Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1879-10-03
DRAWING IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

public schools the Enterprise advocating and
the Chronicle opposing it, and as usual getting
at some truth on both sides. The Chronicle
holds that only The useful branches of educa-
ton should be taught, and that all the orna-
mental branches are superhuous. There is
much truth, at least some, Ill the suggestion,
and there are some good arguments ON the
other side. The very groundwork of our pub
lie school system is that of educating to the
status of intelligent citizens, all the children
of the land; to fit them for the business Of
life, to give them such grade i'll education
that the boy or girl who has brains, and seeks
TO advance in learning, shall have founda
ton to work upon. For this primary object
we support schools, and when the Directors or
Trustees, or Principals go beyond this, they
are perhaps going beyond what the system
was intended for, in this one particular, that
it gives the merchant or professional man an
advantage over the poor man, whose school
tax is quite equal for while the child OF the
laborer or mechanic is compelled to commence
labor at an early age, the child Of the other
can remain an indefinite period, and where
the course of study affords it, enjoy the ad-
vantage of limited collegiate education which
the poor man pays for, but which his children
cannot enjoy. Additional outlay is of course
required to support ornamental studies, such
as Drawing, Music and Languages, but the
child of the poor laborer cannot enjoy these
for the reason already stated, therefore, III
lar is the position of the Chrontcie good. But
there are other phases OF the subject which
present themselves as an offset to this. There
is no child, who III the few years allotted to
school among the working classes, imbibe any
very great efficiency in the palmer and useful
studies of reading, writing, arithmetic and
geography, much less music, drawing or Ian
guages, and therefore 1t may be argued that
the time spent in the latter is so much time
wasted. From a somewhat extended eXper-
fence, we are convinced that this is an error.
The great fault in our public school system
is the lack of variety, and the multiplication
of dry text books. some of oar half grown
girls, whose young bodies need perfect free
dom, pack books enough to and from school
TO have constituted respectable library
hundred years ago, and through this mass of
dry studies the young mind is compelled to
wander with the regularity of the tread MILL
picking up in the routine smattering of
technicals never digested. From this round
of dry studies the mind needs rest, as much |
as does the body from fatigue. To relieve the |
tediua and rest the brain, an hour
so each day devoted to music or |
drawing, is the very best appliance
and it will be found that it is no waste of
time either. The mind is amused and the
spirits relaxed, and after the diversion the
child goes to work with book and slate
cheered, rested and with clearer brain There
are always lurking in every school germs of
talent which under such a system, may be
developed, but which confined to constant
dry studies would "blush unseen" and the
talent be forever wasted. The history of
great men and women will show many a
mighty oak which has sprung from seed thus
planted by the way-side. Professorships of
drawing have been established in many cities
|
The system could not sit down and point out :
my very striking individual results, the most s
earnest opposers of their introduction would I
lot vote to have them cut out of the school
exercises, simply for the relaxation and pleas t
Ire afforded the little ones Surely it is no {
,reat draw back for the poor factory girl, or 7
he engineer of sewing machine, or the /
DOOR flag whose spine aches under twelve V
lours' labor behind counter, or the hardy
'outh who shoves a plane, or Yields
hammer to be able to sing a piece of music
+ sight, or make an outline sketch, or when =
e Is furnishing his house to be able to buy {
picture with some judgment. Nor is it any IL
reat draw back for the young man who v
Opes to be some day a master builder, or I
raster machinist, to be able to sketch a F
otta2e and measure its plans, or draw a o
iece of intricate machinery; and it will not o
urt the young mother to be able to draw =
cures on slate for the amusement of her
Dung And yet with all this we have no
lea that our public schools are intended, nor tt
q they the place, for such branches of edu- lie
'tlon, except in their rudimentary forms, CO
I'd as Fairgrounds for the mind If man bl
able to indulge IN accomplishments for his re
ildren, he should pay for such accomplish VI
ents outside OF public schools and he should p,
low also that Il mixed and large class is not Oh
G place where such ACCOMPLISHMENTS can h.. 40