The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-08-17
BOARD OF OBLIGATION.
The German Language Hereafter
10 be Taught only 10 Pupils
OF tho Higher Grades.


The Board Of Education met in regular
session lsst night. Present: Baird,
Bipgsll, Bowers, Caldwell, Cochran,
Collier, FitzsimmonB, Goering, HaStingV,
Hess, llildreth, Hump, Maxwell, Miller,
McCully, Scott, Todd, Watkins, Wilson,
Wheat.
The Committee on Accounts reported
bills which had been examined and found
correct. The bills were ordered paid.
The Committee on Salaries reported
that they had considered the resolution
referred to them July 10Th, and were Of
the opinion that IL would be inexpedient
to make any changes from the salaries
paid last year, The report Of the com.
mittec was adopted.
REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON GER
MAN.
The Special Committee on German
submitted the following report:
WHEELING, Augustl8, 1877.
70 thc Board Of Education:
Your special committee TO whom was
referred, at the last meeting, the papers
then presented by the regular Committee
on German, involving tho question Of
German in the Public Schools, met in full
committee nthe 4th and 9th instants, Of
which meetings the members Of the regu.
lar Committee on German had due notice,
Only Mr.. Miller Of that committee APP
peared before your committee, and lie at
but one meeting, so that We had but lit
lie light from that quarter in addition to
the two papers submitted 10 the Board
showing divided committee-one paper
recommending continuance OF the pres.
ent plan OF teaching German in the pub.
lie schools as systematic and efficient; the
other holding il inefficient in German
and seriously hurtiul to the English, and
recommending separate instruction in
separate rooms or that the instruction he
discontinued.
We have diligently sought solution
Of the perplexing questions which these
two reports present, aiming to keep in
view tho objects Of the law under which
We act, the best interests OF the schools
and the greatest good 10 tho greatest
number OF our schoOl.going population.
Under tho present system, one German
teacher is employed at $50 per month,
Two at $50, and three ut $40 each--in all,
six German teachers at an annual cost OF
$1,000.
These teachers do not have charge Of
pupils during study, to direct and require
the preparation Of lessons; they are not
on duty as many hours each day az other
teachers, and do not share the burdens Of
opening, closing, government and discip.
line Of the schools.
They simply conduct and hear rccita-
tons Of German classes in the rooms &C.
cupied by English pupils, who arc sup
posed to be pursuing other studies, while
the English teacher in 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. this
rate he would get a little less than one
school year in German in ten school
years OF regular attendance.
The foregoing represents, in brief, the
routine in each Of the rooms where Ger
man is rCcited, and is supposed to show
a constant employment OF six German
teachers during about five school hours Of
each school day; while it also represents
practical idleness Of an equal number
OF English teachers, and an arrest Of
English recitations for the same time. Or,
for every thirty hours given each day 10
German, there are thirty hours lost 10
English reCitations.
To put il in financial shape Is to say
that every dollar paid for German tut.
ton, represents dollar lost in time and
efficiency otthe English teacher.
1t is scarcely putting il too strong to
say that the $4,000 paid yearly for Ger
man teaching, represent 1900 other dol.
lars paid English teachers to act as po-
lice during German Rotations. In this
view the German in our schools costs us
n yearly cash outlay Of $500.
This sum would pay enough teachers
Of high Nttainments 10 conduct 4 single
school where German and other Ian.
guagcs and other higher branches and
sciences could bc taught more efficiently,
without injury 10 the elementary and
practical English but to its greater eflici-
enCy; while ut the same time it would be
in harmony with the letter and intent OF
the law.
II under that law German may be
taught in the Primary schools, 20 may
Hebrew, French, Latin, Greek, Trigono-
metry, Astronomy, Zoology, Geology,
Evidences Of Christianity and the like.
Did the law contemplate or authorize
this?
The system contemplated by the law
will produce none Of the clashing which
now exists and in the very nature Of
things will continue.
As now conducted the many'cann OF or
will not participate, and it prevents many
whose time is limited from acquiring
either u practical English or German
education.
Whether the German Rotations be
conducted IA now or in separate rooms,
you deprive the German Of thirty min.
utes each day to English; and il you do
not class him separately in English stud
les, 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 systcms, and thus far we agree with
them, Tor by either system we believe
that more is lost to English than is gain
ed to German.
II you arrange the students in German
into separate English classes, you re.
quire double the time OF the English
teacher to do the same work, or she can
give TO each but half the time she ought.
lfGerman recitationa are held in Eng
lish rooms, you take the time from the
English teacher and divert the attention
OF the English pupils,
II German reCitations are conducted IN
separate rooms, Of classes composed OF
scholars also members OF English classes,
no such English class can reclte during
the recitation Of German without injury
in the English to absent members.
Classes strolling in and out Of the
rooms and through tho halls during
school hours is exceedingly annoying and
hurttul to all within sight or sound.
II the pupil in German undertakes at
the same time to carry German and keep