The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-06-04
A Thorough and Plain Education

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IZion's Heraldl
In visiting an intelligent family last week,
the head of which is builder, Nova Sco-
tian, but resident with his family for a
number of years in this vicinity, the remark
was naturally made to the mother Of num-
Der of bright children that she must appreci-
ate the peculiar advantages enjoyed with us
in our excellent schools. We were surprised
to notice that she hesitated at first to re-
spond. ''The schools are excellent" she
finally said, 'but my children are to work
for their living. They need to be thorough
ly acquainted with the rudiments Of learn
ing-reading, writing and arithmetic. If
they were to remain in school for years, 20
reach the high school, and to pass on still
further in their education, it would all, pos
sibly, be right; but now so much time is
taken up by ornamental branches, that, in
the few years they are to remain in school,
fear they will fail TO secure an adequate knosl-
edge of what is indispensable for them as
they enter upon life for themselves"
We have thought of this long before the
suggestion of this considerate mother
brought it little more definitely home to
as. We heartily believe in giving all the
children as ample training in the public
school as possible. We encourage parents
to make all possible sacrifices to afford their
children the best and broadest attainable ed.
ucation. 1t is the most valuable fortune
they can bestow upon them. 1t is not ne
cessary that the children should remain 10
the same business or social condition as the
parents. The avenues to every possibility
In trade or profession, or social standing,
are, with us in our democratic polity, open
to the humblest. As the children of the
poor and of the day-laborers are TO have an
equal share in the government of the land,
as they may be elected to legislatures and
aid in making and sustaining the laws, the
country has every reason to bestow a sound
and generous training upon all its children.
But having said this, we must come back
to the practical fact that only limited por-
ton of the public school children avail them
selves of advanced opportunities for secur-
ing higher education. The great body
hardly pass through the grammar school.
The very ones who will need the most
thorough drilling in rudimental studies, be-
cause they will have fever opportunities for
study and reading in after life, are those
that drop out of the public provisions for in
struction before they have really attained
any intellectual development, or become
proficient in the simplest branches of know
ledge.
Our public school system has little regard
for exceptions. 1t is one great scheme
from the kindergarten to the college. If
child has average abilities, and can pass the
whole curriculum, very good education
will be secured by the close of the course.
But some have failed to enter 1t in early
years; others have been kept out by the ext
gencies of the family; and some can only re-
main few years. In Boston and few cit
les and large towns there are evening
schools which go far to meet some Of these
exceptional cases. Some of these are con-
quoted much like the common school of
nan century ago, seeking only to bestow the
Piainest education, in the limited time af-
iorded, upon those who are unable to avail
themselves OF day tuition. In some of our
cities there have been established class of
intermediate schools, to meet exceptional
cases and to bestow this form of careful nre-
liminary training upon the pupils.
AS our schools are now Conducted there
is scarcely any time left in school hours for
study; recitations or general exercises follow
each other in constant succession. This
must result in leaving the pupil without
any well-trained habit of careful application
and study, and induce superficialness and
lack of positiveness in the branches that are
passed over. A lad or girl removed from
the school before reaching the higher clas-