Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1882-01-06
yaIrNDLY cRIrICIsn.

A, th. twcnty-ninth annual session Of
the California Academy OF Sciences IN
San Francisco last Tuesday evening.
Professor George Davidson made a few
suggestions with regard to the introduce
ton Of elementary science into our pub
lie school system. and. in the course OF
his remarks, took occasion 10 say
..whoev.r has had q varied experience
With young men. grown up from tho OF.
binary public schools. will be assonisned
nj their lack Of knowledge Of the iunda-
mental principles which underlie their
workmanship. They have in general an
amount Of undigsstsd and incohsrsnt
material, which their teachers have
christsnsd knowledge" "Our
youth who are to build up the industrial
supremacy OF this country need not be
craumed with foreign languages. which
in q few years must be pressed aside be-
fore the irresistible progress Of the Eng
lish- speaking races"
The above quoted remarks OF Pro.
lessor Davidson are eminsntly proper
at this time. when high pressure meth.
DDS OF teaching in u public schools
seem to DO the general rule. And. com-
ing from an earnest supporter OF u
public shool system. they may be looked
upon as the criticism Of a friend who
would increase its sphere OF usefulness.
While all friends OF our Republican form
OF government are friends Of our public
school system. and desire Its continuance
as the basis upon which Republican in
situations rest. yet as many see, or think
they see defects and abuses which have
become attached to il. they claim the
right to c~riticise IL as friends. that the
system may DO made better and more
acceptable to people generally. Az q
gardener prunss the looping twiss OF
favorits trees that they may grow more
comedy. so friends o! our public school
system point out errors or abuses in 1t
which stand in the way Of its greatest
possible success.
That the course OF studies generally
laugh, in public schools is too broad
for the majority Of pupils who endeavor
to acquire education therein seems to be
the opinion Of men OF years and prac-
teal business experience who are famil-
lar with the curriculum OF the schools
generally today. While q few children
Of more. than average mental capacity
may be able 10 master the many studies
which they are required to pursue in the
schools. the majority cannot do so. and.
in Older to keep mp with others OF their
class. they are Obliged to cram. without
digesting or assimilating that which they
try to learn. Parents o. well as teachers
know that II Is not those who pursue
the greater number OF studies that &C.
quirs the greater amount Of knowledge.
Scholars apparently dull at twelve years.
aud not able to keep up with their class,
at sixteen frequently sstonish their
teachers by exhibiting a knowledge Of
principles Of which scholars Of their age
Who were called remarkably bright at
twelve are l~amsntably ignorant. Edu.
cation consists but partly in memorizipg
set words and phrases from text books.
Nor can education DO acquired by cram
ming. 1t is rather q development OF the
mental faculties by proper means. as in
the vegetable world plants are developed
from germs by the action OF moisture.
heat and light. And until teachers learn
this fact our public school system will
disappoint its friends, and fail to accom-.
plish oil tha. 1t is possible for it to no.
complisb.
With reference to the much discussed
question OF teaching ''ihs languages"
in public schools. but little need be
written. The News has before said
that the opinion is very generally held
by men who have given the matter much
thought that the higher education"
should be acquired ut private expense.
not by means OF money raised by gen.
eral taxation for tho support OF public
schools. The utility Of Latin and Greek
to the young man Of today is question
able. The time occupied in acquiring
even q sma,tsring OF the dead languages
can. As a general thing. be used to better
advantage. AL OF the best literature OF
the old Greek and Latin authors has
been translated by the ablest scholars.
and may be found today couched In the
pursst English ready for our use. And
the old plea that tho study OF Latin
and Greek disciplines the mind. will
hardly be accepted as q compensation for
the loss OF time occupied in their study.
Principals and teachers may perhaps
justly hold that they know more about
the advantages and defects Of present
methods Of teaching than do men whose
tins is spent in other pursuits. They
should remember. however. that they
have not had the abundant opportunities
that older persons have had to sec how
deficient young men graduates OF q
High Schools during the last ten or
fifteen years have been in the education
necessary to ft them to earn their own
living.
The Utica IN. " Observer wants to
know how it is that the great statesmen
-