The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-03-17

IOtCs
and Race Education Edward o. Jenkins
vast amount OF statistics is here accumulated to
exhibit the coniux Of adverse circumstances
under which an urban population il steadily
enfeeblcd and to indicate their prcventahlo
causes The formidable array VI facts brought
forward Of late years to attest AN Increase
in the ratio Of mortality. insanity, Grim
inality and paupcrism. has led many OBJ
servers to the conclusion that the hu-
man race in thirky settled countries is
threatened with Observation-Disclosures Aside
from the exhaustive study of details. which
makes it precious rcpcrtory Of information.
the Characteristic note " this work h the RENEE
dy 10y which the author would arrest the tend
enccs to social dccadencc. Assuming that the
preservation Of the human race is the primary
function OF education. he cndcavors TO provo
that this end can only be attained by training
which shall be organic and ofa nature to become
hereditary. He contrasts the proposed physi-
cal and industrial discipline with our present
scholastic tattooing. which he very properly
stigmati2cs as being in the great majority OF
instances hollow and sclf-sccking literary
foppcry. He dwclls ut length on the necessity
OF organizing kinlcrgartens seeks to define
womans work in society and civilization. and.
in n word. investigates with patience and acute
ness all the problems Of education regarded rs
n social science or our present scheme of
popular instruction. MIR. Royce ailirms truly
enough that II looks altogether to general cul-
turc. Tho encyclopaedia character OF our edu-
cation makes us superficial judges Of every
thing-skiled producers of nothing. I'VE are
all critics" the author says. but where are
the artists 2" From our primary and secondary
institutions to the college and university the
matter Of instruction is chiefly verbal culminat
ing in Latin and Greek which, rs they are
learned. are utter frauds. not one In twenty
graduates of Harvard or Yale being able to read
these languages. save in few text books got by
rotc. 1t is true that the remains Of the ancient
life Of man are embedded in old linguistic strata.
and that the development Of language reflects
the history Of tho human mind. But what re-
lation has the weak infusion Of classical learn
ing acquired at college TO the science Of language
andits lessons? II is strange that truths so oh
vious as these are should be SO sterile. and that
no very decisive change should have occurred
since Sydney Smith. seventy years ago
scourgcd erudition with his caustc wit, and
said tho professors bring us up as il we were
all to become schoolmasters. and spend our
lives in coniuRntng verbs. Much Of the testi-
mony taken on this head before the Royal Com
mission on Education. where the witnesses
one expert testified that very few coming
from Christ Church. Oxford. to the University
Pass Examinations. can,construc accurately In
Latin or Greek piece from an author they
have studied. while il would be quite useless 10
try them with new passage Accord
ing to DR.. Fitch. one Of her MaIcsty's
School Inspectors, THE study Of the classics
comes in for too many cases to absolutely
nothing: rather deadons than awakens
thought stimulates no literary appetite. and. in
the vast majority Of cases. is not even indirectly
helpful in enabling the pupil to write his own
language with luency and grace" The fact il.
that at the date when schools were only at
tended by the clergy they were properly
enough cngrosscd by Latin. BY and by they
came 70 be frequcntcd by the Weather classes
justmcnt becoming to some extent commercial
| In character. But. to-day. when the working
esypM Mr. V' RSycc ' am hat mar" our 10 p Hn
ry schools. at all events. must he made
essentially, industrial Drawing, Geometr.
| perinCntal production must develop tastos and
! ATTITUDES for variety of mechanical pursuits.
untitled upon our school benches for the
| plough tho shop. and Tie factory, no Legislation
Is likely to materially palliatc the social evils II
sense must be brought To- bear upon the health
and comfort and calacty q the inaivilual and
made ar ful Of thing n it has hitherto been
full Of words. Mr., Royce calls attention 70
England to IN up the masses to II
| higher level of efficiency and wcll-bcing
| through spreading among them the rudiineni-
Of "a scicnlfc knowledge II the things 81 life.
art. and industry. Passing to the United stat -.
! he points ont how vigorous a movement in the
way Of industrial education WIZ Sturied half a
century ago, and marks the 'uurc- which ar
rested lis progr's~.i me very tnc when lis ~
/ tension was most urgently required. Mr..
/ Royce treatment %! this subject N4li Do. found
! ~inguaily thorough aul effective. But this +.
7 only ono ~ulliNi-irn ~ ur'rllrkahiy puin-fuk-
/ inc and useful Norh. Such. iul 'od. .- the ruu-
! oi thH hu -. unl s.. important are the topics
] discussed lhui par mt. tea 'hr!-. ulI social
~fut'ni- iu g'n r -h1ull ~ 'o'..o 10 as -to Tee
/ lo0se Of IN t. and -"n-ltiH suggestions.