, 1879-02-23
TIE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Outline nf Study.

!
Outline of Study.
| 70 IN. Editor Of Tie Tribune.
l. CHICAGO, Feb 4.-The value OF q system Of
| cducution is determined by the result. To be
fully efficient, it must not only impart informa-
tion, but the ability and disposition to obtain
| information. Every careful educator finds the
] greatest difficulty in adapting methods to the
| necessities Of the primary grades which will
| produce in the least degree this happy result.
| Long experience and careful observation have
brought me to these conclusions: That the ef-
| fort to educate in the public schools should he
| directed upon the presumption that the pupils
learn nothing outside Of school; that two-tlfths
! Of those who enter the first year never enter
the fifth, but are compelled to go out into the
great daily struggle for daily bread, in those
avenues which are open to physical strength,
/ with only the limited culture OF a part or the
| whole OF tho primary grades For this reason
| every YEARS. work should he planncd with this
| possibility In view. Each years course
| should be complete fn itself aud a we'll
| finished foundation for the next ycar's work.
To this end 1T is necessary that no more should
i be undertaken than can be finished, that the
| pupil whoss school work ends with any year's
work can mako good use Of what he has learned.
In thc'inethods Of instruction the 'outlIne Of
| the course Of studyh occupies the most i'm
portaut place. It should contain nothing but
| what Is OF the most practical nature, and all
| tile methoCs employed IN teaching should be
| such as throw the pupil upon his oW resources.
| Nothing should be done for him which he eau
| be helped to do himself In contradisttnction
to this, the oral course, which has so generally
obtained, has been most fatal TO the interests OF
pupils, aud especially to those whose time in
school was limited to the primary grades. I
vii! 20 back to the proposition that the tout
.$nsr H4,t
most practical subjects Let those who have
| this matter upon their responsibility consider
carefully whether the sciences OF drawing and
music are Of practical worth TO the pupil whose
education must be completed in the primary
grades, or whether it is just to compel
those whose time is SO precious to spend
eight weeks in tile study OF the sci
cnce Of music, six in the study
OF craving, and FROM eight to sixteen in the con-
struction Of sentences, during the four primary
years. A LITTLE computation demonstrates That
tile time thus spent amounts to quite one fourth
Of the 160 weeks Of The primary grades. Apuptl
leaving school at the end Of the SECOND year (as
hundreds 'do) has learned what! They have
learned much that is valuable but ii, III addi-
tiun to natural ability, they are inspired with
desire to knoi, they have Got acquired the least
idea Of where tho fountain OF numerical science
is concealed, for not even primer in aritl-
matte h2s been placed in tllelr huntts. They
hare learned one transpositi0n OF the scde, but
not one Of them will use tnis knowledge beyond
1,ora
the scnool-roo !mey ,'u'i ea.,cu 1. 70 uraw
soe nes u.iu Ds' .;ti na os ~ ;e ia.e
artlst-DoFn tlat Inns VIII pe any INSPIRATION.
lheY I'm reclsc soule poctI5 ooe mntte teoll,Gs
from tne1 nave no1 .ne ieass plaet'ca. h'o"1e
edge. lhe printed Page y me guy a'enus q
Information ops. to al, and yet beyond
thels reaoeTs-"nlcn a1e as liacu l u
part OF their sshool-foom furniture
as me DESKS ochlau wnlch ~, tney 81
they nave never hao ghmpse " In's Wof'd oi
wonders. AZ nle ena Oh 1lae tlltu or 1onrtn
year, tnose pupils VINO aIe eoinpelleu 70 ,eaVe
school go out into the "orid w'thout tue ability
to dec'pher the kngi1sn lansuase, anu wtaout
the least dlreGtion hayi1g 6een 1--WE Slsen 10 tneir
tastes ana abilities, whefe ulme Hnera1ure WIN
ITS attractive and interesting ~ 3iustlaslons IS
knee-oeep, anu, u u theg reau aI az, 1nat Is wnat
they Will read. lney nave learnea 70, parrot
like, rearFange the words OF thfu readers INTO
sentences whlca thet are tangh1 10 oel1eVe are
original, embryo compositions.
1he memory ol l1e sonEs aIu taelon!es tney
have learned will follow those OF musical dis
position. Whether the music might not nave
sentlnents, whose meaning Moulu uawu uoou
lae'u ~ 1nes eApcllcnSe 'nen '1e"9'
IS SUBJECT Mortnf o. 1nouSnt.