Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1881-12-15
GalerHn Glarion.
Ehas. e. CasselI, A: NJ,
Editor
az. T., Root, 4 PROP'Is's
EhaS. E. Ca8Sell,
THURSDAY, DEC. Is, 1854.
SCHOOL STUDY ES.
Some Popular Errors Considered

How many Will sIaud az ""'' Nv s-0
assertion, that not one parent IN ten
fully understands why,or to what end
they send children to school? As a
natural sequence, we should expect to
have the hands Of the other nine
raised in detestation Of ono that 30
calcmiuates them so presuming that
eighteen out of twenty hands are up,
we will request them to keep them up.
simply placing them back of their
ears, that they may all the better
hear and understand US.
To define our position more clearly,
we may say tina: thorough acquslnt-
,ance with the four primary rule, of
arithmetic, fractions and proportion
to read intelligently, write legloly
sad to distinguish between the slnau-
lar and plural numbers covers more
Than ninety per cent. OF education
Of direct practical utility. That is,
the elementary parts OF an English
education referred to, suffice 10 carry
a man through nine. tenths of the bnsl-
nees transactions Of life, 80 far as d."
rect practice is concerned.
This being the case, the question
most naturally following rs is IT worth
the time, labor and expense to teach
al that is taught hey ,nd That men
stoned above, for the sake OF the re-
manning one.tenth OF practical affairs
that such q documentary education
would not meet?
4Should cabe root, allegation, alge-
ora, geometry, natural philosophy,
rules Of syntsx and prosody and other
studies that 90 to make up the reqnl-
site amount of education to cover the
one-tenth part Of practice. be indulge
in, simply for tho sake Of this one
TENTH
We answer, by all means and most
assuredly, and yet, if education be not
anteudsd to make practical men and
women, of what use is it, and how
have we misunderstood it?
We have not misunderstood il. but
herein lies the point and the principle,
that we will make PLAIN, is not under.
e.ood by great majority Of parents,
and unfortunately, by many teachers
rot fully comprehended.
The principle that we would, teach
is this, that as we have already stated
:. very small number of elementary
rules and principles Of an English ed
ucation are 7u: directly in practice, in
the ordinary transactions Of business
life, but that mind, that simply
rrasps these few elementary princi
pies that has undergone no drill and
discipline, that has not learned to
reason and draw conclusions, is but
lily qualified to enter practical life
and it is not partly, but entirely, from
The study and mastery Of the abstract
and impractical branches that this
mental discipline is obtained, and
while false syntay may not sew a but.
ton on, or the knowledge OF trigonom.
4try ENABLE one to enclose by courses
aud distances for himself, another
man farm, it is the study, the think !
ing out" Of each rules and problems,
that gives the logical bent to the mind
and imbues it with reasoning quail .
ties and makes the practical man, that
renders the mind capable OF foresee.
ing the effect, knowing the cause, or
finding result to follow back through
The operation to a beginning.
While we do not by any means pre-
tend to assert, that the retention Of
facts, rules and principles, ordinarily
taught in schools is not most com
rnendable and proper thing for a pu-
pill; yet we will insist, that the dis
cipline Of the mind in the matter Of
thoroughly conQuering 8 complex
problem 10 algebra, principle in nat
ural philosophy, or rule Of syntax, is
worth vastly much more, than the &C
tnal fact Of retaining in the mind ten
of those rules, or principles.
This brings us to our initial proro-
stjon, that ninety per cent. of the
parents and ? per cent. Of the
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