The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-02-13
NO.45.

Then, too, we have other difficulties to
encounter during the first year, not the least
OF which is the fact, that the pupils mo mat
ter how much they have been to SCHOOL, are
ll-adapteu to the grading process. Some
VINO evlnce considerable knowledge in geog-
| raphy, have perhaps not learned to write,
4 and spell badly; others who have been
| pressed forward in their reading, know lit
tie or nothing of arithmetic, spell indiffer
emily, and perhaps have never openeda text
book in geography or grammar.
| In organizing school there. are three
classes of pupils to be distinguished. viz:
| l. Those who have never attended any
school, fs 47e
| 2. Those who come from graded schools
| =. Those who come from ungraded schools
| vi course, nothing is to be done with the
| first class but to place them in the first pr-
mary grade.
The classification of the second class {who
| come from graded schools) is attended with
but little difficulty, since the general unifor-
nifty in graded courses of instruction is such
that pupil may easily pass from one school
to another and take up his work where it, had
been dropped. tssa -
1t is with the third class that we meet with
the difficulties above referred to, where we
find considerable proficiency in some branch
es,while others of the same grade are almost
wholly neglected. OF these it is at first ex-
tremely difficult to make rational or salts
factory classification. Proficiency in read
ing Typography may entitle them to enter
one OF the higher grades, while a relatively
poor knowledge of arithmetic or grammar
may make it necessary to classify them with
pupils who are considerably younger. The
general ability of the pupil also must be ia
ken into consideration, no matter whether
that ability depend primarily on innate men,
tai habit, health, industry or acquired hab-
its of study. The grading must, therefore,
at first, be to some extent, provisional.
These, and other obstacles, say, presen.
themselves the first year. But it will pay to
meet them patiently and firmly, for they
will soon begin to vanish. In making exam
nations for promotion near the end of the
year, or earlier, these pupils will all belong
TO the third class, and susceptible of the easy
grading of that class: And there will be
less occasion for inquiring into their latent
ability, since that will then have been trans
formed into actual requirement. If the sys-
tenn has been wisely administered, a pupils
ability. whether based on mental habit, phys
ical health, or industry, will be concretely
represented by his final standing.
In the second year, therefore, the trouble of
grading the same pupils will not be found;in-
mated from the corps, and the last sess on's
experience will have made the 9th ers more
efficient; the people, too, better apprehend-
ing the plan, will have seen glimpses OF its
advantages, will begin to co-operate; and a
basis will be established for school system
whose operations and results with far man.
agement will grow better and better as one
year succeeds another.
This obviously takes time. You can not
jump right into it, The numbers in the High
School, at the end of the first year and be-
ginning of the second, may be even consid-
erably reduced by this system, instead OF in
creased.
But hold steady hand It will all come
right in the end. When the pupils go in
there they will be ready for it; aud then we
can guarantee that when they come out,
they will be ready for that too. The value
and efficiency of q High School are not to
be estimated by the quantity of material. or
numbers 1T contains at any given time, but
solely by the quality of that material. We
can much better afford to maintain the High
School department of our Public Schools, il
it has within its walls 10 pupils of the right
sort, next year, with the prospect of 20 the
year after, than we could If it contained ev-
cry year30 or 40, or even 30 scholars, who,
unprepareG when the enter, either pass
or else, to meet their wants, require the
standard to be so lowered, as to make High
School a misnomer for that department.
am sorry thai my card has grown so un-s
eXpectedly long. These are plain facts
which l have aimed to state plainly. There
is no mystery, so far as know, about pub
lie schools, or their modus operandi. They
belong to the public, and the public ought
to know ell about them. The trouble is that
the people do not acquaint themselves as in
timately with their schools as they should.
1t is my opinion that thorough under
standing of the public school system, in all
its features, on the part OF our people, is all
that is lacking to insure its cordial support
and eminent success.
No man can expect our schools to reach
this degree OF success unless sufficient mon
ey is appropriated to support and operate
them, the money will not be supplied unless
the people value them, land the people will not
anG can not properly value them, unless they
acquaint themselves fully with their conduct
and results. Fasu
And hence public scrutiny is invited mot
In way of banter, not challenge in boast
full spirit,) but respectfully invited into our
schools, into all the features of the system and
plan OF operation, in the hope and belief
that it will secure the approval and thereby
gain the cordial cooperation and support of
the people.
This cooperation, and this alone, is in my
opinion, necessary for complete success. |
am aware that may be regarded by some
as over-sangulne. But this is the sort of
faith abiding faith / have, based not upon
fancy, or mere theory, but upon practical
results, attained in other places, upon some
experience and great deal OF observation.
Respectfully, as 9.,-r
Ro. S. HAMILTON.