New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-22
NOTES ON EDUCATION.

IN Nourishing condition. ire Jo~hat Vi VIM
Novn SAWS that according to the latest pm ''
V,stics the percentage of the school popuia''on -
sn,. ctv no. enrolled in any school is greater than
m Albuquerque. -
msalcal commission was appointed some time ago
IN Germany to study and investigate certain qu9s'
.ions relating to the construction of school ouiu
,rcs In the matter Of ventilation the commissioh
.tates that each pupil in q school ought 10 nave
91oO cubic feet of fresh each hour az the ieAs''
IL N stated also that light from the rear Is aui
..;b,s lint il not recommended and windows facing
the pupils are prohibited. walls VI nelRnoorihs
bindings painted white and rejecting the sunshine
into the school-room are very injurious anu 'ne
wn.rs sbould oe persuaded obliged to paint theln
NJ a darn color The insiue face OF the walls Oh Tue
schooroom itself is to be painted pale olue OF pi
fish WHITE and the ceiling pure white. al and
ljoht should be used without hesitation on DARK anu
abort days 1t is more dangerous to WORK py lnsul-
fcient daylight than by gaslight Argana nd
are preIerable, as giving a steadier Hgnt, anu
@roupd glass globes are Objectionable on account OF
the large proportion of light which they aosoro
Tbe,e il IN Philadelphia an organization composed
of some of the most prominent ladies and gentle
men of that city which is known as The Public
Education Association" The object of the associa-
tou as stated in its fret annual report, to pro-
mote the efficiency and to perfect the system of
education In Philadelphia by attracting general
attention to its errors and defects through appeals
needful. and through such other means as may
ffoo time to time be deemed exDedient becoming
thus medium for the expression OF puOllco pihioh
finally by taxing such measures as may oe ueeV
calculated bring under instruction the tDou-
sands of children now growing up in ignorance
Professor William H. Brewer. of the Sheffield
Scientific School Of Yale College, ig mentioned ior the
presidency of the Aioherst Agricultural CVIiege,
made vacant by the death OF Ut. FauI A. Cnau-
bourne.
II. C.ha the
present common hoOl system of Il at city, when
be calls the new Departure Under this order OF
things he SAYS "the spelling book and mental arlth-
me:c were banshed from the schools. All ranklngOY
per cent in classification was Ignored anu virtually
abolished, a practice which the most DISTINGUISHED
teachers in all tjme have found most essential, IN
der judeiOus arrangement, to intellectual growth
and successful scholarship in their pupils Long
established systems and methods ia instruction
changed and various isms and ol"gies substituted
and, generally, lhe useful AID practical were
crowded out and much that useless and ornate
introduced Such has been the management and
administration of school affairs under the new re-
gime, and there now no pruper system OF Judl
cious instruction. but much that Is pewiderin' snu
confusing so that 'nOst teaching is now loose. iu-
definite and unsatisfactory and our schools are
sending ont annually large class OF boys and girls
poorly prepared those essentials that go to make
up good and thorough education In the common
branches, important for success and usefulness IN
duly hie."
For some time past there has been q strong latent
opposition the marking SYSTEM on the part OF tho
students of Brown University, which has at last Gull
minated In action petition signed by ulany stu
dents has been sent to faculty calling their at
tention to the injustice of this system. Commenting
on this The Boston Post SAYS: q" We entertain
strong sympathy with this feeling against the mark
ing system rs it is USUALLY conducted. 1t is neylta
bly standing injustice wherever practised. No
matter how careful UT conscientious Instructors may
be- the honors Will III many cases where they are
not DUE and If there is tendency to favor
itism on the part OF some Instructors, as IL
almost sure to be the case where the fao-
ulty is large the injustice Is intensified.
The system, even at its best. allows but little
discretion. The honor men and the medal-men are
BIZ no means SURE to be thvse who have made the
most of their college opportunities have best
equipped themselves by their college labors for the
duties that await after graduation. The prizes
of this sort In many won by the method
ical minds that wander into the by-paths Of
study for establishment refreshment, but plvd
along the beateL track of the text book performing
their tasks win accuracy and honesty anu not ac-
quirng part of the result the principles OF mental
development aud expansion which are frequently
acquired by those Tho rank lower according TO the
marking system.
According to the annual report Just issued, the
schools of Georgia are IN hourlshlng condition.
The Right Hon. Anthony John MuDdea, the
English Minister Of Education, few days ago made
some interesting statements to correspondent of
The Boston Herald "Our IteracY in England"
be said, dis lamentable, but we are emerging from
it; and in u few generations, say three, viii
rival Saxony and Switzerland ana far outstrip
America. 1t is only fifty years, indeed less than
that by eight years, since the Government took
the cause of education aud gave money for 1t. At
hiatt ba ANA rinan hal afuh1i had
mon free-school system, and throughout Germany
education as compulsory We did not a
that stage until 1872, thirty -four years later But
compulsory education is our stronghold, and The
success with which We have advocated its ntroduc
hon. and the way 1t has made returns for efforts
at gratifying to us and of enormous value
to the nation. You may believe me, it was a hard
struggle at first. Our party besought The rev
of us who urged it to 60 slowly and prophesied no
end of social troubles They assured us that in the
porth and particularly among the manufacturing
people. We would awaken opposition to the
ecution of the law that would lead to rioting and
more serious results Not only that but the future
interests of the Liberal pal inst at that time like
ayoung giant feeling It's growing strength would be
tree into Parliament very shortly after that TO rep
resent one OF the largest Constituencies of working
men In England. and that too upon the declaration
that was welded TO the plan Of compulsory educA
tiOn."
Miss Aiken. the principal of a school at Stamford
Conn.,, gives some interesting facts concerning NJ.
Clemenceau, the leader of the Extreme Left In
France. She says: "Dr. Clemenceau entered my
school professor Of French literature in the au-
tumn OF 1857 and remained in that relation to the
school until June 81. 1863. when he returned to
France. He again visited this country in the sum-
mer of 500 and married Miss PlummeI, of Durand
Wis, who went there With her parents when child
FROM Springfield. Mass. Miss Plummer pupil