The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-11-03
ooalr0g soHooEl aDUoA 11oN.

or November, on ''Scientlhc Com
non School Education. The article
should be read by every teacher in
,he United States, whether in the
higher or common ...schools,saud by |
every person who has any official
position or responsibility in our ed
vocational institutions. The paper
makes a remaFkable showing as to
the imperfect education acquired ~
New England SCHOOL, within a
stances throw 'of Boston. The bad
smelling is especially criticised, and
from the examples given it certain
" deserves stl the criticism besto"-
ed on it. It is a little humiliating
to think that our b0asted common
schools, at the .yeEy, center of civili-.
cation. make. so bad a. showing of
ineficiency and incompetenoy; but
there is one humiliation, fortunately,
that we are spared. The "Mothei
Country Great Britain used to.
be called-cannot triumph over Us.
According to,a report recently made
by Her Majesty'a Inspector of
Schools in the Greenwich District,
the spelling of English in England
is quite as bad as any spelling that
! can be found In this country, in or
out of Boston. In experimenting
with children in Standard IV.-rhe
children averaging / 4 yearssof age
to ascertain their proficiency IN
spelling. the inspector gave an ex-
ercise in dictation, consisting OF
/ eight lines from reading book
4 which had been read ever and over
again for months. The average mis-
takes per child were found to be
1911. In specimens given him by
children in the highest class he
marked 2O.30, and in one case as
high as sixty-fo errors in the spell
ing of common words in daily use
In Standard V.-the children aver
aging over Is years of age-onIy
televen children in twenty-five spell
ed "heavier'' correctly and the re-
naming fourteen had eight different
versions of the word. Some of The
instances noted were: "Venega'
turnits, carrots. lettace, beens, sal
ary, water crests. radiees, redashies'
Surveys, suit, grissil, fillables saus'
PAM" etc. In the course of his re.
port the Inspector says:
"I have copied from considerable
| number three specimens of exercises IN
| dictatian, written by three children
| whose average age was fourteen years,
| one month, who had passed credit
j ably the examinations drawn up for
| Standard III. and ", aud were seeking
| employment in situations open only to
| candidates able to write legible hand,
| to read and spell fairly well, and to
work simple sums correctly. 7Fhe STAN
| of the pin is now ready for the he'd this
is maid of very fine wire wound round
a peace of steal besids of pin The col
| so form he is cut into pieces each the
| rite length for a head we call the
man who a ship sailir Thy horgsl and
/ and ferI slari slear and COLOUR clearns
and take ofo cago a sailor has to The
] heat of the cale.' Been went.t0 see the
| nexl sprenl Is wish was not bet leas
| strong ran it hat been for bat l do not
| think he MGR agan brough hlm whlces
| forded has if they ware the shif things
| to be thart in the world The hand
| writing correspondent with the spelling
of these exercises. and was deciPhered
| with occasional difficulty. Not one OF
| the candidates. could read an easy pass
| age in book used in schools so as 70
| make the examiner understand 1t with
out looking at the text, or write down
| / 900 from dictation, or work a sum in
simple addition"
The examples which he gives, the
Inspector adds. are not the work of
exceptionally dull children; but of
fairly bright oness The failure is
due to the neglect of the art of
teaching the conversion Of stand
ards Of examination into standards
of organization. and the ambitions
multiplicity of subjects which teach,
ers put in their timetables. This is
worse showing, if possible, than
the writer in HarpeFs makes con
corning New England. But there
| is very little consolation in feeling
THAT we are no worse off than Great
Britain in respect to common school
education. For we have been prid
/ ing ourselves these many years upon
being a great deal better off. We
are not without trust, that the show
ing as to the school near Boston is
1 ovaaAfinnal --.-s