St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1879-11-01
The Educational Experiment
ae Quincy, WaSsa~hMseatS.

The experiment in common school ,
which has been tested in the !
town of Quincy, has HAD /
and note worthy results. 1t
must be remembered that the state !
NJ Massachusetts takes the lead III
progrest-nowl.ere Is cdu- |
ration more general and culture broader !
md any system adopted there, must !
have special merits 10 commend H.
particularly when it puts aside all Ola
accredited modes OF school teaching.
The school committee IN that place !
that the knowledge acquired
in tho schools was superficial that there
were cut and dried tasks set before the
pupils, who were expected to show their
proficiency by their parrot like answers.
The memory was the faculty most
thoroughly trained. but in the power OF
thinking, combining and comparing, ID
the capacity of using what they were
taught they we're utterly deficient. The
range Of study was immense. the number
of school books used, something tremcn-
ious, hut beyond getting a MAS. 81
nudiacsted knowledge into their heads,
the children knew nothing OF tie real
i.nprnvenent of mental faculties OF the
proper use Of them. They were well
drilled automatcns, bnt one question
which would bring novel application
of their useless collection Of words,
would throw them off their balance.
So Quincy being fi'lod wit'1 people
OF learning uud ardent enthusiasts for
good and practical education upset the
the old system Of public schools and
adopted 8 pew one. They did not
choose as superintendent Of the schools
any of the old foss;! teachers, but Il
young man who il Germany had ia
miiiarized himself with the German
methods, which differ widely from ours,
aud who vas All enthusiast III his pro-
fessiou. In the primary schools tho:
Children instead of being drilled in the
alphabet we're taught to read otfnrs
{he black board almost unconsciousIy
Their interest was never allowed to
aag for us soou rs it did, they were
turued out e. play sarcs.
In the higher schools, the i,aIiteC OF
studies was reduced FROM seven tothree
reading. writing and arithlnltlc, The
two Grst including not only grammar
aud spelling, but geography aud history
They were taught by !ncessant practice
uot by rote. Az practice books instead
Of the old reader. the teaeileTs used
Biographies, histories, scientific articles
in current reviews. The pupils wrote
80 much that they learned to write al
s1usntly and correctly as they spoke
They were taught to apply every rule
By practice alone.
The result has been embodied III Ar
Charles Francis Adams report. Durin;
the three years in which this plan lia
been tried, the progress Of the tchoiar
has been very great. They are fort
OF their studies and understand all tho,
learn. Mr.. Adams says of the new sys
tom. eft is complete negative of tl'
whole present common sefoo! systen
founded on faith in the infinite capa
city of children to know at an earl,
age, little of every Ching"
The cost Of public etiucat ton 10 Quincy
has been reduced from $685. annual!
Der child to 1858. The system entail
n,ore trouble perhaps upon teachers
requires them too to be people OF large
culture, or who have sufficiently di
sested their own knowledge to be abl'
10 impart it outside Of the formal rnr
tine of their old parrot-iike system
OF course deal OF patience is needed
and real love Of teaching, but it strikes
us that the reform is an excellent one
and one which NO peint out for thu
consideration Of all Interested i'll schoo
matters.