Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-09-07

cannot wisely be made ours. We have begun n
different division Of educational work. We have
our college and academy or high school each hav-
ing about four years work, instead Of putting
nine years work under the same instructors
There is no reason for change Of this (2) We
cannot, Mt present. organize system that shall
be one for the whole country. The diversites
Of culture and requirements are too diverse. We
must, believe, work by states, as the Swiss do
cantons, not more broadly now. (3) The nature
OF our climate does not admit the possibility Of
our requiring or exactng from pupils Of even
from twelve TO twenty years Of age 10 rigid and
severe work "a ia demanded In the secondary or
normal training Of Germany Our nervous temper
aments do not endure the strain Of the work
there. The German constitution and habits seem
wonderfully adapted TO severe mental labor, but
the uniformity OF the climate il not less favorable
to regular and protracted effort of both body and
mind. ~ Again, the complete graduation and
classification Of primary school pupils is forbidden
in our country districts by the sparseness of the
population. They have twenty-five to forty chill
dren OF school age TO the square mile, and put
nine square miles in district; we have five to
square mile and put two or three square miles in
a school district ! do not know bnt we must
come to the Swedish and Norwegian method Of
itinerant teachers who, like peddlers, travel from
neighborhood to neghborhood, or from house to
house, making their rounds once in three days,
or once a week Their maxim Is, Better good
teaching and little Of it. than poor teaching and
much of it," This is growing European senti-
ment We do need terribly in our country dis
tricts a condensation Of our schools.
But Of these features Of European school work
nd In 80, lot
t1) more complete state supervision. This
should cover the academies and high schools as
well as the common schools and should include
rigid system OF graded certificaton for all teach
| ers except Of our colleges. Let law be passed
| forbiddng attendance OF any young child under
six years ofage. (2) More extended and thorough
normal school training, raising Of the standard
| of admission and rigid holding of normal school
graduates TO work for the state for two or three
years (3l A recasting OF the courses of study in
both the common and higher schools with the
| aim to do in the former wider work especially
in the elements of natural and political science,
but less in mathematics, and nothing beyond
arithmetic, and in the latter to make the study
| OF history and Of the English language more
prominent and thorough Let the work be done
by weekly schedule instead of a daily-at least
for all but the younger pupils. More Latin and
French will be required in secondary schools
Greek should be optional in every college course,
and more prominence given to a study OF the
modern languages, especially German. With our
agricultural schools should be Joined instruction
in horticulture and forestry. (i) Systematic
study of the historical parts Of the Bible, and
more distinctive moral instruction. Why is it
| that the best commentaries on both the Old and
New Testaments-Keil and Deleteal and Meyer
and Lange-are German? Partly at least, because
| at sixteen years Of age the average German boy
is more accurately familiar with the facts of Bib
lical history than our average college graduate.
Our Sunday school instruction, though more EN-
phatically doctrinal, gives much less complete
| acquaintance with the Bible itself to children of
| the same years than the German common school
| (5) Aside from the study and adoption Of mere
| methods-many Of which are imported from
abroad-our teachers would greatly improve their
work by more careful study OF the history, science
and philosophy Of teaching. Five hours weekly
for three years given to this subject in Germany
makes their teachers realize how much thought
and wisdom and strength have been given by
both ancients and moderns--by Solomon and
Socrates and Plato Cicero and Quntilian, FRANKIE
and Pestaozz and others between and snce-to
the best plans for mental and moral culture, and
certainly does not unfit them for their duties.
Can we in America afford to ignore this body OF
professional literature? Can we justly claim to
be distinct profession without distinct profess
sional culture and that not only begun before our
work but continued through it? (6) We must do
more in our schools with our own literature.
More Of the best OF it should be planted in the
memory seedcorn for the harvest of mature
: thoughts 1t will supplant evil maginings cor
rect erriug Judgments help to strengthen weak
, wills and make the tongue ready and supple with
} words that are as apples Of gold in pictures Of
| | ailv