Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-06-12
HIGHER STUDIES IN OUR SCHOOLS.
Progresses SESSIONS TAKES a
DECIDED STAND.

yussiee Shsuid DO Done 90 the FRI
mary departments Before Favor
are kxtended 60 High school' Pa
pills.
The remarks Of Prof. Sessions, our
State Superintendent Of Public Schools,
at a meeting Of The Tsachsrs' Institute,
held last evening in Virginia, upon
"Higher Studies in our Public Schools
were SO appropriate. and 30 fully in &C.
cord with the views Of nins-tenths Of tn,
taxpayers Of Storey county, that We fee
the general public would bs pleased &c
see them In print. We, therefore, pub
lish below . very full synopsis OF them
To reasonable men II would seem thai
Mr.. Sessions statement OF the question
discussed was fair. impartial and con.
elusive. II retrenchmsnt in the sxpsn'
ditures Of money for educational pur'
poses shall become necessary with rs. II
would seem proper. to- those who have
the interest OF the whole people Of heart
that the extraordinary" studies, a.
named By Prof. Sessions. should be
dispensed with before lower branches.
II would bs very unwiss to refuse
nourishmsnt to the roots OF our sduca-
tional tree. The youth Of orr land. al,
must have an opportunity Afforded them
to acquire the basis OF an Euglish
education - the rudimentary or sls.
uontary branches. But II lack OF
resources compel Q less expensive sys.
ten OF education In our schools than
now taught, some Of the upper branches.
which are more ornamental than useful,
must be Topped of. Fifty years ago the
study Of the Greek and Latin classics In
the original tongues may perhaps have
been q necessity for persons who desired
to acquire Q thorough education. but 1t
Is not necessary today. All OF the best
literature OF the Greek and Latin classics
has been recently translated into our
language, by better scholars than most
OF us can ever hope to become. and 10
now accessible to all.
After some very happy introductory
remarks Prof. Sessions said:
I would like to see q public schools
unlimited In scope, or. to use Prof.
Swstt's quotation from Tyndall. / would
be glad il "while one end OF the ladder
Of education 10 in the gutter, the other
end should be in the University,
do mot bslievs this sentiment Ia disagree.
able to anybody. unless perhaps 10 some
enemy OF mankind. Rants definition
OF education il beautiful. because II ap-
psals to the thoughtful. as true CIV.
cry human intellect" said Kant, "is
fashioned aftsf Q divine ideal; the reali.
zation OF this ideal il the proper sphere
Of education" Whether there has ever
been an embodiment Of such an ideal in
real life is a more practical considera-
ton.
Now, as to the propristy Of whatever
course OF higher or extraordinary studies
that may be pursued In u schools. ve
ought to be able to determine BY an
analysis OF the situation. / bslisve
there are but few. II any. who will not
agree with me that the spirit Of our pub
lilo school system II expressed in the
proposition that at all hazards the Gle.
mentary branches must be taught. II.
after this il fully accomplished. there DO
time and money for further education,
all the better. But the rudiments by all
means first. II any sacrifices are to 30
made, they ought to DO made in favor
Of the primary departments. The In.
tellsctual bread and meat, the mind.food
indispensable in the everyday Inter.
course OF ordinary life In an enlightened
community ought not to be ~niggardly
mstsd out. The necessity Of the diffu.
sion OF rudimentary knowledge among
the masses. however. In too obvious to
DO dvslt upon.
am not sure that II would be worth
while for Us to consider the additional,
and sometimes very great, extra expense
Of instruction in the higher branches,
unless the result should DO to deplste
the treasury to the injury Of the primary
schools. So long as the people are
willing TO tax themselves to the extent
necessary to maintain all the depart.
ments, It III becomes any Of rs. partio-
ulsrly those engaged Immediately in
educational work to do or say anything
in opposition thereto. Bnt when there
comes q strife for existence, when the
well Is running dry. the voice OF the
people, which 10 our instructor, 10 heard
10 unmistakabls terms warning rs to
economic for the little ones. I can
think Of NO greater anxiety for parents
than the apprehension that their chill.
dren may not know how to read and
write. This humble requirement 10 such
q vast remove from that total darkness
which enshrouds the mind to which oil
literature 10 Q sealed book. We hear
sometimes that our primary schoolrooms
are o~vercrowdsd. And sometimes they
are. In this very city little girls and
boys, in numbers ranging from seventy
up to q hundred. are to be seen crowded
into rooms not ft for the accommoda-
ton Of more than half the number.
What can DO done 10 lay the foundation
Of an education in these sardine boxes 2
Lately the halliday system has been
adopted. One half OF inc Gay only u
thus devoted to primary tuition.
Whether this time Is enough. / confess
I am not able to say. 1t has only lately
been deemed necessary. however; and
1t points to q condition OF things not
only contrary to the spirit Of our free
institutions, but II 10 also con.
trsry to the plain letter Of our State law.
This law demands precedence for the
primary department. Now It looks %
this department Ii being sacri.
feed to some other. II may be. to oil the
others above II. 1t 10 crowded and Grip
pied. 1t would not be consistent under
the subject assigned me to 60 into . dis.
cussion Of all the causes that combine to
produce this effect. shall con6ns
myself to the limits assigned me under
the head Of Higher Studies in Our
Public Schools" ] think IL within
bounds to say that In the High Schools
OF Gold Hill and Virginia an additional
year has been required for q course In