The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1880-07-28
For Tnr RECORD.
THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE or
INSTR U0TT0N.


pfOoaDiy presently coming aftnOSt eutireiy
from the New England States, but few
prominent educators we're from without these
limits. may mention Gen. John Eaton, U.
s Commissioner of Education, Washington,
D, c.; Prof. q. Richards of Washington, d.
c.; Hon. W. t. Harris, of St. Louis Dr.
Hoose, of New York, and State Superintend-
ents Slade, of Illinois, and Gilmour, of New
York. sn
Although this is practically New England,
institution, any person in any state may be-
come member and participate in the discus
sions by paying the sum of one dollar. 1t
has been the practice for years to have papers
read at the annual meetings on educational
topics uppermost in the minds of the people,,
giving opportunity at the close of each paper
for the discussion of the subject matter of the
paper. The papers read this year were of
more than ordinary interest to the public and
to teachers in particular, and the discussions
thoughtful and earnest.
propose in this article to summarize a part
only of the papers. The first was by B. G..
Northrop State Supt. of Schools of Conn.,
Subject -" The Quincy Method" Mr.. N.
having had ten years experience on the Mass.
Board of Education, remembers the inferior.
ity of the Quincy schools as they were some
years ago. In 1878 the school committee Of
Quincy, inspired by Charles Francis Adams,
Jr., learned by examination that the schools
had fallen into rut that the last ten years
indicated no progress; that "the graduates of
the grammar schools failed in speaking, SPELL
ing, and writing their own language. When
called upon to read book new to the scholars
the result was bewildering. The children
could neither write with facility nor read flu
emily, for they had been trained only for an
examination, and turned into parrots and
were making meaningless farce of educa-
ton. 1t was all smatter veneering and cram"
Such was the condition of the schools then.
The new things at Quincy were the APP
pointment of liberal and intelligent COM
mittee, the continuance of the same In Office,
and the appointment of an able Superintend-
emit, who has not been crippled by the inter
ference of the School Board. He, In turn,
has not held his teachers to fixed methods,
but has given them free field to work out
the best results of their own methods, hold
| ing them responsible for results only. Tho
progress in the schools has been wonderful
There is greater interest on the part of pupils,
their parents, and the people generally. There
is an increase In the aggregate attendance, its
regularity and punctuality also better read
ing, spelling, and expression, and other good
results.
The next paper was by H. P. Warren, of
the N. II. State Normal School. Subject -
"The Spiritual Side of the High School
Question" The utiitaran idea has been
made too prominent. Education should be
spiritual as we'll as material. The most i'm
portant of the spiritualizing influences of the
free high school is its broadening and deepen
ing the channel of woman's home and social
life The impractical character of tho stud
les of the high school is the strongest argu-
ment for them. The student is obliged to
study them for their own worth and not for
their commercial value.
Mr.. r. @. Metcalf, Of Boston, read an ex-
cellent paper ON "The Public Library an
Auxiliary Of the Public Schools" in which
he made an earnest plea for an extended use
of libraries in the schools, thus cultivating
taste for pure reading and crowding out the
light literature of the day. He explained the
kind of reading children like and gave sug-
gestions to teachers for carrying out the de-
sired objects.
A paper on Private Schools was read by
Thos. Gushing, Principal of Chauncy Hall
School, Boston. These schools, which seem
70 cao,a a 4 fret p1anca almost 10 rv nv
reason of excellent public schools, show no
signs of dying out. Some Of the reasons Civ
en- for their existence and prosperity are :
They supply q want felt by some of the peo-
pie of the smaller towns for more thorough
and extended course than the public schools
can furnish /; the permanence of their policy
and teachers the greater facility in making
necessary changes in textbooks and in intro
ducing reforms, as they are not obliged to
wait for committees to act the better provis--
| ion made for individual instruction for sever
al classes of children, as the very slow learn
ers and those Of feeble constitution, who, in
public schools, must push along with their
classes, and the rapid learners who are kept
back with their classes Social and moral
| C0ublQefabtOnb also luuueuce Some III taVOr Oh
private schools Boston educated last year
about one-fifth of her children in private
schools, thus saving to the city over $500, 600,
besides the first cost Of building ten school
houses Of the largest size.
Mr.. Philbrick, of Boston, read paper on
" Co-education," taking strong grounds
against It. In the discussion which followed,
however, ALL with single exception, favored
it as strongly.
A number of other papers were read and
discussed there were readings, and class drill
in music, and other interesting exercises,
closing with a lecture by Henry Ward Beech
er ON " The New Profession Of which men,
ton cannot here be made.
But the best part of the Institute, to use an
Irish bull, occurred the day after its CLOSE
| The Dixon Crucible Co, whose mines are at
Tieonderoga, invited the members Of the In
stitute to ride over Lake George, in conse-
quence of which about 500 teachers are in
| dabtad ~ th;a Comnanv for a most Delightful