not be surprising to
any one, when it is remembered that no
system Of education hitherto tried, has
ever been able to attain such result.
The Bible in the public schools win not do
it, however our moral dreamers may sickle
for its use. Our public school system
seems to have been designed for the deyel.
opment Of the intellect only; moral and
physical development have been chiefly
left to other agencies, or to none at ALL
No system Of education is perfect, in cur
judgment, which does not seek to develop
the moral. physical and intellectual being,
at the same time. The comparative neg
lect of the moral and physical development
of our youth, is the fault of society, more
than Of the public schools. There is and
should be no substitute for parental train
ing of the moral character. Neither to
the Sunday school nor to the public school
should be exclusively confded this most
sacred duty. They should both cooperate
with parents and guardians in the good
work, but should not be entrusted with it
exclusively, for there is no excuse for pa
rental neglect Of the moral training of
children. And just here is the stupendous
error of the times. While our educational
system addresses itself to intellectual cul-
ture chiefly, if not altogether, parents aud
guardians are too often content to leave
their children entirely to such training,
while in morals aud manners they in too
many instances grow up ike wild asses
colts without any or very little training at
all An able writer has said that--"Where
the youth is depraved the nation is on the
decline This is literally true, aud it
behooyes us to inquire into the moral
status of the youth Of this country, for
upon the moral more than upon the intel
lectual condition Of her citizens rests the
safety and well-beiug Of the state. No
society has attained to proper degree of
culture without the development of our
triune nature-moral, mental and physi-
cal-and no system of education is perfect
which does not thoroughly develop our
children 10 this three fold sense. How
we are to attain to such excellence in our
educational system, is a question worthy
Of the profoundest consideration, and one
which is engaging very general attention
at this time. But, to the extract upon
which we have based these reflections:
There are so many diverse theories concern.
ing the organization of schools, the methods
of teaching, the enforcement of discipline,
to say nothing of the religious questions that
enter into the problem, that another century
will probably pass away before there will be
any nnanimity Of opinion upon the essential
conditions OF popular system OF instruction.
A gentleman OF liberal culture sends us n
letter, in which he advocates the entire aboli.
ton OF schools for children. He believes
that technical education should begin after
| the mind has matured, and that tender child
hood should not be troubled with any lessons
except such as may be given at home by
loving parents.
We have no doubt that the communication
will constrain school teachers to take up the
cudgels in behalf OF their own profession and
the system of education with which they are
identified; while his theories will meet with no
favor, it will do no harm to point out defects
which may be cured by milder remedies.
We think that it would be very foolish thing
to abolish schools in order TO get rid of the
examining process, although that cannot be
reprobated too severely.
! No doubt there is something wrong in the
methods Of instruction that now obtain in
most Of our schools We should not like to
undertake to point out all the possible defects
or TO suggest a cure for each Of them, but we
feel convinced that system of schools so
costly and so extensive should produce better
results. For many years the public schools
of this city have been regarded as models. y
A very large sum is levied upon the taxpay.
ers every year for their support the teachers
are reasonably well paid, and there is no lack
of commodious schoolhouses in every part of
the city. With all the appliances for educa
ting the masses, and raising the standard of
intelligence and virtue among the lower
classes, it seems to us that less has been &C.
complished than the friends Of the common
schools had right to expect. Those who
saw the mobs Of illiterate, vulgar, vicious
yore5 men, that hung about the voting pre-
clncts at the last election, need not be told
that there IS large element in the popula-
tion on which the free schools have made no
impression. Probably most of these rowdies
attended the public schools when they were
boys, but the instructions which they received
did not make them good citizens or good
scholars. We doubt very much whether they
were improved in any way by the little educa.
ton which they received at the pnblic ex
pense, and probably they would not have
been whit more barbarons If they had grown
up in city where not one dollar is levied
upon the taxpayers for educational purposes.
II must not be understood that we are max
ing an argument against the common schools
because they have failed to do all that was ex
pected Of them. On the contrary, such ex.
hibitions ofignoranee and rufianism illustrate
the necessity for the employment of ali the
educational agencies that can possibly be
brought to bear upon the lower classes. Bows
who have had the opportunity of learning to
read and write ought not to be such barba.
rians, aud there may be some inherent defects
10 our modes of discipline and instruction
that render them less effective than they
should be. The sentiment 10 favor OF com
mon schools is 80 overpowering that even
judicious criticism Of their shortcomings is
not listened to with any degree Of patience.
Free education and free government are init
mately associated with each other in the popu,
Tar mind, and the man who finds fault with
the one Is denounced as an enemy to both.
SympathiziRg as we do with the masses of
the people in their high appreciation OF the
public schools, we shall venture to mention
one OF the causes which, in our Judgment,
lessons their usefulness. They have become
too mechanical. The schoolmaster, with his
resolute will and strong points Of character,
has become obsolete. His place is filled by
an amiable person, generally Of the gentler
sex, who imparts instruction according to a
liked system, of which the teacher is part.
Lessons are assigned, recitations made, and
s.rdss