Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1883-04-13

For The Montgomery County Sentinel,
PRIMARY EDUCATION.

THE TRUE ORDER OF STUDIES IN
! PRIMARY INSTRUCTION: A Premi-
UNI Essay, by Prof zalmon Richards, A.
NJ.
The author Of this essay is gentle
man well-known to educators as u deep
thinker and an able writer. Naturally
we feel great diflidenco in criticising the
IDEAS Of a teacher whose silver hairs be-
speak years of labor Let our excuse
be our earnest desire to secure the widest
possible circulation of the gentleman Is
views. The question which be discusses
is very important. To republic. de-
irving its whole being from the people
as sovereign. and designed alone to pro-
mote their welfare, the education of youth
must be vital concern. Universal suf-
frage, unless accompanied by universal
enlightenment will prove more ruinous
to the state than famine or war. Parched
fields will again smile with golden plenty,
and blood.stdined hangers may soon b6
furled, but no human power can save
country ruled by voters who are ignorant
of all principles upon which their govern
mcnt is founded, who are totally ncom-
petent to Judge of those questions which
their ballots decide, and whose leaden
minds are the easy prey of selfish and
INSCRIPTIONS domagogues. Thoughtful
men Of our landare becoming alive to
this ominous fact. Legislators, realz.
ing that money is better spent 10 school
houses and books than in prisons aud
bayonets, have done much to avert the
impending danger. Our educational
system as a whole would probably COM
pare very well with that Of any foreign
nation. But the work is vast, aud there
is yet much more to be done. Over thou
sands of our countrymen, bound to us
by all the ties of our noble race, there
hangs cloud whose inky masses are
pierced by not single ray of light
What call is here for philanthropists,
for statesmen, for patriots One of the
loftest motives that ever stirred human
breast is that which prompts the sacri-
fee Of money, time and talents, in the
endeavor to elevate the characters of
our fellow-men.
Yet, while the need is thus great, we
ought sharply to scrutinize the methods
Of education. Our public schools, rapidly
improving as We are glad to believe, have
shown general excellence by abundant
fruit. Their praise may be read in the
dancing eyes of our young people The
system has, however, serious defects.
Among these, and certainly not the
least, is tho lack of adequate provision
for very young children To some. il
may seen, a. n1vel idea TINT q mild
really needs regular instruction before
he is Initiated into mysteries Of the
primer. or begins to grapple with the
problems Of addition Yet such is the
position taken by our author at thc.out
set and maintained 9Th skill that will
stagger big most skepticaI reader Prof.
Richards accepts the doctrine Of Froebcl,
the German reformcr, who devoted bis
whole life to the subject of education
The fundamental ideas of this great
thinker may be stated thus: All true
education must recognize the moral re-
lation Of man TO his Creator, and must
be a development Of inherent powers, by
activity pleasing TO the pupil.
Froebel, who loved nature in every
form, her woods, her insects and her
flowers, who believed that us nature aud
man arc the work Of the same Almighty
Power 80 they arc governed by the same
general laws, sought type Of human
development 10 the growth Of plants.
Hence is derived the name kinderyaytea
Gle. the garden Of children, y which he
applied TO the schools established on bis
plan. In many respects the analogy
thus drawn between school and n gar
den in striking. The gardener should
be familiar with the nature aud wants of
every plant. SO the teacher should be
thoroughly acquainted with the DISPOSE
ton and needs Of his pupil. Gardener and
teacher alike must constantly watch
against hnrtful influences Of whatever
kind. The growth Of plants is from germ
possessing the elements Of it's future life;
no less is tho education Of child the
evolution Of its innate faculties. Holly.
hooks and lilies will be found 10 the gar
don, diversity must be expected in the
school. Upon these general principles
Prof. Richards bases bis valuable essay.
10 a few Introductory remarks he de-
clares il his opinion that every teacher
should possess "moral fitness" for tho
work he is about to perform. Children
are not, OF course, 20 be taught the re-
ligious dogmas Of any sect, but their
teacher must be a Giving example Of
the requisite virtues of a true human
character" The FIRST object to be at
tanned 10 training children is 70 teach
them how TO study. n this be neg
lected in early childhood, the injurious
effects will surely be felt 10 the school,
in the college, and most of all in the
world Many u student, proud Of bis
classical knowledge, must lose no in
considerable portion Of bis labor, simply
because he IL stranger 10 true philosoph
ical study The elements which Prof
Richards iuds necessary TO real study
are first, "the ability to read aud un-
derstand language = second, "obscrya-
ton" and third, experimentation. /Of
these, language Is the most impok liant,
for without II there can be no cogIshuni-
caiion az thouaht IL ia. in thWwords