Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-02-13

in ten does the pupil know the value Of
meaning Of. Such memorizing by a child who
cannot write or speak ten consecutive sen.
fences correctly, is work and time worse than
wasted
One trouble is that the people are too am.
bilious to have their children acquire scholas-
tic attainments before their minds arc able TO
grapple with the ideas involved in such attain
ments. While it may be true that, accord
ing to our political system, there is no artif-
cial barrier set up against the advancement
of the most unfavored, socially, and while it
may be natural for all parents TO be ambi-
tious for the social and political advancement
of their children, yet it is a grave mistake to
suppose that the best way to promote that ad-
vancement is by examining into the dear lit
tie heads the philosophical conclusions and
the scientific results arrived at only after long
years of painstaking investigation, by de-
voted specialists. The boys may be able to
retain in their memories knowledge Of the
facts arrived at, and the conclusions reached,
but the processes and the laws involved they
are utterly ignorant of,-and the value of
such memorizing amounts to nothing Towhat
purpose is it that little girl can spell homoI-
Qgdte if she be innocent of the meaning of
the strange word, and never has como to see
any use for it, OF what possible moment is
it to boy to be able to tell the day of the
month on which the battle of ChicamauRa
was fought to tell exactly how many men
were engaged on either side, who command
ed, how many were killed, how many wound
ed, and how many taken prisoners? 1t is of
no consequence whatever, but if it were, not
one in a hundred who have tried TO commit
the facts to emory can remember them.
OF what earthly object then can it be to tor
ture children with such tasks? We have
come to get ourselves to believe that the chill.
dren are being benefited because they are
kept busy. The truth is, the public is being
bled most freely by textbook makers and
publishers under the plea that I'VE must keep
up with the times" This thing has gone al.
together too far. Let any one who cares to
do SO look back over the textbooks, which,
one after another, have been foisted on the
public during the last thirty years, and see
what an unmtigated imposition the thing has
been. Gradually, however under the influ-
ence and teaching of the Natural method, we
are coming to see that there is enough trans
piring in our everyday life about which to
speak and write, and by which reading, spell
ing, penmanship and arithmetic can be ac
quired. more easily and more effectively than
by the present text book cram system.
OF course the new method requires teach
ers who have the real faculty and genius of
the teacher in them; unuuestionabIy soma
teachers now in the ranks might have to be-
take themselves to some useful industry now
regarded as beneath them but the public
would gain, and the minds of the children
would be improved thereby. Col Parker,
the brave and heroic superintendent of the
Quincy schools, is slowly but surely scatter
ing seed, now here, now there. Lately in
New York, on the banks of the Hudson, at
Nonkers he gave two lectures. or rather, in
formal talks, during which he answered many
questions asked him by an interested assem-.
blage of teachers. Very likely il may prove |
that the new departure is faulty, or lacking,
or too radical in some particulars. Some |
careful and conscientious teachers affirm that |
its result, if carried to its natural sequence, |
Will be to show us a generation of young |
men and women incapable of close reasoning !
and connected thought We believe how |
ever, that it starts on basis of reason. ma
ture and common sense, and we hope to see
the seed of its teachings grow and bring forth
fruit and multiply, until all there is good in
1t shall take root, even in the good and prom
Using intellectual soil of Vermont.