New-York tribune., 1879-10-13
TIE QUESTION or THE scHoo1s.

TIE QUfSTION or THE SCHOOLS
When man Of sense prepares to take n
Journey lie does not fiji his trunk with lit
tie shabby linen and a great many cheap
scarf-qin. and slmsy embroidered slippers
ON the con iary, be packs in reasonable COM
pasS a g09llv number of soryiccable gar
Incnts in excellent repair. and goes forth neat
wholesome, and of an equal mind, aprropri-
atoly fitted for bis journey and hi, work.
This man goes ON lis journey and his chill
dreu stay behind, fog the famous public school
of their ward or district demands their pres
cnce. and The absent fathers orders are strict;
they must DE prepared for The greater journey
of lie and IFS b.sincss. Week after week
their Young heads are stuffed with httle H.
formation on r. great number of subjects
astronomy, physiology, drawing, vocal music.
German, natural phIiosophy grammar, ety.
moloay-in short. plenty OF cheap scarf
pus and slippers. The sturdy, every
dav need, of scrviccable arithmetic (n0t gliH
mcmOrzed sets of hgurcs). Of accurate and
brightly intelligent reading Of easy writing
and correct speech, fare badly among such
host OF studies. They are brushed over hastily
and bv rote like all the others, and shabby
enough they are as they are packed away
among the scarf pins for that long and busy
journey. The precise and intimate knowledge
of common branches without which 80 man
can be- dccently equipped for work of any
sort is discarded for what Mr.. Ch.Nle-
Francis Adams apty calls "veneer and
sham
The experiment of "smattern has been
sufficiently uicd in the American public
schools. 1t is a sort OF decorative art Of
which we have had great deal too much.
There IS in most Of our cities a vast school
expenditure t. little purpose. While TIE
TRIBUNE has no mind 90 preach economy in ills
direction il has rCas enable desire To see all this
money used with common sense and honest
discretion. There is something too much of
drawing and vocal mu,ic of 'osOphy ana 'Ology,
about the school course. The frantic entAusi-
asm about drawing which animated school
boards and supeIintendoAts several years ago
is getting cooler and cooler; in many places
the number of drawing teachers has been re-
.uced. and pitiful effort j. made 10 train
,he regular teachers TO the work This en-
thusasm unfortunately has cost great deal
of money. and the chief practical rcsull has been
that n number Of stiff drawings were exhibited
ot the Centennial celebration in Philadelphia.
Whatever good in the way of handwork
this study in our schools has accomplished,
could have been brought about in wiser way.
The 'trainng of the eve and "eultivation
'of the tastesn so much talked about by some
of the people who make their living by teaching
drawing in these schools have, in all truth and
sadness. never vet been discencd. To use
the language o. common sense, this i trash.
The training to read with intelligence and
appreciatiyc understanding one famous HAS
terpiocc cf the English language would be
worth in the way OF cultivation thousand OF
these drawing lessons.
Possibly one pupil in iiyc hundred has some
imnul,e given 70 his hand in drawing which
may make him in aftcr-lifo better me
chanic. The other l99 have II. .anwhile ac-
ouigcd no deftness which viii sist them Oh
thc fam, in ile counting room, or IN Che
kitchen. Why shoA.d al these be wrongly
bus,,d for the s,ac of one? W j. not unlikely
fiat rlle sOutiua ol titc muchdi-c cIsscd prob
len, of industrial cdncation lies in the estab-
bsl,n,cm: o. we'll aquppod and thoroughly
nugln liee technical schools in every city and
larqr town. The cutting off of the super
land sham" wouid save large sums which
could be pu, to no better use. To these
schools could be sent those children who by
natural bent would belong therein. There Is
no danger hut that sufficient time could b.
found both for AN improved public-school
course and n technical school course. That
changes are on the way to be made Is very
evident in nearly every State. As our read
ers are aware. the door Is ajar in the
Boston primary schools - in that Bos-
ton which. having tried all the "new
ideas in education. is now settling upon
that most excellent one, the Quincy plan.n
Hereafter the little people of that great city
are to be taught" instead of being made to
memorize and gable by platoons. They arc
TO acquire not glittering varnish, but nim-
BILE Intelligence which will take them out into
the world in good ease, and give to their
minds the same comfort and readiness which