The Portland daily press., 1880-11-10
More About Practical Educa
tiOn.'

To the Editor of the Press:
Your editorial in this mornings issue gave
me great pleasure. I hope, with yourself
that the subject of Practical Education may
receive from our best thinkers aud writers the
attention which it deserves, and that the re-
suit of these best thoughts may be spread be-
fore our people.
There is certainly need enough of it. Every
where the feeling is gaining ground that our
public schools do not fill the place which they
ought to occupy. Doubtless, as Mr. G. F.
Adams says, they are in transition state and
the methods presented must of need be
changed before we shall have schools fitted for
the present wants cf scholars.
There is no need to set up man of straw as
"Quis" has done for the purpose of knocking
him down. Very few, in this community at
least, think that our schools ought to be places
where carpenters, or blacksmiths, or masons
or dressmakers, or milliners are to be made l
do not believe that our people have that view
of practical education; but 1 do believe tha
they think our schools should furnish the
foundation for whatever pursuit the pupil may
follow in his struggle for existence" after he
leaves the school room. Possibly man may
not know what kind of house he may build
when he digs his cellar, but if he lay his
foundation strong enough he may build his sn-
perstructure of stone or brick or wood. So in
school, if the foundation be properly laid, the
boy may be fitted for a mason or a merchant.
and the girl may be prepared for keepng books
or dressmaking, or for the duties of home. In
certain direction, and to a certain extent
this foundation will be the same for all. Let
US go no further at this time than TO say that
the graduates of our public schools ought to be
able to read and write the Ehgish language
with eas e and correctness, in neat and legi-
BILE manner, and to perform correctly and
rapidly problems in figures which are likely to
occur IN the experience of any man woman
who buys or sells But will venture this as
sertion, that, if class of say twenty-five were
TO be selected from our schools, quite at ram
dom, and subjected to the above test, they will
be found lanenta6ly deficient. l base this as
serton not only upon what l see in the work
of our school graduates, but on what is foand
to be the case wherever the test is applied
Mr.. Watson'S examination of the Norfolk
county schools in Massachusetts, showed what
shortcomings were there, and that locality is
not alone in deficiencies. Send, Mr.. Editor
tomorrow to the principals of our schools for
the papers of the pupils in the last MONTH,
written examination from all classes, and see
Tor yourself IL l have over-Stated the matter
L do not think our schools are worse than
many others which might be named, but the
system pursued in them is wrong, and is not
producing the results which ought to be pro-
duced. More than this, venture to say that
it is known TO be wrong, and the attempt to
right it is producing no better results, but only
an additional crowding of teachers and pupils
Whether such condition of things is neces-
sary do not know; but for one l should be
glad to see our schools doing what such schools
are capable of doing in the way of fitting our
boys and girls for the stations in life which
they will hereafter assume. That they are not
doing it proper test will certainly show
ANYONE