Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-06-19
Mind and Brain VS.. Our System OF
High er Education.


for the display OF intellectual requirements.
That teacher is regarded by the we'll mean
ing but ignorant parents as the most sue
cessful, who is skilled ia the art Of making
his pupils show off we'll; who can "coach'
them to such degree that their attain
ments displayed on examination day will
give his patrons and the children, as well
the Idea that they are really prodigies OF
learning.
The pupils themselves soon become i'm
bued with the spirit of their teacher and
willingly follow the paths he indicates by
trying to know as little as possible about
great many things, and at the same time
be able to conway the impression to others
that they ere really educated. A school
girl who for example studies English Liter.
| ture in the way i. Is usually taught in our
high schools, may be able to tell how many
wives Milton had, and the exact state of
Goldsmith's finances, but of the beauties of
"Paradise Lost or "The Traveller" she
can have no conception.
Methods Of this kind can result in moth
ing else than immature development which
certainly is followed by permanent mental
weak ness. Another fruitful source of evil
results to the attempt to call out the talent
dormant until maturity. The mind of
child is receptive not creative. 1t can
drink large draughts from the fountains of
knowledge, but can add nothing Of its own
production. A boy Of fifteen can memorize
as much as man OF thirty, but to
ask him for an original essay on d set sub
ject, is as foolish and unwse as to expect
bloom and fruit froma young tree. We try
to prevent the latter from bearing, know
ing that its growth will be stin,ed thereby
but the brain Of Il :chld is forced to bear
insipd fruit out of due season. Such an
effort can be of no present benefit TO the
child or satisfaction to the teacher, and it
may be to the former q permanent injury.
A fair sample of our High School and Col
lese management in this country was re-
Gently reported in the Popular Science
Monthly; that Of the Jersey City High
School. In this institution the course of
study is of a high grade, and is arranged in
three divisions, Commercial, Classical and
English Course. We will only speak of the
latter. 1t comprises Alge bra, Natural Phil
osophy, Geometry, Trigonometry, Physolo-
gy, Chemistry, Geology, Astronomy Sur
veying, botany, Languages, English Litera-
ture, Civil Government, History, Mental
Philosophy, and theory and practice of
teaching. During each term the pupils are
required to study three of the above sub
| jects. The courses are otherwise op-
tional, and many of the students study FIVE
subjec IS. The course extends over years
and in order to complete their studies the
pupils have to devote close attention to
their work. At the end of the course a
severe examination unjust be passed in all
the different branches. The excitement
caused by this closing examinations was so
great, that out of the graduating class OF
1876, consisting of twenty young women
and two young men, several were left with
impaired health, but except in few in
stances there were no immediate serious
results. This was followed by second Nor.
NAL examination which they were obliged
to pass before they could obtain diploma
which would make them eligible as teach
ers. This also necessitated close study, and
left them little time for recreation. OF
these female graduates two died in early
womanhood, one is now in an Insane Asy-
lum, and several others are in delicate
health. These facts were ascertained by a
newspaper reporter whose facilities for gain
ing in formation as to the state of health
which these young ladies enjoyed, must
have been very limited, and we have no
doubt that the injury was much greater
than the published statement shows. It
may be urged that there is no examining in
such course, that only three studies are
required, and that five is the largest num-
Der hat pupil is permitted to undertake
at one time. True, but 1T the end of the
course severe examinations must be passed
in Is courses of study. Thoughtful pupils
seeing the necessity for hard work, will
from the beginning tax their powers to the
utmost, while the thoughtless and indolent
will postpone close applica ton to their
studies until the last year, and then will
apply themselves with g-eat Industry which
may produce still more harmful results .
The evil liesin the tact that too much is
required OF the student, considering the
tine given andDthe previous education. II
the mental strain which young girls espec-