The New York herald., 1878-02-07

far The fourth grade IN the grammar Less thar
twenty per cent OF pupils In the grammar school,
numpcr IN these three grades wss tn 1876 S,05l.
For these pupils and Tor shs 600 IN tns
YORK. and tho 7a9 in the hrst aud second grades u
the Normal College. or about ten thousand IN all,
high schools should be established 10 conyenent sec.
tous o. the city. Consolidation OF existing schools
would doubtless furnish all needed buildings without
increased expense.
The College Of New YORK and The Normal College. II
maintained, should be simply training schools tor
teachers. and as sucn should be supported ny the
m ii schools a. Albany Buffalo and other places.
Such system 10 IN operation IN Boston. whore the
number OF children attending the public schools Is
nearly ninety per cent 0 tho children OF schoolag
and where the maximum OF success IN the municipal
system seems 10 have been attained. Il IS obvloas
attainment We should recognize The facts OF the
and not be charged with blind adherence 10 the
method adopted simply because We are accustomed
10 It.
xgw YORK coLLEGH
II is not in spirit o hostility 10 the College OF tho
City Of New York that the committee urge inquiry
into lis system OF management or the character and
scope OF its operations and the committee believe u
unjust aud imp0tc TO advocate the abolition or SUB
stantiai modification OF the college as a separate
measure 0 Reform Both this institution ana the Norman
College have outgrowu the original idea underlying
their foundation and Il 10 not altogether clear that
the development has been neaithy or IN the direction
OF the greatest good 10 the community On care.
u study OF the situation the general suggestion oI
adapting system 10 that given In Inc above
outline will be found least open to objection.
annual message OF January l. 1875 refers to the enor-
OF mouey ralsed by tsxstion for school pur-
poses. aud uses the following emphatic ianguage:-
In my judgment very great wrong has already grown
up in connection with Otherwise excellent system
lies in the principle U applying p yin large %oSnss m Sm OF the
and instraction in all the sciences and higher
can ana excuse er raising money by general taxatio
enSren good common school education il should
.hem to their own resources and TO ciiow such Ia
HE Ms ther capaeies h for 10 20 beyond TINS 70
injure rather than benent them-
Much discussion following these plata spoken words
has served To bring forth evidence Of strong public
sentiment approving these views ani to show belief
that less OF tho higher education VIII not servo to
keep down men oil genius, who as ever In Ihis coun
try, Will be sure 10 rise through their own inherent
energy aud strength.
THE OBJECTS OF EDUCATION.
According TO reports IN the newspapers the school
authorities are divided In opinion on the subject at
issue. One thinks the object OF all education, SO
lar taxation is concerned, Is to give boys and
girls Just so much learning as Will make them
useful members OF society and relieve the police
department aud the poor house department. OF their
charges. and that beyond that iSaganst our prn-
cpes Of government to CO. Another has enlarged
TO appropriattng private unds for pubic or
Qn his we may say for) private purposes: He
his cnd whatever education, IN u general way,
may require to nt him tor any position thar open
10 MIN IN this country Another, contending for
highor education. seems to intimate that purer morals
TO be looked ior as the result OF each
says GAS Tor me, l believe in lever policemen
and more teachers IN moro schoohouses aud
colleges and feWer relOfmatOrleS ana pflSOn6' Our
educational motto should be millions tor education
and not cent wasted Here It may be interesting TO
reler 70 an abstract OF paper on useful ednca-
ton by Mr. K Bingham IN recent number
Of tho Pofytechnic, containing many facts aud
observations worthy o notice ID these times of
forcing IN education. Mr. Bingham does not believe
that school education tends to diminish crime. He
says that the rato OF crme to population less
Ireland than In MASSACHUSETTS, and that property Is
State with al! iis schools. OF the s7a
enary OF the State Of Pennsylvania 2so had attended
public schools, 10 private schools aud 90 had lever
gone 20 school OF The 2,3ss prisoners rscesved INTO
the Eastern peuitenuary OF The same stale during
the ten years ending win 1889 l72l per
cent were illiterats aud SlS3 had never beou up.
pronticed. ''Al observers will admit" remarks the
author, 'lhat there is not much Intelligence aud
skill working ON the farms now AS thcro was twcniy
years ago. The fears the farmers their
sons would know loo mucn, but that they would do
TOO little. IL not book farming or wisdom
with work they feared. but making hay in the
in the COURTS preaching Tor practice, pills for pump
kins the pen yardsck for the plough and harvest
fork. The change not been from prison to school
from honest labor 10 ideness and crime.
Everything else being equal mental culture raises the
standard Of m oralty; Out we would choose commu-
uty OF indus,rious aud nerate members rather Than
one OF idle and literary habits tor high standard OF
morality.
Prom report OF the Citizens' Association Of New
York, dated February d. 1862 We extract the follow
ing suggestions bearing upon the system OF public
mi tee would mole, was Mr., William Wood, now
President OF the Board OF Educaton:-
The only ground upon which State is justified
her her safety Is impsred." The limit i'm
sorded by the State is assd a. that point where such
Of ip.rusoS ar: svsa to the youth
duties Of citizen When the state aims 70 garry instrae.
from her duty and in the business Of teaching
as such, takins into her own hands what rghtiuly
no
ns MJa justify the iS sS
when the youth Is so lar Instructed as 70 remove this
tom We should not attempt to vie with private
ns ena asaa
that Of the highess cosscsr should stop here
and u ,.1i YiA # We allow sasess 30 iss
s ia amy We ' are ss limit Se not s
with the possession Of system Of common schools but
4 assSrdanse With as tendency that We find printed
words For he 81 academies, high schools and col
There studies which appropriate for eemen-
nry free schools but the more appropriate for academies
girls these Schools whose need Is
ton in English literature and probably this effort to
what ornamental merely made the sacrifice
II age fifteen the State should done
the facility @S which now
such the growing capacity o. successive generations of chill
edge needed for busy life be communicated chill
dren who under tnat age
Nith those older the acquisition Of the know
edge the patcu trade, business profess
which the child Is follow should This
is either Ia the counting room and the workshop
the colleges where special occupations professions
taught The New York ColIeg; WILL il allowed to
exist become finally the school OF certain professions in
imitation Vt other colleges.
OUR SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
Inquiry into the condition OF our system Of public
education nv0ives too grave ara important RESPONSE
bities TO be appro ched without the power and the
leisure consistent with an Official ana complete ex-
animation There are essential weaknesses In
the system which are disclosed In part,
but in part oOly. on cursory study OF
the question. Having IN view the aims and the posi-
Diiites OF a well regulated common school system, the
committee urge the presentation OF memorial to tho
Legsla ure for com ssiun charged with the duty
oi close inquiry into our state and city
schools IN all their depart ments. The expenditure oil
thousand dollars such an investigation, the
Commissioners being armed with Official powers,
would undoubtedly lead to better ension oil
The requirements oi the system.
New York city expends s3 100 900 on the ca ucation
OF less than 10000 attendants upon the schools II
is not unreasonable TO assume that the aggregate o
expenditure under revised system would be contrib.