The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-01-05
A Defecl In school Education.

A Defect la school EuuehtiOn.
The proper province OF the COM
mon school system Is to teach the
children as far .as possible to under
stand and correctly speak and write the
English language. This should be the
principal aim OF the system. The constant
practice in spelling,reading and composing
the language, along with other rudimentary
studies, such US arithmetic, geography and
history, Tall Of which are directly connected
with ability to understand and compose
lanyuage) constitutes course oil study
quite sufficient to occupy the school years
Of the average pupil. To ground them well
in these studies and discipline their minds
US thinkers by daily tests might well be
the glory Of the common school system.
That the system does not do this is partly
attributable to the fact that 1t attempts to
do more than this. A specimen OF Its
shortcomings in this respect Is shown by
the following test recently applied by anex'
aniner in one Of the Massachusetts schools
The pupils in the grammar department,
who had been years in school, were CIV
Ell the following narrative to read:
CYRUS, the Persian Prince, had many
masters. who endeayored 10 teach him
everything that was good; and be was
educated with several little boys about his
own age. lie was boy OF very good
disposition and humane temper; but
even in his youthful games he showed a
strong desire to command, and other boys
used TO make him their King. One even
inc his father asked him what he bad done
or learned that day. "Sir," said Cyrus. II
WAS punished to-day for deciding unjust
w." show so ?'rsaid his father. There
we're two boys" said Cyrus, lone Of whom
was n great and the other little boy. Now,
il happened that the little boy had a coat
that was much too big for him, but the
great boy had one that scarcely reached
below his middle and was too tight iorshim
in every part. The great boy proposed to
the little boy TO change coats with him,
because then, said he, we shall be both
exactly fitted, for your coat Is as much TOO
big for you Us mine is too little ior me-
The little boy would not consent TO the
proposal; upon which the great boy took
lis coat away by force, and gave his own to
the liu1u boy in exchange. While they
were disputing upon this subject, CHANGED
10 pass by, and they agreed 10 make me
Judge OF the affair. But decided that the
little boy should keep the little coat, and
the great boy the great one, for which jndg.
ment nv master punished me-" "Why
40 2" said Cyrus father; twas not the little
coat most proper for the little boy. and the
large coat Tor the great boy" Eyes, sir, :"
answered Cyrus, but my master told me
was not made Judge to examine which coat
best fitted either OF the boys, but to decide
whether It was just that the great boy
should take away the coat Of the little one
against his consent; and therefore l de-
ciled unjustly, and deserved to be pun
ished."
The pupils were given an hour, having
read the narrative, in which to give their
version Of the story. Following are few
samples Of the result:
CYRUS was disobediant boy. The little
boy thought that the large coat would be
better for him, and the large boy thought
the small coat would be better for him.
But the large coat was as much to small
for the small boy as the large coat was for
the large. The large boy had ought 10
have had the large coat and the small boy
the small coat, think that Cyrus was a
greedy boy. The boy was whipped be-
cause he had the littlest boys coat.
Cyrus pursian prince was pheasant
IN educated boy but when he came home
that night his father, asked him what he
had received that day. he said he had got
punished ut school his father asked him
what for and he said that there was great
boy aud little boy had a goat and the big
boy had little goat and the little boy had
big goat the big boy wanted TO exchange
goats he had the big goat and the little boy
had the little goat SO that the big boy took
his goat away by forco and | came along
and they wanted me to Judge and l said
that the little boy should have the little
goat and the big boy should have the big
goat and so that is what l got punished for
In school.
Cyrus the Persian prince he was boy Of
sense. One evening he was passing by the
house a small boy had big goat the goat
was much larger than the boy so they had
dispute over the goat the boys have him
for the judge he gave the little boy the
goat when he got home his father asked
him II he was good at school he said he
had been punished iniustly his father said
that he must be kind to one as 10 the
other.
lnere was man by the name OF Cyrus
who was Persian Prince. He had very
nice father, and asked him one night what
he had done dt school that day? He said
that he had done something unjustly. The
boys, when Cyrus was playing any games
with them used to make him their King
One day there was boy who had q new
coat, with Cyrus, land Cyrus wanted to
make change. The one that the boy had
bought was very much too large for him,
while Cyrus's was small. They kept on for
two or three days, but could not agree
upon 1t. While they were making this
agreement, Cyruss father came along.
Cyrus had very humane temper and was
very gentle. Because Cyrus would not
change with the other in few days he
was punished.
Cyrus, the Persian prince, had a good
many masters, his father asked him il he
had done anything wrong to-day, and he
said, he had been punished, and his father
asked him.. what he had been punished
for, and he said he had quarreled with an.
other boy. What about, said his father, and
Cyrus said that, boy he was with, had on
u big coat, that Just fitted him, and his
cont was too small for himself, and this
other boy wanted 10 exchange with him
But Cyrus would not, just then man came
up, and settled the dispute, saying, that the
big boy did very wrong in, taring the coat
OF the smaller boy. So Cyrus had 10 be
punished for not giving up his coat to tbs
other boy.