New-York tribune., 1884-10-05

Recently, both here and in England, there has
been much talk of educational Oycr-presSure.
At one period there was gOou ground Tor un-
casiuass on this score. Recognition OF the
importance of better education bad then
created a onc-sidcd enthusiasm which could
appreciate nothing but intellectual culture, and
could not have too much of that. The result
was oycr-prcssurc, and much harm tocXcItablc,
ambitious and delicate children. But there
are few lines of progress in which greater att
vance has been made than in education. Many
of the best minds of the time have been occu-
pied with it, Suggestion, discussion, expert
mcnt, comparison, have rapidly Nlted ont
obsolete OF miSchieyous views aud practices,
and substituted improved methods. II Is true
that the greater facilities iog teaching to-day
may operate rs temptations 10 over work, and
no doubt sometimes do. But on the other hand
il is now generally realized that the education
of tho body must bc co-0rdinatcd with that al
the mind. aud therefore there X less danger
than over before of the mischicvous onc-sidcd-
meas referred to previously. or course where
instruction is attractive to the young, where the
educational methods are interesting and not
rcpulsivc. where the mind of the pupil is aided
instead of being cocrcod it is inevitable that
greater efforts to learn should be made. This,
however, is the result aimed at it IS the dem
onstration of the success of the modern educa-
lonal theory and practice; it is, in short. the
response 10 the popular demand for better
education.
To the extent that improved teaching de-
vclops improved learning there must be some
evidence of increased eagerness for knowledge
among the children. To the extent that they
are more interested in their school work they
will pay more attention to it. And thus there
will be closer application. But to argue from
this that the modern methods are dangerous
is really to imply that they are beyond the
capacities of the children, and such an inference
certainly is not warranted. No doubt there are
cases of injury from over-pFcs sure. 80 there
Vcic under the old system. There are always
feeble constitutions breaking down. but that
proves nothing as regards the average results.
There is, however, reason 70 suspect that in
many of these cases the home u far more re-
sponsible than the school, for whereas in the
latter regard Is ut present always paid to the
physical needs, in the former there Is frequently
no intelligent regulation whatever. UnwhOle
some food, late hours dissipation, the candy
eating vice which is to girls what cigarette
smoking is to boys, each and all contribute
toward the collapse which is hastily ascribcd to
educational over pressure. Want of bodily
exercise j IA common cause of ill-hcalth among
girls, and in their schools probably there
should be more gymnastic training. There is
room still for Improvement in the methods OF
education, beyond a question, but the present
tendency to lay all the blame OF occasional
break-downs upon the schools, and to overlook
the accountability OF the home training, is cal
culatcd 10 lead 10 erroneous conclusions and
i BIZ 10 means fair to our educators and their
methods. Diet and hours have probably quite
rs much to do in the establishment OF abnormal
conditions of health as any possible educational
-nrrsSure.