The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-08-18
Minority report on the Subject OF
German In the Public Schools. |

Minority report on the sunject OF
German In the Public SCHOOLS. |
To tho Board OF Education.
GENTs:-The undersigned members OF
the special committee to whom was re.
lerred the two reports Of your committee
on German language, dissenting most de.
cideiiy from the views and purposes OF
the preamble and resolution adopted by
majority OF said special committee, beg
leave to submit the following minority
report, viz: About seven years ago the
German language. WAS introduced into
our public schools as IN optional part Of
their course Of studies; it was then new
and untriel, and necessarily more i'm
perfect and unsatisfactory as then ar
ranged and taught; 30 much so, that this
Board, in It's wisdom, in August, 1875,
made most thorough and searching ex-
animation and revision Of the whole mat
ter, which resulted in the adoption OF the
present method Of teaching il, for the de-
tails and discussion OF which We beg leave
TO refer you 10 the details and minutes
Of this board at that time. Since the ad.
option Of this improved plan, German
has been an eminent success in our pub.
lie schools, as proven by the testimony OF
those who have not only carefully
watched its progress and examined It's
students, but being Germans, are parties
most capable Of performing this task cor.
rectly, and whose opinions and views are
therefore entitled TO respect and conf.
dence. The objections and efforts to
throw the German language out OF our
public schools are in chief part urged by
those who neither speak or understand
it, and hence their opinions are simply
worthless. How can man who knows
nothing oil Greek or Latin give an opin.
ion Of its merits? The resolution Of the
majority report requiring German TO be
taught only in the Grammar and A diyis.
ions, claims II as "higher branch 10 be
classed with Latin, Greek and Geometry,
and only adapted to mature minds" All
observation and experiencedisproyes such
proposition. Asa living language its
words and sentences arouse the attention
and comprehension Of the youngest pu.
pill in your schools, by whom il issue.
cessfulIy, and we may say, intultivcly
learned. Notso with the dead langua.
ges, or the profound and abstruse pr0po.
-ilions Of Euclid.
The enrOllmentin our German depart.
ment this year Is 1876 tsee superintendent's
report). Belonging to grammar depart.
ment 70; division a, lGl; b, 200; G, l42.
tsee supt. report for April 1917. Under
The arrangement OF classes at This time,
the effect Of the majority resolution in
teaching German only in the Grammar
and A divisions will be 10 utterly exclude
from the Third ward 1856 pupils, from the
Fifth ward lis pupils, and Eighth ward
1856 pupils, making in all $50 pupils in
the three sub.districts, leaving only 1875
pupils in the whole German department.
We ask this Board are they ready for
this wholesale slaughter and exclusion
The German element compriae4 about
onefour,h oil our city population, and
il amongthe largest tax.paying, indnstri-
Gus and beat Of our citizens. Surely, they
have acme rights which should he re4Pee.
ted by this Board, Let us examine the
public school reports Of other cities and
study their experiences.
In theSt. Louis public schools, with an
an enrolment Of 1858, 1880 study the
German language, the Superintendent.
closing his report with these words: $50
that now any pupil Of our schools can
take well.graded continuous course Of
instruction III German, beginning with
the lowest grade of the district school aud
closing with the senior wear Of the High
School," (see annual report for lS75.7G).
In the Louisville public schools, in an
enrolment Of 1925 pupils 5,4sl are in
The German department. The expert.
ment Of excluding it in the lowest or
eighth grade is uscondemned by the Su.
perintendent: 1.-THE exclusion Of pupils
Of the eighth grade from instruction in
the German language Ia a severe blow for
this department, the effects Of which will
become. more marked every year.
l therefore earnestly recommend, as was
formerly done, the study Of German in the
eighth grade" (see Louisville pub
school rep, June 80, 1871
The Cincinnati public schools are
Justly regarded among the best in the