The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-08-17
BOARD OF EDUCATION,


Tran.acIed-German In the schools
Material Changes In that Branch
Of EducatiOn-Of1ce OF Supestn-
,endent or the German Department
ofrbe schools AboIished-Salarics
orr.aenArs Of the German Ian
/ guage, Etc.
! Board met last night in regular ses-
sion, Mr.. Baird, the President OF The
Board being absent, on m tion Mr..
Hupp was called to the CHAIR.
Pre- sent NJ roll csll-Messrs. BIngeli'
Caldwell, Cochran, Collier, Fitzsimmons,
Goerlpg, Hastings, Hess, Hi.dreth, Hupp,
Maxwell, Miller, McCully, Scott, Wat
kins, Wilson, Wheat-l7.
The minutes of the last meeting were
read, and there being no objection
signed.
During the reading OF the minutes Mr.
Baird. the chairman of the Board, ap'
peared and took his seat.
REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES.
The Committee on Accounts reported
a number of bills ard recommended the
payment Of the same. Report adopted.
The Committee on Salaries reported
that they deemed it inexpedient to make
any changes IN salaries AT present, ana re
commended that the same salaries be
paid the ensuing term Us last. Report
adopted.
The following report wss then submit
ted by the special committee on
GERMAN IN THE SCHOOLS
WHEELING. August l6, 1877.
To the Board of EdHcation:
Y pur special committee, TO whom was
referred, at the .ast meeting, the papers
then presented by the members OF the
Committee on German. involving the
question OF German in our public schools,
met IN full committee on the 4th and 9th
instants, of which meetings the members
of the regular Committee on German
were dul y notified.
OF that committee only Mr.. Miller
appeared before your committee, and he
ut but one meeting, so that little light
has been given us from that quarter IN
addition to the two papers submitted to
the Board showing q divided committee.
Ore paper recommended u continuance
of the present plan OF teaching Germ an
in the public schools as systematic and
efficient, the other holding it inefficient
in German and seriously hurttul TO the
English. aad recommending separate In
structlun In separate rooms or that the
instruction be discontinued
We have diligently seugh. solution
OF the perplexing questions which these
papers present. aiming TO keep IN view
the object of the law under which we act,
The best interests y. the school and the
greatest good to the greate-t numb'r OF
our school going population.
Under the present system one German
teacher Is employed at $50 per month,
two at $50 and three at $40 month
each-in all, six German teachers at an
annual cost of $1,000. These teachers do
no, have charge of pupils during school,
to direct and require the preparation OF
lessons; they are not on duty as many
hours each day rs other teachers, and do
not share the burdens OF opening, clos
in, government or discipline OF the
schools. They simply conduct and hear
the recitations of German classes in the
rooms occupied by the English pupils
who are supposed to be pursuing other
studies while the English teacher III the
same room is practically idle or can do
little else than preserve order.
Each pupil is allowed thirty minutes
each day to German, or from eighteen to
twenty school days in each year. At
this rate ne would get, in ten school
years of regular attendance, little less
than one school year il German.
This, in brief, represents the routine
in each OF the rooms where German is
recited, and is supposed to show con.
slant employment of six German teachers
| during about five school hours each
school day, while it also represents u
practical idleness of al equal number of
teachers and an arrest of English recita-
tons Tor the same time; or, for every
thirty minutes given each day TO Ger
man, there are thirty minutes lost TO
English recitstions
To put it in financial shape, is to say
that every dollar paid for German tut
tion represents al additional dollar lost in
the time and efficiency OF the English
teacher.
II is scarcely putting it too strong to
say that the $4,000 paid yearly for Ger
man teaching, represent $500 other dol
lars paid English teachers to act as pc.
lice during German recitstions. In this
view the German in our schools costs us
q yearly cash outlay of $4,000.
This salary would pay enough teachers
of high sttainments TO Conduc. single
school where German and other Ian
guages and other hi her branches and
sciences could be taught more efficiently,
without injury to the elementary and
practical English, but to greater efficiency
therein; while at the same time It would
be in perfect harmony with the letter and
intent OF the law If under that law
German may be taught in the primary
schools, so also may Hebrew, French,
Lstin, Greek, Trigonometry, Astronomy,
Zoology, Geology, Evidences OF Chris
tisnity and the like. Did the law
authorize or contemplate this2
The system contemplst ed by the law
would produce none of the clashing
which now exists, and in the very nature
of things will continue.
As now conducted the many cannot
or will not participate, and it prevents
many, in the limited time allowed to At
tend, from acquiring either a practical
| English or German education.
Under the present arrangement
whether the Germss recitstlons be con-
Quoted as now or in separate rooms, you
deprive the German OF thirty minutes
each day to English; and if you do not
class him separately in English studies,
you hold back the English pupils and
classes that he may not fall behind them.
Each member OF the regular committee
on German condemns one or the other
of these systems, and thus tar We sgrec
with them, fer by either system we be-
leve that more is lost to English than is
gained to German. Ii you arrange