, 1881-11-13
KEEPING BACK PUPILS AZ THE PUB $
ZIG SCHOOLS.

EcotcA O5 Liz ltQOIt u u COu!t1iltCc VI t14o
Citizens Association OIL tie matter OF routine
work in the public schools, The writer in
THE TRIBUNE was himself q teacher, and
wrote from tne experience Of many years,
and the result Of his experience and observa-
ton Is decidedly adverse to the present
graded system which is in use in the public
schools of this city.
This gentleman declares that the first di fl
Guilty which meets any attempt to change or
reform the present school system arises from
the opposition Of the teachers, and that any
effort to break up routine work will be es-
pecially opposed by the teachers because
routine is the foundation of the graded.sys-
tenl. The ground for anticipating the hos
tility of teachers TO any change is. first, that
the majority OF teachers are so welded to
the present round of duties that any yaria-
tion Of requirements throws them off the
track, and they are helpless; and, second,
that the graded system rests on the presump-
ton that all children are capable Of so much
work, and that those who can do more must
be kept back until the others eau be brought
up to the standard. lie says:
In order to accomplish this Il system has bccn
devised which 1nnps OUT a scheme Of work far
too narrow for genius, hut just suited to the
wants Of pupils who do not care to apply then-
selves 10 any mental effort, and particularly
adapted to the capacities Of teachers who huve
not ingenuity enough to originate any plans for
themselves. The ctluagB to another method
cannot easily bo made, because teachors do NOT
easily or readily measure the capacity OF pupils.
1t is 10 be feared that there is too much
truth in these allegations, and that the teach
ers rs body are very non-progressive. It is
rank absurdity to suppose that if ten boys
and ten girls enter class in the public
schools, their scholarship being the same,
these twenty children shall so progress
during the next five years that their
relative scholarship shall remain un-
changed, and they shall remain class
mates until they graduate. Yet this is the
hypothesis Oil which the graded system has
its foundation. There are half 4 dozen
standard studies; Of these twenty children
fifteen may be unusually brilliant in four Of
them, but they cannot be advanced in any Of
them until their progress in all six studies is
Up to the standard, and they must drag along
their dull existence with the other five boys and
girls until all twenty are advanced to the
same proficiency. This studies are graded,
but the pupils are not graded according to
ptOEiE5o- ~ ~ tAto II UOJ uolAI1!ss ".
outstrip his classmates i'll arithmetic, unless
lie excels equally in all the studies; he
must remain with his associates until lie has
Inemorized 4 llalf-dozen books in which he
takes no particular interest.
The teachers are appointed to classes Of a
prescribed grade; to them it is a hercsy to
teach anything not written down for that
grade. Imam ordinary grammar school there
may be fifty boys i'll classes of various grades,
but who have advanced themselves in arith-
metic tar beyond the grades to which they
belong. It would be an oifense revolving to
the School Board or to the teachers to have
these fifty boys file out of their present rooms
at particular hours In the day anu take places
under another teacher i'll al arithmetic class
far enough advanced to meet their present
proficiency. The graded system would be |
violated, and the teachers would be demoraI-
ized by any such proceeding, no matter how
proper and just it would be iii the way of in
structlng the children in the matters in which
they need instruction. Our correspondent
writes on this point:
The whole tendency OF teaching under the
systems in vogue in the majority Of schools il
to chsc; any display Of ingenilty in aeouirin.
Is impossible in a system where the Textbook Is
put into the hands OF the pupils as the eunbodi-
uiar subject. The teacher likes to bear Il Glib |
recitation, and entorccs tue ulemorfzing OF the
text The Superintendent likes to see his schools
and on the same dcad level. whefher it be in the
schools fiIled with bright, Intelligent learners,
Or In those filled With the product Of the byways
fixes up ii course that will cloud the briliancy !
Of intellect in one and hide the deformites Of |
the other.
The committee Of :he Citizens Association |
have proposed change in certain particu- |
lars. Their proposition is In the direction of |
practical and direct instruction at the cost OF |
theory. The boys anu girls who attend our
public schools are, with few exceptions,
those who depend exclusively for their in
struction on what they get In those schools.
For them there is 10 school beyond. L
few reach the higll-scllools,
and only occasionally does one reach Il col
ege. Those who attend the public schools |
obtain all their schooling there, ulld the time
hat they have for learning in these schools
S SO short that tie teaching ought to be as
PRACTICAL as possible. They have no time to
wait for slower pupils. They should be
ldvanced in all they learn as fast as
ucil advancement is needed. When boy
n girl III class exhibits excellence in any
'ne study he should have an opportunity to
inter higher class in thai study, no matter
low much behindhand he may be in the
'ther studies Of the higher grade. All chill
[ren are not alike in memory, quickness,
nd ability. but those who excel III any stand
rd study should be given an opportunity to
dyance In that branch as fast as they can,
nd not be compelled to wait for the fifty or
txty scholars OF the same general grade to
atch up with them. The greatref needed
) that the pupils who have but one two, Or
hree years to attend school should have
very opportunity to learn all they can in
lat limited time, and should not be repressed
r tied down in all things because slow or
Efficient in some things.
While any change is sure to meet with op-
osition from the great body Of teachers,
eform must after all came from them.
hey must themselves eytricate the
:llools; they must themselves Improve their
Evn proficiency by making the schools more
they must remember that each
upil has right to the best education lie can
1taln III the limited time he can 20 to
;hOOl, and the teacheEshould do the best he