The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-10-31

wn1cn announcer 1als 10 derive from TOUR years
college training. Not every boy would be
profited by classical course but one designing
TO enter one of the professions makes mistake
II he does not obtain the best attanable prepa-
ration. The speaker justly criticised the ten
dency OF young men to jump the four or seven
years of fruitful discipline, to enter profess
sion by short cut to go straight from the dis
trict school or the middle Of an academic
course to the lecture room of what should be
post graduate course. The practical includes
something more than the directly useful. 1t
must concern the whole range OF mans pow
ers, the whole field OF his duties. 1t must en-
brace that preparation and those qualities
which make the worthy ctizeD the we'll
balanced man; must take account also OF the
fact that this life Is but the vestibule to life
beyond.
The " Relation OF Classical TO Scientific Stud
les" was the subject Of an interesting dis
cussion between Principal E. II. Barlow of
West Lebanon. N: H.. and Professor 5. II.
Bracket OF st. Johnsbury. The following Is
the substance Of Mr. Barlow's paper: The
feeling of dissatisfaction with school and col
lege studies WAS widely extended. Teachers
and patrons knew something was wrong but
found it hard to say what 30 that many mis-
took bad methods for good ends. Hence 1t was
easy for one to find fault with the so-caled ex-
cessive study Of classics, and to advocate in
stead a study OF natural sciences. Classical
studies are no less practical than scientific stud
training below technical schools, is not, and
should not be, anything but general. Mental
development only, the power to get, and not
the getting of skill for special work is all that
public schools may legitimately do The
charge that schools are not practical is best an
swered by saying they ought not to be prac-
tical. They fail II they become practical The
best course for n scientific student to pursue, is
a classical one as preparation for his scien-
tiic study. The scientific work properly sup
plements the classical, but cannot be substi-
tute for It, This does not mean that the hand
and the eye should not be trained Industrial
schools, however should be regarded as post
graduate, and technical. No public school
should teach profession or trade. For mental
development experience has furnished nothing
equal to language study. How much should
be studied depends on time spent, and natural
ability Of pupil and probable life work. Most
of our prominent colleges have tried from time
to time, to make course of general culture by
furnishing scientific instruction, and replacing
Latin and Greek with French and German, and
it has never succeeded The best scientific
students have been the classical. That better
methods of teaching the classics should prevail
is obvious The speaker affirmed that an ex-
perience in college OF fifteen years, had enabled
him to observe literally hundreds of cases Of
training under both systems, with but one re-
suit, and that in favor OF the classics.
Professor s. II. Bracket, speaking in favor
of scientific studies, said that educators cannot
seriously propose to set aside either the classics
or the mathematics or the sciences, as part
of liberal education. Classical study has
an honored pedigree scientific methods OF
thought and inquiry are of recent date What
Is the scientific spirit Inductive reasoning is
its main principle. 1t seeks to investigate with
freedom from prejudice, with full comprehen-
sion of principle to reason with logical and
mathematical accuracy till laws are discovered
and proved. The discoverer is OF more i'm
portance than the inventor. 1t is shame to
true science and sad comment on public dis
cernment to call smattering knowledge OF a
few facts the learning OF science. So has
classical work been superficial Why has the
argument of G. F. Adams made such stir
The work Of the best schools was in Adams
time imperfect The better teaching of to-day
Is the result OF the scientific and improved
methods. The great question in classical and
scientific training is as to which gives the
| greater strength of mental grasp. Classics AT
best can give but part of the necessary mental
discipline, though an important part, it is read
| lily acknowledged. They cultivate first the
perception and memory. They also train tC
choice OF language and rhetorical finish. There
is also good discipline of the reasoning power
| but when this is analysed 1t is found to be OF
the nature OF successive, numerous, direct in
| fereuces, not of continuous and sustained rea
| soning. 1t is more of intuition than abstrac
ton. On the other hand, scientific work is oil
long continued logical and abstract reasoning
and so is of higher type of discipline. All
| intricate demonstration in geometry or agebrs
il a higher and more difficult process Of min6
| than a determination Of a point of syntax
| Why are 30 many classical students perfectly
swamped by ordinary geometry, and can onl,
nlemorize it? They may have good command
| of language, but cannot carry on an abstrac
reasoning. If it is said, as it is sometimes
| that we find poor classical scholars who ma,
succeed in scientific study, we are brough
70 nlar liCan mi anti nf GRi
ence To learn few facts is not to know
science. The poor classical scholar may lear
facts of science because he is Interested in them
but he may never become a true scholar Tn
question of the relation OF scientific to classica
study is not the same to-day as even fifty year
ago 1t is far more important than ever. II
become a proficient in science, to be fit t.
grapple with its great questions, requires
long and severe discipline, under most judi
cious supervision. Science proposes question
not of speculation merely, but question
toward which solid though steep and rugge
path of logical and positive ground invites a.
who are able to pursue. What can we teacher
do in this highest and best culture? Those c
us in humble place, but little; but we do not de
spse the day of small things. Elementary In
struction must be largely occupied with details
but all that awakens the young may do good
1t is great mistake to put scientific and class
cal work in such relation to each other as W
do in our academies and colleges. All we
in academies and much in college is but of tn
simplest, elementary kind. On graduatin
from college a faithful student is ready to
good work in literature, but in science the a,
erage college graduate is but a tyro and tn
world in general has had no fair compariso
between the two. When students do three an
four years solid work in science and fol
years more in college it will be time to make
fair comparison.
An address on the Uses and Abuses Of IL
Rank System" by DR.. c. c. Rounds of Plyn
outh, n. H., opened the afternoon exercise
Dr. Rounds advised teachers to keep reco'
of the work done by each pupil, as matter
protection to the instructor, as means OF r
liable information as to the standing of eaC
pupil and as means OF showing to schola
who might, for any reason, be in need of such
stimulus or correction, the record which the
industry and faithfulness, or their Incidence
indifference, was making for them. To avo
the injustice which the most carefully kel
record might do to pupils OF nearly an equi
standing, and to avoid the injurious nervol
strain which the publication Of this record ma
produce in certain cases DR.. Rounds advise
that the pupils standing be disclosed on
to the individual pupil or to the parents.
the relative standing of scholars is known,
should come about only by their disclosir
their standing to each other.
Principal c. II. Goldthwait of St Albar
| read paper upon General Exercises "
schools. In no department of education HI
greater progress been made than in this ma
ter of general exercises. A time honor'
method Is to set apart certain portion OF tin
, for this special purpose. The whole affair
often lame and inefficient Ii we epitomi
the science OF education we might not find
\ AAsta 4, &La.. tnfn Fag