Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-05-22
EDUCATIONAL TOPICS.

formally disapproved OF secret societies and re-
qutre students entering the institution to re-
fra1n from joining any such while under the
college rule.
Michigan has just apportioned the sum Of
1926 1880 among her schools.
Mr.. j. Eakin, of Washington College. Penn,
Is going to Siam to act as Professor of English
language and literature In the Royal college at
Bangkok. He Will receive 81, 500 year.
Reading aloud has its physical advantages
while contributing to the cultivation OF the
voice; the lungs are thus expanded and their
nealtny action promoted in degree which
does not occur In mere conversational utter
ances.
-Harvard's summer school in geology will
begin its work at Cambridge July I, and will
continue four weeks. There will be excursions
1or Held work three or four times week.
1t is proposed to Introduce technical educa-
ton in Girard College, and plans for the same
are to be Immediately prepared.
The salary schedule OF the Albany schools
names the principal Of the high school as re-
GIVING 5000; the professor OF Latin and Greek,
S2,1CO, and the professor of mathematics, 50, 1OO
There is a fund in Texas CT 500, 900 derived
from the sale OF public lands and set apart for
the building Of a state university. Governor
Roberts wishes to have one built and organized
at Austin.
IA Father OF Family" writes to the Lon
don Times that In England the school hours are
TOO short and the hOme-leSsonS too long. 81
Think" he adds, without putting too great a
strain on the masters or miStreSSes, the lessons
might be done in school hours, where the child
has the proper assistance, instead OF struggling
Ter two or three hours In the evening and often
an hour in the morning without completing the
task. Most sensible persons think so too.
There will be two normal Institutes for the
Virginia teachers this summer, one for white
and the other for colOred teachers, to open the
middle Of July and to continue six weeks
They are supported by the Peabody fund which
the directors are devoting, for the present, t.
the training of teachers in the south.
An article on Teaching in Nebraska" in
the Pennsylvania School Journal for May
says: 1.-The state Is Overrun with teachers of
nearly all grades, and positions, for persons
without friends, are very difficult to obtain.
while wages are no better than in the east
Hundreds are going west and want a chance to
teach until they can get acquainted with the
country and see something else to do. Num-
tiers from the east, thinking to work up into
something better, are doing harder work and
fer less pay than they would have had at
home"
There are several flourlshing schools in
China conducted by American teachers, and
through the translation department OF the En-
pire more than 1900 volumes OF translated
works in science art, ETC., have been sold. In
the schools OF this country 120 Chinese youths
are receiving instruction.
"A correspondent OF the New York Erening
Post, writing from Berlin, asserts that the
PruSSlan, are becoming poorer rather than bet
ter, and that France has made such strides of
late in public instruction that in some particu-
lars she is already ahead of Germany. He sup
ports his statements by the latest educational
statistics of the two countries, and adds that
two years ago he heard well known German
professor express grave doubts about the lower
classes in Germany being better educated than
those in France. The Frenchmen, he thinks,
do not intend to let the German 'Scho0lmaS-
ters' whip them again."
The Importance of teaching a correct man
agement of the voice is illustrated by an anec-
dote told by NJ. Legouve In a recent lecture on
the art of reading He said that Berger. the
great orator, used to declare that he once lost
his case by having opened his pleading In too
hlgh-pitched tone. His voice rapidly became
tired. his Intellectual powers felt the effect OF
his vocal fatigue, and his arguments were not
delivered with sufficient energy to obtain a tri-
umph.
Superintendent Peaslee of Cincinnati,
says that the greatest mistake that is being
made In the American schools is the constant
drive in arithmetic at the expense OF compost
ton and literature. Mr.. Peaslee wants less
set before pupils higher aims for study than
monthly averages. His convictions have led to
the establishment In the Cincinnati schools OF
'Poets DaZis," and the systematic study of lit
erature. The children are made to not only
memorize poetic selections of the highest char
acter, but to learn something about the authors,
and to talk about them.
AT the recent meeting of local Massachu-
sets teachers association one of the speakers
urged the need of improving the reading of chill
OF mingling history and biography with the in
evitable fiction. He asked that the quantity OF
the reading of the young should be reduced and
the quality improved, and mentioned with
some severity the sort OF books furnished by
Sunday school libraries. 1t is pity that this
kind of literature should not be oftener exam
ined by competent persons worse collection
Nfy -l,rrlx-
nobility OF purpose or excellence Of style could
hardly be found than the books of the average
SuDday-schOOl library. 1t seems to be time
that churchmen should realize that the goOdy-
goody is not the religious, and that children are
capable OF assimtlating something better than
the feeble stuff they present to them.
GOOD READING FOR CHILDREN.-At the recent
meeting OF local Massachusetts, teachers as
ISOLATION one OF the speakers urged the need OF
improving the reading Of children out of school
hours-the especial necessity of mingling his
tory and biography with the Inevitable
fiction: He asked that the quantity
D s re and the Of aa y0ng sSUsd ane
mention with some severity the sort of books
furnished by Sunday school libraries IL is
pity that this kind OF literature should not be
worse collection Of milk and water trash, almost
wholly without nobility of purpose or excel
lence OF style, could hardly be found than the
seems seems to to be- be- time churchmen Should REAL zs
that the goOdy gOo6y Is not the religious, and
that children are capable of asSimilating some
thing better than the feeble stuff they present
to them.
EDUCATION In EURoPE.-The following num-
bers, which have been published In the educa-
t1onal organs of Germany, represent approx
mately the present state OF the Chief European
nations in regard to school education. Ger
many, with upwards OF 42O00,000 Inhabitants,
has 10000 schools, attended by COG 900 scholars,
giving an average of 100 scholars to each tnsti-
tuition. The expenditure on account of schools
In that country averages go marks, or IS I'D.
per head OF the population. England, with
81 600, 900 Inhabitants, has 5000 schools, at
tended by 100000 scholars, or an average OF 81
to each school, and at an expense of 1.S6 marks,
or Is. 1014d. per head of the population. Austria
Hungary, with 37,0000O0 OF people, has 80, 900
schools, attended by 100000 pupils or 100 pupils
each, at an expense OF 1.6S marks, or Is. Sd. per
head of the population. France with 37,0000O0
of people, has 900 schools and 100, 900 pupils.
or &C per school, the expenditure averaging LAS
marks, or nearly is. Cd. per head of the pOpula
ton. Spain, with II 600 600 OF people, has 10000
schools and 600 900 scholars, or Sc per school,
the expenditure averaging lao marks, or Is.
42id. per head OF the population. Italy has IS
OOO, 600 of people, 1900 schools, and 1900 900
scholars, or 40 per school. the expenditure being
0.s4 mark, or 10d. per head OF the population;
while Russia, with Al, 100000 of people, has 49,,
600 schools and 1,100,O 600 scholars, or So per
school, the average expenditure being 9.2S
mark, or rather more than I'D. per head of the
population.
TennysOn and the ssPlump Head.
Waiter at the COck.''