The Portland daily press., 1876-03-21
THE SCHOOLS.
Report of Superintenden At Hunt.

dppoalcN, VIC Ouiy lclcI W tuO tuUlC I'LL poLeout
matters:
STATISTICS
Mr.. Hunt begins with a summary of school
statistics. The estimated popbationsof the,
city is $4,000. By the school census of 1875 TO-
1O1 were between and 81 years of age, and
7,479 between 4 and 16. There are Is school
districts including % schools, namely: high
school, grammar schools, one intermediate,
one ungraded, and II primary schools. Two of
these districts are on the islands. The High
Schools contains 4 school rooms, Is class rooms,
and seats $50 pupils. There are grammar
school houses, and primary. The total num-
Der of school teachers employed is Ill, of whom
IA are in the high school, 80 in the grammar
schools, 8 in the intermediate, in the ungrad
ed Long Island school, Coin the primary schools,
and Especial teachers of penmanship, drawing,
music and French. The whole number of en-
rolled pupils is $500, males 1880, females 1852
The average number of pupils of all grades is
1878 and average attendance 1868.
COURSE OF STUDY.
Under this head the Superintendent makes
the following remarks:
To have an excellent system of schools is one
thing; to have system of education that will
justify the expenditures, is quite another. The
system of public schools, adopted by the princi-
pal cities of the country, finds as perfect type
in our own as could well illustrate it. 1t would
be difficult to find more favorable conditions,
as to unity of interests extent of territory, and
facility OF classification for carrying out thor.
oughly practical and economical system of ed
ucation. To what extent the typical system,
or want of system of education in the coun-
try, may Justly be held responsible for the cal
antilles of the time is an important question,
but that the prevailing systems Of the last CEN
fury have not enabled us to avoid Industrial and
commercial crises is certain. That we have
hpan pducQtinU ont Of labor n hiUhpr o6u.
cation is sufficiently attested by the curious
phenomena of agricultural and industrial
schools in this state, as if those we possessed
did not lead to industry. The same point is il
Illustrated by the prominence given to boating
and base ball under the name of physical exer-
else to the disparagement of honest labor.
THE HIGH SCHOOL, ETC.
The most interesting portion of the report of
superintendent Hunt is found under the head
Of the High School, He says:
The work done in the High School has been
modified to meet the slowly changing views of
what is valuable in the higher education of the
public schools. The English course of study
has been made as full and complete in its range
as the time given to it will allow. 1t is very
gratifying to notice the growing sentiment
among the pupils vino enter this school, not in
tending to take the college course. that it is
better for them to confipe their efforts to the
English course, including our modern language
and the natural sciences, with the usual mathe-
NAUTICAL and mechanical branches. 1t would
not be far removed from the ludcrous, did it
not excite our pity, to see the grief of young
lads and misses who fail to get ten per cent.
even on their examination papers for admission
to the High School, when we learn that their
great aim was to have the opportunity to study
Latin. Not much less so to witness the per-
plexity of a three or four year old graduate in
trying to remember the subject of the Latin
author studied, 70 say nothing of what he said
upon it. Though such cases may be exception
al, still they illustrate well the folly of what
may be called the Latin mania.-which, ander
the judicious advice of the principal and the
regulations of the Board, is fast ending. The
English course BY wise classification of the
pupils may well fill profitably the time. of the
aoiest pupil, yet to meet the cases of those who,
by excellent health, unusual or early mental
Development can do the average work of the
prescribed course-and study Latin in addition
the plan allows their election of the study
under the advice of the Principal and with con-
sent OF the parent. Those who decide to take
the college course are also required to give more
attention to literature and the natural sciences,
the Board thereby wishing to obvate as far as
possible the difficulties referred to by President
Porter in his remarks following:
"The course preparatory to college is, regret to
say largely confined to special schools. This results
especially in two disadvantages: 1. division into
clearly defined classes is introduced even in child
hood between those who Should stand as much as
possible upon common footing. 2. Those with
drawn thus to select schools Tor limited college
counsel have their attention diverted into narrowed
range OF acquisition. When there should be gen.
eral training into the of correct English in the
facts and relations OF natural history in its several
departments and in the outlines of at least one mod
ern Language, the lad is put at special and narrow
ing work. mean to say 10 other words, that Latin
and Greek are begun too early and pursued too ex-
clusvely and that time which during certain inter-
val, would be more economically spent in a wider
range is almost wasted by the present SYSTEM There
is required of an educated man ground of COM
mon knowledge which the college-bred man rarely
foundation in correct intellectual habits which the
public school with its wider vew is better fitted to
give than the mere grammar school. There is
needed, not less foundation in common sense, an
with common things and common peo-
pie, and with the common aims and hopes of the
masses which the segregation of the prevailing method
prevents. look back to the years spent, unprota-
bly, enough, indeed. and under methods barbarous
enough.n certain old red schoo-house, as among
believe that many will unite in like testimony.
Who does not pity from the bottom of his heart the
Latin exercises. his Latin TRANSACTIONS? And if we
pity him why should we not help him? The trouble
is that his work has no connection with living Ian
guage, and that not even what connection might be
brought out is shown. The process should be carried
on side by side with intelligent study of English
and it should happen that only after years of
study it should dawn on the pupils mind that the
old, dead tongue is similar in structure to the Ian
guage OF his every day llfe Work so exclusively at
and full of loss The high pressure and the hard work
result, thirdly, in mechanical habits of thought. The
book is studied to be committed, and committed to
be !ecited and retained to be examined on, and not
as intelligent knowledge which is to form part of the
furnishing OF working mind.''
So much on the correct method of studying
Greek and Latin. if studied, in which also is
expressed the firm belief that if the college,
bred man procures the strong background of
knowledge on which to fight the battles of life
III NAV with great nr0nriatV he said il ia in
spite of his Latin and Greek, instead of on
account of it. And if this can be said of the
college-bred man, how ridiculous it is for those
who do not intend to enter upon either of the
SO called learned professions to fritter away
their time to learn so little of language which
must to them ever be positively dead, to the
neglect of those educating aud information
giving studies which would enable them sue
cessfully to enter upon any OF the honorable
industries of life. Could Latin be studied by
the pupil as an important aid to the under
standing OF his own language and literature, by
rational methods, no one would question its
educational value. Until so taught, we would
limit the study of it in the public school to
those who intend to take the college course,
and to those whose facility of acquisition would
enable them to attend to it without detriment
to their education in the branches bearing upon
the practical industries of life.
More prominence has been given to the study
of English literature. More time also is given
the people to use it in speaking and writing,
and to compare its structure and literature with
his own. In this department the regular
teachers have been ably assisted by Prof
Masse, who is indefatigable in his efforts to
instruct the pupils in the correct pronunciation
OF the language, and in its pure and idiomatic
dction.
In thus speaking mainly of the excellencies
of the work accomplished during the past year,
it must not be inferred that defects also have
not been observed. Some have been remedied;
others require longer time. A reasonable
length of time should be allowed the teachers
already in the service to become accustomed to
the requirements of the course of study-to
consider the best methods of accomplishing
what appears at first sight so exorbitant in
demand-to find out that much more may be
easily accomplished by different methods on
the part of some, and on the part of others
to appreciate the opportunity the programme
affords them to use to better advantage the
knowledge of better methods they already
possess, and who earnestly desire to witness re.
suits more nearly corresponding to their own
and the pupils efforts; who, in short, welcome
the changes and suggestions made BY the
Board, or any others that would in some degree
free them from what often occurs in their pro-
fession, the wearisome tasksof