The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-10-26
THE sCHOOLMASTER ABROAD.
a Talk with Mr.. Dibblc About the schools
Down East.

The principal Of the High School, Mr. |
Virgil G. Dibblc, has just returned from |
trip down East, undertaken for the pur.
pose Of seeing the New England school
system in practical operation. lie VA,
treated with much courtesy and Kindness
wherever he went and found his iaunt an |
exceedingly interesting one. Hhe follow.
ing is n report Of II talk had hy Il reporter
with Mr.. Dibblc yesterday
81 understand, Mr.. Dibblc, that you
have occupied portion Of your vacation
in visiting some Of the leading schools in |
New England. Would You mind giving |
me, for the readers of The Nr~S o"t CDH.
ricr, some account of the schools which
Won saw, and of the methods Of instruc-
ton and discipline employed i'll them =
"You have been correctly informed.
At the suggestion Of his Honor, Mayor
Courtenay, | spent last week in New
England, visiting the boys Latin and
English high schools and the girls Latin
high school in Boston, the Phillips Acad.
crny at Andovcr and the Phillips Acnde-
nv at Exeter, y II. These are probably
the most noted high schools in New Eng
land, and together haze enrolled about
800 pupils. At every school was cor
daily received both by head masters and
teachers, and every facility was afforded |
me of n"ccrtaning by actual observation
The wc.L: being do;io III tic class rooms. /
the methods employed in teaching, and
lengthy conversations with the principals
and several teachers, and was present at
all the rccitations which could possibly
attend, aud | saw and learned enough to
enable me to form very good idea OF the
practical working Of the schools and the
results realized"
81 suppose tho advantages enjoyed by
these schools, in size and finish of build.
ings aud in general equipments, must
have impressed you. Will you give me
your observations on these points,"
Every traveller in New England must
be impressed with the attention which is
there paid to school buildings. The
township schools, in the rural districts,
have commodiOus and tastily constructed
buildings those in the villages and towns
occupy some Of the most attractive struc.
turas, snd iii the cities immeEse SUMS are
spent in the erection of the edices which
are to be consecsate,i to the %ors of edu-
cation. The buildings ! visited were
elegant in appearance and admirably
adapted to the purpose contemplated IN
their erection. Those Of the two acnde.
mics were of brick, surrounded by spa
cious grounds. The Boston Latin and
English High School building is the
finest schOUl.housc in the world. II cost
upwards of 500, 900, and with the ground
attached il valued ut nearly 81 ,00O,O 900.
These buildings are supplied with furni.
ture of the most approved kind, ventila.
ton is carefully considered, and the
physical comfort Of the pupils being pro-
vided for, the conditions for mental activ-
ity are of the most favorable kind"
"IIow we're you impressed as to the
pupils of the schools"
In the first place ] was struck by tho
advanced age of most of the pupils. This
is more marked Mt the two Academies
than at the Boston High School, but even
there tho boys in the upper classes were
older than those we find in the schools of
Southern cities. l suppose the average
would be at least 10 years. In fact, DIR.
Perkins, of Phillips Exeter, informed me
TINT the class which entered Harvard
this year averaged between 10 and 90
years of age. The maturity of mind re-
sulting from the advanced age of the boys
of course enables the teachers to accom-.
plsh more than could be done with
younger pupils, and tho members of the
senior classes answer with promptness
and facility questions which demand
original thought While this is m nd
vantage to them in the school aud college
course, it il not regarded as altogether
desirable. One of the leading teachers
told mo that, in his judgment, it would
be better, 80 far rs their subsequent ca
recr WAS concerned, that pupils should
graduate earlier, and thus enter earlier
upon the practical work which is to be
their life work. He decidedly inclined
to the opinion that, in Il country like
ours, those who are to compete with the
active, earnest, keen and persistent nspi-
rants for the best places should be ready
to combine theory with practice and to
enter upon the contest very soon after
they attain To the years of manhood"
"What seemed TO be the character,
mental and moral, of the pupils whom
you saw ?"
Inc boys who attend the schools
which visited may be regarded M picked
boys, and of course in their endowments
were above the average. A system Of
elimination by subtraction is employed
in each Of the schools Those who give
trouble by misconduct and those who fail
TO accomplish tho work assigned them
are not retained at school. Under this
process of the survival Of the tittest'
good material is secured, and tho assoca.
ton and competition of those more than
ordinarily gifted, of course, acts aud re-
acts in such a way as to secure high
development"
Dc you think that such system of
exclusion is the best7
"For the school and the teachers de-
cidedly the best, and possibly for the
scholars remaining. There can DO no
doubt as to the evils of the system, 30 far
as the excluded are concerned Schee!s, |
think, are intended more to help dull
boys who want to learn than to lead
bright ones, and an effort ought 10 be
made to cure bad boys aud lazy ones.
The ounces and drones, the mischievous
and the unruly, though excluded from
the schools, are still in the community
in the community to remain ounces and |
drones and to develop their mischievous
proclivities into criminal habits. The |
highest, noblest, most productive work |
of the school is to make intelligent men |
of those to whom nature has given mea.
gre endownents, useful men Of those who |
are more than ordinarily lazy, and to |
turn to account the energy whicL, unless
utilized, will find expression in mischief. |
For my own part, would rather make |
something of n dull boy, or a bad one,
than 10 be the teacher Of the best and the |
most brilliant. The gifted does not need
the school as does the dull boy. He can |
make his way if need be, unassisteii"