Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-02-12
TEXTBOOKS AND 0RTHOGRApHY.
An Interesting Discussion OF some OF
the Grave Questions Chat Confront
Educators.

CusSlOn OF school teXl-DOOkS ana spell
ingreform, is extracted from the report
Of the textbook commissioners APP
pointed by the Wisconsin legislature to
examine into these vexed questions.
These are subjects which interest every
body in the land. The commissioners
were at work on the report for nearly a
year. The chapter on State Uniform
sty" of textbooks is as follows:
STATE UNIFORMITY.
The class system of tuition, as COM
pared with the purely individual, is so
firmly established in our school work
that it would be idle to discuss change.
Granted this method, and the question
of facilities and obstacles is of high i'm
portance in the economy of the six
thousand schools Of Wisconsin.
The abilities Of a teacher, even under
the most favorable conditions, are
severely taxed in the endeavor to CON
troll the attention Of the different mem
bers Of a class that each thing done
and every thought expressed shall profit
all. No other feature Of school in
etruction fails so seriously in its aim, as
this effort TO economic time and labor
by dealing with score of minds as a
unit. Whatever tends neodlesSly to
embarass class work, Is wrong whose
removal will prove blessing,
In all lower grades of culture, the
gaining Of definite knowledge through
stated facts, is greatly impeded, by inn
perfect conception of the significance
Of language 1t is, therefore, very i'm
portant that identical phrases be en-
ployed in imparting thought 20 the
members of such classes. if they are to
croft each other in united work.
Different texts usually mean a divers
ity in language and confusion of class
work to the young mind. SO far, then,
rs textbooks constitute the base ofclass
work, the need of uniformity must be
considered beyond question. Teachers
realize this SO kcenly that, when AIDE
quate provision for class uniformity
has not been made, classes are divided
and subdivided, until classes OF one
pupil each are common in Il majority
of ungraded schools. In graded schools
there is a practical uniformity of texts;
but, according to latest statistics, four
fifths Of the public school pupils of
this state are in ungraded schools
Sparse population must eyer require
the teacher to instruct more classes
than one person can properly manage.
Add to this needless diversity of texts,
with the frequent lack of books, and
the conditions insure work so imperfect
chat the term degyaded, rather than
ungraded, school would not be inappro-
pirate.
The waste in the schools of our state,
through dissipation of effort and the
lack of class emulation, is so great that
the profits of book publishers sink into
comparative insignitcance, when esti-
mating the loss.
These conditions point to but one
that uniformity in texts
should be made obligatory upon school
officers to secure, both by adoption and
by exclusion of all texts that interfere
with proper classification. In addition.
TO present requirements, the certificate
of the teacher and clerk that the law
had been observed, might properly be
made a condition in the distribution of
Che school fund Income.
UNITY OF UNIFORMITY.
The spirit or our government reserves
control OF local affairs and interests to
the smaller units of society, and dele
gates To the larger only those concerns
in which diversity Of management
would work mutual harm to the several
communities. Thus each family deter
mines the nature of its diet, and the
quality of its clothing: each district the
excellence Of its roads, and the charac-
ter Of its school.
Even though, in these particulars,
the mismansgement often extends its
evil influence to many not directly con
Cerned, still the judgment of the states
men aud the prejudice of the people
have united III maintaining these ar
raugements, with but the minimum
of direct control by the remoter gov
crnment.
BY establishing a minimum of at
tainment III the teacher, the state has
endeavored to limit the penurious ten
dency of communities to render the
chool carrcature. 1t has also en-
deavored 10 secure II reasonable amount
of school session IN each year, by an
appeal to the thrifty sentiment, in with
holding the public money" from all
districts that fail to compy with the
Law.
IN each of these requirements there
IS wide range for local choice beyond
the limit fixed by the state and COM
paratively few ever feel the laws to be
restrictions.
In the local management of rural
schools tho evil of diversity ~, tovts