The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-19
HIGH SCHOOLS.
Should they be Eliminated from
the Public School System.

Should they be Eliminated from
the Public School System.
To the Editor Of the Mi,ser:
A correspondent of the Inter Noun
tain, Julian by signature, recently
suggested the insertion in the pro-
posed State Constitution of a provi-
sion prohibiting the levying of any
tax or appropriation of any public
money for the support of any school
in which other than English branches
or any mathematics higher than
arithmetic are taught. Another cor
respondent, tx" opposed this view.
For one reason he thought the plan
too rigorous, as the same thing could
be accompl ished by statute, which
could be more easily gotten rid of.
He might have added that the differ
ent school boards could manage the
matter. But the constitutional pro-
vision would still be the better plan.
School trustees and Legislators, while
they may be intelligent and upright
men, are seldom men who have made
a study of school systems or Of the
effects of any given system, and they
generally place themselves under the
guidance, as far as the course of study
is concerned, of the chief teachers,
the persons most interested in keep
ing the present system in operation,
and should any given legislature or
board of trustees make a change, the
action would be subject to repeal or
new change every year or two, and
so place the system in a state of un-
certainty that would be prejudicial to
good effects in all the schools.
tx" thinks 1t would be base in-
gratitude to refuse the few sections of
land the government has donated us
for higher education, but he never
need fear being taunted with it.
And as State univerities are gener-
ally infirmaries for played-out poll
ticians and castaway clergymen, I
trust Montana will be able to hold her
own in the educational world with
out one.
IN" guesses as to the XII d of M an
Julian is: which of course does not
affect the argument in any way, and
then adds that the great majority
here cannot send their children to
high schools or academies in the East,
very delicately lodging the fact that
the vast majority cannot send their
children to high schools even in
Montana, AMI consequently should
not be taxed to support such institu-
tions.
The opinion is becoming prevalent
in almost every section of the coun-
try that, considering the labor and
money expended. the public schools
are not as successful as they should
be. think it susceptible Of proof
that hardly one-half the graduates of
even the high schools in the United
States can pass such an examination
as will secure them license to teach
in the common schools, and the major
ity of those who do are obliged to con-
tent themselves with low grade GER
tificates. And when these gradu-
ates go into the world to make liv-
ing, they quickly find that most of
their learning is of little practical
value to them. Indeed they must
unlearn and relearn much that they
are supposed to know. Besides, they
leave school with joy over their re-
lease and disgust for study and close
their books for all time,
If this is the result of all the hard
work done by the teachers, of all the
money expended by the people, OF
some seven to twelve years ''training
of the mind" believe am justified
IN saying there is something wrong
in the system that produces such
poor, such illegitimate results. This
wrong, this great fault lies, l think,
in forcing upon children the study OF
the abstract sciences, combined with
mere memory studies, and the almost
entire neglect of the physical sciences.
Nature teaches children how to ac'
qulre knowledge. Infants learn rap
idly, and they do so chiefly by the
powers of observation, gradually
combining the powers OF memory and
reasoning. But as soon as children
enter the public schools that system
of education is abandoned and they
must acquire knowledge and the
power to reason through abstract
studies; they must learn the powers
and relations of the verb and adverb
of complex fractions and the cube
root, and deduce rules of life from
them. 1t is not surprising that the
mind, after some unsuccessful rebel
lions against such an unnatural pro-
cess, becomes dull, inelt, disinclined
to study of any kind. 1t is no won
der that people have so few ideas tc
express, exen after the great trouble
to teach them how to express ideas
correctly.
Now 1 believe this system of edu'
cation in the public schools Is due IN
a great measure to the idea maintain
| ed by TX " and held by school
| men generally, that the government
must furnish the highest education
desired. The principals say their