New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-08
rEACHERS IN C0HNCIL.

ing clerks to fold his speeches.
TEACHERS IL COUNCIL.
The National Association of Teachers, "a our
readers know, met in council in Philadelphia
on Tuesday of last week Public attention
WAS attracted in an unusual degree to the say
ings and doings of these gentlemen and ladies,
for several reasons la the first place, there Is
neither war, political campaign nor special
scandal occupying the general ear just now,
and we have time, therefore, during these not,
law DAYS, to attend to lesser matter5-such as
the education OF our children. Secondly, there
is 4 growing popular discomfort with the present
system of teaching, notwithstanding the TACT
that the teachers during this conference
celebrated its projections 50 complacently ana
necessarily. Parents who are not themselves
capable OF teaching, have keen insight as TO
whether their child is being fitted or united
by his daily school routine for his future life.
This vague dissatisfaction with orr school
systems Is directed especially to those OF the
public schools; and many parents looked hope
fully to this cOnYOcation, thinking that these
miud-phySlcans would mt once detect the
disease and supply the remedy. The teachers
fatal defect somewhere. Papers were read
upon the expediency of REIMBURSEMENT
of studies I'm the public schools, the necessity
of making education more practical, ETC., etc.
As rule, however, the essays submitted
(some of which were both cOmpactly written
and based on hard common sensc). were de-
voted to large theoretical measures, rather
than To the practical methods of daily
handling Of the intelleets OF individual
scholars. The proposed so-cailed re-
form in spelling according to the pho
netic system received n good deal OF atten-
ton; so did klndergartens, normal schools,
professional degrees for teachers, and the eX-
pediency of dOrmitOries In colleges-all very
necessary aud important points. doubt
less; but the nearer came away at their close
rs unsatished as ii be bad heard sermon on
Apostolic Succession or Immersion, while lie
went To- learn what was the germ and moving
principls of religion. Mr.. George Brown, Of
Toledo, seemed to hit the difficulty when he
said that teachers are more deyOut worship
"pers Of machinery than parents though he
probably spoke more truly than he knew. A
teacher is apt to become, by force of his Occu-
patton. worshipper of pet system. He
and pulley6, upon the mind of youth, as a
mass of so much metal TO be moulded into
shape. lie falls into a fixed habit of turning
this machinery no IN liter what the quality or
defects OF the metal, the wheels revoive and the
cranks go. There are few private schools,
in which the capacity and nature OF each in
diyidua scholar are considered and studied,
m which each mind Is, so TO speak, summed,
watered fertilized, planted with quickening
IDEAS, urged TO grow naturally and BEAUTIFULLY,
not simply crammed with dead facts which
never germnate. Teachers tell us this treat
ment is impossible in the perpetually changing
mass of a great school. 1t is difficult, but not
lmpossibe, as was proved at Rugby. But
there il a difference in Head Masters, rather
than in scholars.
The truth is that the science of education
here, instead of being far IN advance of that
of Europe is now passing through its tenta-
tive. groping era. The difficulties before it i'm
this country arse from two causes. First
there IL so much to Learnt too much for any
man to conquer in his short life. man IN
the better classes two generations ago, studied
as a rule Latin and Greek; there was not
much else to study. Science as now known,
applied mechanics and physics the arts.
the vast range OF European and Eastern liter
allure and history, were then almost unknown
worlds. Nowadays M American cannot mas
ter the ancient and modern languages and
all the other enormous fields OF knowledge
waiting for him on every side, and earn his
living at the same time, ~ ho usually must do.
The second difficulty is the uncertainty of an
American boys future. The English lad be-
longs to a certain defined class he will he no.
bleman. tradesman, or lsbOrer. Here he may
end his days IN iail or the White House. For
what IL he to he fitted What is be to learn
or leave unlearned At present the plan is to
cram the rudiments Of all knowledge into every
child's brain, and it is proposed TO add to tins
industrial learning also. In some of the
best public schools children OF twelve carry
homs eleven text books every day. Very GOOD
i'm theory for the future man. but ruin to the
present boy. What with the nervous strain Of
incessant effort, the tasking OF the memory
while the other faculties lie idle, the mind is
actually disqualified for adult work by its ed
ucatiOu.
We should have been glad If this subject
had occupied the attention of our friends in
council. The public are largely parents, and
this is reform which they will urge until it
| is accomplished.
| GENTLEH4NLY THIEVES