The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-11-20

MIR. EDITORIALS a humble member of the
teachers guild, have read with much inter-
est the communications upon Practical Educa-
ton which have appeared in the PRESS.
hope that there will be more. presume
that no one who is in any way responsible for
the management of our schools objects to criti-
cism. Whatever is unfair OF untrue in any
attack that may be made, reacts in the end in
favor OF the system; and it is certainly good
thing to have the real faults of the schools of
the State brought to public notice.
The discussion so far seems to reyolve around
these two questions What is practical educa-
tion? and how shall the schools, particularly
the High School, give such an education?
Neither OF these questions is an easy one to
answer; and, in fact, if they were left to the
critics, with the understanding that the schools
were to be undisturbed until an agreement
was reached, the teachers might safely settle
down to many years of repose.
school course laid out in accordance with
the sum total of the suggestions of the friends
of practical education" would certainly
contain every known branch of study
But perhaps in the assembly of cities plu-
rality vote might be secured in favor of this
statement:
"We will call a practical education the abil-
ity to read Understandings, to perform all the
ordinary business computations rapidly and
correctly, and to write good English; and we
insist on these requisites before the pupil at
tempts more"
That certainly would be minimum, and 1
am not prepared to deny that person possess
ing those Liabilities" would have practical
education.
But would like to ask some advocate of the
above platform how many persons he ever
knew who were educated up to that standard,
and no further.
most invariably implies the attainment of
much more; in other words, practical educa-
ton, which manifeSts itself in the power to
read, write and compute, aceH, and to deal sue
cessfully with the everyday problems of bust
ness and social life generally rests on a broad
er foundation than the mastery of the few
studies which are apparently called into play.
And so it seems to me that the So called
higher branches are to be used not only as
supplement-, but also as means, to this practi-
cal education.
But it will be said that, laying aside the aues-
ton OF means. the fact remains that the end is
not finally attained; that the schools do not
send out their pupils practically educated.
Well, admit the schools don't do as much as
they ought; and doctors don't save as many
lives, nor ministers as many souls as they
should; but doctors, ministers, and schools do
more than they sometimes get credit for.
Some one has said that the advantage pos
sessed by an educated over an uneducated
man is not so much in the absolute amount of
knowledge in the mind at one time, as in the
power to acquire readily what is needed. Now
If it is not fact that a boy or girl who has had
high school training is better prepared to
master any business, than one who has not
let the school "go' But it is a fact, and
don think that w m bac bad fair
portunities to Judge, will seriously deny it.
But what shall be said about High School
scholars who can't reckon interest or who
don't know about ''days of grace?' Why
they have forgotten about it. 1t is pity and
they need a review, but perhaps it isn't such
bad affair after all, as it seems
10 business man who deals with such
questions every day, that particular kind of
igno rance, is, OF course, astounding. He can
hardly understand how ordinary business rules
may drop out of the mind of young person
who has no occasion to use them, just as thous-
ands OF things that he once knew have drop
ped out of his own. No doubt many a school
is criticised because parents do not always find
their children cup" in questions that are par
ticularly fresh to themselves.
once knew of gentleman who condemned
certain school IN toto because, as he expressed
1t, he found his daughter didn't know what
'milch' cow was'
Brit am willing to own, and to urge, that
our High schools should devote more time to
reviews of the common branches, not only for
the sake of keeping fresh what the pupils have
once learned, but also that they get broader
and clearer views of the subjects than were
possible to them when they were young.
AND l think that instead of depending on
hasty review at the class, it would often be bet
ter to take up those studies-Arithmetic Gram
mar, Geography &c. and at intervals through
out the course.
should like to say something more on this
o. inf huf hax-A ala L.
proper limit. r.
Nov. IS. 1880.