The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-02-17
nnR puR1IC sCHOoLs.

In last weeks DEMOCRAT we mention
ed in our article on the Public Schools,
the alarming and startling fact that a
large majority Of our youth in Canton
never reached the High School, nor even
the Grammar school, preparatory thereto.
One half of the children 60 through
the primaries and quitl OF the rest,
most of them quit with the Secondary
This means that three fourths or more
of our youth quit school at the age OF
twelve or thirteenl That is, they leave
school before the opening mind realizes
the value of knowledge or the impor'
tance ofa common education.
The query is-Do they leave in dis
gustP As we said last week, they do not
as rule leave school to 60 TO work
Three hundred OF an annual lnCrease,and
only thirty or so graduated Two hund'
red and seventy or thereabouts drop of
annually between the primary and the
high school. Think of i'll
By the enumeration taken last 0cto'
Der it seems Canton school district had
4,37l youth between 8 and 81 years oil
age. Of these, 053 are between l6 and
81. The annual attendance in all the
schools now aggregates 2,4OO, showing
over 900 youth in Canton who are not
attending the public schools. We know
not what allowance to make for
those attending church and private
schools. With all their defects, un-
doubtedly the Public schools are super
ior to deDominational schools, so far as
acquiring a knowledge Of the common
branches are concerned.
But our hobby just now is the Public
schools, ard how to make them better.
la this work it is important to know
wherein they are deficient. John Quin-
cy Adams, in his address last summer
before the National Educational AssoCi-
alton, was assigned to speak of the pub.
lie schools of Quincy, Massachusetts, un.
der their new and improved manage
ment. He said there was nothing new
in their management. Their improved
condition was only the result Of the ap-
plication of common sense teaching and
management.
His idea was that public school was
not college; could not and should not
be run as a college; that the pupils in
our schools should be assisted, taught;
and no step in advance should be taken
till the previous steps necessary are
thoroughly mastered and understood. In
fact the teacher should teach; should not
like some college professors, send his
pTpils home to get their lessons, when
in the getting of those lessons they alb
solutely need help, which they cannot
find at home, in most cases; nor can they
find tutors to help, as students do at col.
lege.
The first consideration in this life is a
livelihood, and the great object in our
public schools should be to promote that
end. Hence the useful in education,
that which will aid in the practical bust
ness of life, "our needful knowledge" is
of leading importance"
1t is claimed that, il the school is what
it should be; conducted pleasantly and
proftably; each pupil assisted and cared
for as he should be; each little opening
mind will be 80 charmed and delighted
with the hill of science, that instead Of
leaving school as rule too early, they
could not be kept away.
We write in no fault-fnding spirit, but
with view of directing attention to a
lamentable state Of things that should be
remedied, if possible. 1t is serious to
think so large proportion of our youth
leave school for good, at an age before
the mind has capacity to receive the inn
portant parts of an education necessary
to "form the common mind" f.