Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-03-20

III GEO. D. BOWMAN.


BIZ GEo. d. BOWMAN.
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In order to lay some foundation
for argument on this subject by frs
bringing to your minds the rise ano
rogre of education and the gradu'
Il development of theories of teach.
ing. I will first present . few histori.
cal facts concerning some Of the most
eminent teachers of past agesael
would then ask you to first direct
your attention back to the early days
of Greece, the history of which is IA
miliar 20 all ; but it furnishes here
the foundation for some argument, /
will hereafter produce. 1 would eai
your attention then, to Pytha gosas,
one of the earliest Grecian teachers
who founded q school for adult males
in the Greek colonies of lower Italy
His course Of study, comprising q
principles of religion, music, mathe-
maties, physics and geography, was
divided into two classes: The first
of three and the second OF two years
training. He lectursd to the adj
vanced class or those in the two
years course. Those of the three
wears course we're IN a room separat-
ed from them by a curtain and were
not permitted to ask any questions
or even see the teacher during the
hours of instruction. If at the end
OF three years they passed a satisfac-
tory examination and were under
good discipline they were admitted
to the two years course. The learn
ing and teachings of this great man
were fai in advance Of the time in
which he lived, but in many respects
he developed a one sided education
and tended 70 raise up an aristocracy
which disagreed within itself and al
ter his death produced dissensions in
government and the downfall OF his
school. When Scion became chief
ruler of the commonwealth about
600 b. c., recognizing the fact that
the character Of a nation depends on
the character of the people, he estab-
lishea schools where the boys were
to learn the arts of swimming, read
ing, and some trade by which to gain
a livelihood. He recommended the
wealthy to have their sons educated
IN gymnastics, music, mathematics,
poetry and philosophy. Notice in
all the early history little, and in
many provinces no attention was
paid to female education. But I'M
der Scion, if the father failed to do
his duty in the education of his SON,
he had no claims to the support OF
his son in old age. With Socrates
not only the educational institutions,
but the theories Of teaching greatly
advanced. He considered aptness
to teach much more important than
mere material knowledge which he
said might, be accumulated in the
weakest brain. So far in advance OF
his country was he that the very
ideas which render his name immor.
tai, we're looked upon a. a crime, and
caused him 10 be accused of contempt
OF the Gods and Of misleading the
youth of the city, for which he was
condemned to death in the year 40C
Is. &. But the truths which Socrates
taught were then formed into a sys.
tenn of philosophy by his illustrlous
follower Plato, and thus added to tho
scope of knowledge furnished by the
teaching of that day. Plato still
continued TO increase the scope o
learning. And it is said he was the
first to make the theory of education
q subject of strictly scientific inquiry
After Plato followed his pupil Aris
totle, whose industry, zeal and sue
Cess was SO great that he hos beer
called the philosopher of TRUTH
Aristotle improved on the Platoni,
methods of teaching by dealing NOR
with the real than the ideal and fol
lowing more closely the laws of ma
ture in his Investigations. He ell
couraged poetry, the arts, and mathe
niatics and added much to the phi
losophy OF his day. In methods c
teaching, Seneca, a Roman teacher
dealt more in illustration, and sal
that, ''Long and tedious is the roa
OF precept, but short and efIicaciou
that of example. With Quintilia
more attention was paid to childre
of lower ages. He considered it
grave error to think hat an inferiC
teacher is good enough for the b'
ginning because the child zen will sui
sequently have the double task of III
learning what the inferior teacht
taught them and CT acquiring ne
things. Next comes Comenius. b
having the advantage of theories lie
by preceding teachers and begil
ming where they left off, he was
successful that by request of the Sc
eral governments he revised Il
schools of England, Sweden, Port
gal and Hungary. Thus the fund
education kept increasing and Il
science and art of teaching constant
improving as we follow it dow
through the time of Locke, Franck
Rosseau, Kant and others. Clan
ing at the little school OF Pestalozzl
Switzerland from 1905 to 1928 =,
find many noble minded philanthr
pists coming from France, German
Italy, Spain, Russia and ever Nor
America, to Join him and receive ]
struetion in the art OF teaching lit
children. These great men in tin
turn have advanced learning and
culcated their theories throughout I
various countries to which they |
longed. One of the greatest folio
ers of Pestalozzi, and n who b
done as much and perhaps more
perfect his theories than any otht
is Frederic Froebei, who looked 1
the trae principles of education
the laws Of human nature. He l.
to us many teachings destined
benefit the world through future ge
erations; and finally closed his
bors by laying the foundation for t
kindergarten Which has since be
established in France, Belgium, III,
land, Switzerland and Italy.
Austria it is incorporated with /
public schools. andis now fast gal
ing ground In the cities of the Unit