The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-05-05

w WAN q y S'1i vi HlOiO VI nave their
due bills discounted, and that the.
teachers were then paid better sala4-
ries than now. If in this" state of
affairs the pupils are advancing as,
rapidly or more rapidly than they
did when the schools were openseyenl
and half months, there is perhaps,
room for encouragement !; but the
conclusion that the opposite is the re-
suit seems irresistible. The people of
the county should feel anxious that
the schools make as good a showing
as the schools of the other counties.
Garrett is the only county in the
state that has its schools open less
than seven and half months; while.
eight out of the twenty-three have
them open ten months, and eighteen
have more than seven and a half
months. l do not wish to say that
the condition of our schools is charg-
able to anyone in particular. The peo--
pie OF this county pay perhaps as
much, or more school tax, according
TO Its wealth, than any of the other
counties, and yet the School Board of
this county cannot open the schools
longer, or pay teachers competent
salaries without larger levy than
they have been receiving. Neither
can the people expect the services of
competent teachers so long as the
schools are open only two terms, and
the present salaries are paid. Teach
ers must find employment at some
thing else during the time the schools
are not in session, and this EMPLOY
ment is generally manual labor, and
hence they have very little opportu-
nifty for improvement. The result
Will depend upon the length of time
the schools are open and the efficien-
cy of the teachers Employed. Unless
Garrett county can. furnish the same
inducements to its teachers. that the
other counties furnish theirs, it can
rot expect the same results. That
the schools as general thing, bear
good fruit cannot be doubted, and it
cannot be denied that the schools of
to-day differ widely in their efficient
system Of instruction from the schools
of twenty years ago. Tn reference to-
1.-The new education" Assistant Su-
perintendant Edwards, Of BaasMaors:
city. says:
"Time and the ceaseiess march Of
events which have changed so much
the fashion of our outward lives have
not spared the primary schools of the,
country. The genii at whose touch
the steam engine, the cotton gin, the
railroad, the sewing machine, the tele-
graph and the electric light sprang
into existence, have begun to wave
their Wands over ourprimary schools,
and one by one as they feel the magic
touch. they rise from their long slum.
bers, and begin new life, full of
vigor, grace and beauty. 1t is next
to impossible to decide intelligibly
and briefly the change that is going
on, and it is difficult to predict the
consequences that will in few years
result from the New education"
"The traditional order Of studies
Alphabet, Spelling, Reading, Writ,
iug-has been completely reversed,
and the new order is Writing, Read
ing, Spelling. In place of learning to-
read through the medium of spelling,
children are taught to read and spell
through the medium of writing and
the alphabet which used to occupy
the three first months of a child's
school life is left to takecare Of itself.
Spelling which was once the "Grand
gymnastic" of the schools for the first
seven years is now reduced to SUBJ
Orninate' position. 1t is considered
sufficient that child should be able
to spell all the words he can use. To
learn more is thought to be waste
of time, for the ability to spell other
words is expected to come with the
knowledge of the words themselves,
and the knowledge ofthe words comes
with more extensive reading. Thus
reading is made the means of teach
ing spelling instead of using spelling
as in former days, as a preparation
for reading. The current of change
seems to set in the direction of
knowledge of things rather than of
words and in addition to the three
RS which were once supposed to con-
stitute the sum and substance of ele-'
mentary Knowledge we have three
other things to teach. to observe close
ly, TO think justly, and express
thought cor ectly."
It is necessary that the public school
teacher be acquainted with the cur
rent of literary changes, and the latest
and most efficient system of teaching.
In fact he must be perfectly familiar
with art Of pedagogy, To acquire all